It is illegal. Article 16, paragraph 2 of the Condominium Administration Act (公寓大廈管理條例) prohibits residents from piling up clutter or installing doors in places such as stairwells, shared corridors, fire lanes, and civil defense shelters; if they still do not fix it after the management committee (管委會) tells them to stop, the competent authority can fine them NT$40,000 to NT$200,000 under Article 49 and set a deadline for correction, and if they do not correct it by the deadline, penalties can be imposed repeatedly. Taipei's penalty standard is NT$40,000 for the first time and double for the second. Whether a shoe cabinet counts as clutter depends, for the competent authority, on whether it obstructs escape and evacuation and access.
Reminder: Blocking an escape route is not only a matter of fines. Article 189-2 of the Criminal Code (刑法) provides that anyone who blocks the escape route of a residential complex or a jointly used building, creating danger to others' life, body, or health, shall be sentenced to imprisonment of up to 3 years. This article suggests not moving or throwing away a neighbor's things yourself, to avoid creating a new dispute; go to the management committee first, and if they are told to stop and do not listen, report to the competent authority. Whether there is a violation is up to the competent authority's determination in each case.
What the law says: where you cannot put things
The laws and regulations database shows that the current version of the Condominium Administration Act was amended on May 11, 2022. The places listed in full in Article 16, paragraph 2 are: private access ways, fire separation spaces, fire lanes, open space, setback open land, stairwells, shared corridors, and civil defense shelters. The prohibited acts are: piling up clutter; setting up fences or doors, or business use; and setting up advertisements in violation of the rules, privately setting up roadblocks, and parking spaces that occupy lanes and obstruct access.
The proviso opens only two exceptions: open space and setback open land may, within the scope approved by the special municipality or county (city) government, be used for business according to the bylaws (規約) or a resolution of the owners meeting (區分所有權人會議); civil defense shelters may be used within their originally approved scope, and those doubling as parking space may be used for public paid parking according to law. Stairwells and shared corridors have no exceptions at all.
In addition, Article 7, subparagraph 2 provides that "corridors or stairs connecting several private units, and the passages or lobbies leading from them to the outdoors" may not be designated as areas for exclusive use by agreement. This article reads it as: even if the owners meeting agrees, a stairwell or corridor cannot be assigned to one household for its exclusive use to put a shoe cabinet; Article 9, paragraph 3 also provides that agreements on common areas may not violate this Act.
The scope is not limited to high-rises. Taipei's building management and engineering office (建築管理工程處, 建管處) Q&A item 39 explains that the Act does not limit building structure or size; as long as a building can be divided into several parts structurally or in use and has common areas, everything from row-house single-story buildings to high-rises is covered. Old 4- or 5-story apartment buildings are the same.
Do shoe cabinets, bicycles, and potted plants count as clutter?
The Act has no list of what counts as "clutter". A Taipei City Government appeal decision of December 1, 2025 cites the meeting minutes attached to Ministry of the Interior letter 內授營建管字第 0970805010 號 of June 30, 2008: the legislative purpose of Article 16, paragraph 2 is to safeguard public safety in buildings and to prevent residents from using the listed places in ways that obstruct escape, evacuation, and access; when a resident's use obstructs the purposes of "safeguarding public safety in buildings and escape, evacuation, and access", it is handled as a violation of that paragraph.
Under this standard, this article reads it as: shoe cabinets, piles of shoes, bicycles, strollers, potted plants, cardboard boxes, and recyclables that are left in a stairwell or corridor long term and take up passage or evacuation space risk being found in violation, and it has no direct relation to how valuable the items are or whether it is "in front of your own door". The location in the appeal case above was the setback open land of a building (also a place listed in Article 16, paragraph 2): a resident put out a vendor cart and piled up a lot of clutter, and argued that there "was still space for pedestrians to pass" next to it, yet the appeal was still dismissed and the NT$40,000 fine upheld. This is not a case about a stairwell shoe cabinet, but the standard of judgment is the same.
Penalties at a glance
| Violation | Penalty | Basis |
|---|
| Piling up clutter, or setting up fences or doors, in stairwells, shared corridors, fire lanes, civil defense shelters, and similar places | A fine of NT$40,000 to NT$200,000, and a deadline for correction may be set; if not corrected by the deadline, penalties may be imposed repeatedly | Act Article 16, paragraph 2; Article 49, paragraph 1, subparagraph 4 |
| Same as above, under the Taipei penalty standard | First time NT$40,000; second time 2 times the first; from the third time, calculated at the statutory cap of NT$200,000 | Taipei City Government uniform penalty standards for handling violations of the Condominium Administration Act, item 13 and point 3 |
| A resident who is in fact using the place for business piles up clutter, causing death or serious injury | Death: imprisonment of 1 year or more and up to 7 years, and a criminal fine of NT$1,000,000 to NT$5,000,000 may also be imposed; serious injury: 6 months to 5 years, and a criminal fine of NT$500,000 to NT$2,500,000 may also be imposed | Act Article 49, paragraph 2 |
| Blocking the escape route of a residential complex or a jointly used building, creating danger to others' life, body, or health | Imprisonment of up to 3 years; up to 7 years if death results, up to 5 years if serious injury results | Criminal Code Article 189-2 |
| The management committee or the person in charge of management fails without good reason to stop a resident's violation, clearly affecting residents' rights | A fine of NT$1,000 to NT$5,000 | Act Article 48, subparagraph 4; Article 36, subparagraph 5 |
Taipei's uniform penalty standard was amended on June 3, 2005, and a 2025 appeal decision still imposed the penalty under item 13 of this standard, so it is evidently still in use. For other counties and cities, follow the local competent authority's rules for penalty amounts.
How to handle it and how to report
| Step | Who does what | Basis |
|---|
| 1. Record the situation | Photograph the position of the items and the date, and measure the remaining width of the passage (this article's suggestion) | - |
| 2. Raise it with the management committee | The person in charge of management or the management committee shall stop it, or handle it according to the bylaws (規約) | Act Article 16, paragraph 5; Article 36, subparagraph 5 |
| 3. If told to stop and they do not listen, report to the competent authority | The management committee reports to the competent authority of the special municipality or county (city) for handling; in Taipei, the urban development department (都市發展局) is in charge and the building management and engineering office (建築管理工程處) investigates | Act Article 16, paragraph 5; Taipei City Government announcement of March 26, 2015 |
| 4. Apartment buildings with no management committee | Owners and interested parties can list the facts, provide evidence, and report directly to the competent authority | Act Article 59; Taipei building management and engineering office Q&A item 30 |
| 5. The competent authority investigates | Taipei example (a case of clutter piled on setback open land): a letter asked the offending resident to submit a written statement within 20 days and correct it themselves, then staff were sent to inspect on site; those that had not corrected were fined and given 15 days to correct | Taipei City Government appeal decision of December 1, 2025, no. 府訴三字第 1146087184 號 |
The order in Article 16, paragraph 5 of the Act is "stop first, report afterwards". A letter of October 20, 2003 from the Taipei City Government legal regulations committee (法規委員會) relays a 2001 Ministry of the Interior meeting conclusion: for a condominium building that has not set up a management committee or chosen a person in charge of management, residents' conduct in the building is still governed by this Act, and residents may apply directly to the local competent authority for handling (the letter cites old article numbers). Taipei residents can call 1999 (from other counties and cities, 02-2720-8889) or use Taipei's petition system; for the petition channels of New Taipei and other counties and cities, see What can the 1999 citizen hotline do.
If the management committee receives a report but does nothing: Article 48, subparagraph 4 of the Act provides that if the person in charge of management, the chairperson, or a committee member without good reason fails to carry out the duty in Article 36, subparagraph 5 of "stopping a resident's violation", clearly affecting residents' rights, they are fined NT$1,000 to NT$5,000, and residents may also list the facts and report to the competent authority under Article 59.
Why stairwells must be kept clear
The following is this article's suggestion, not statutory text: in a fire you cannot use the elevator, so the stairwell is the main vertical escape route; cardboard boxes, shoe cabinets, and bicycles will trip people in thick smoke, and will also keep fire doors from closing. Keep the stairwell clear and the fire door closed at ordinary times; install a residential fire alarm at home (for installation rules see Residential smoke alarm installation rules and placement), and keep a fire extinguisher (for choosing one see How to choose a home fire extinguisher). For other issues the management committee handles, such as unpaid fees and bylaw amendments, see What happens if you do not pay management fees.
FAQ
Is it still not allowed if the shoe cabinet is right against my own door and not blocking the way?
Article 16, paragraph 2 of the Act prohibits "piling up clutter" in stairwells and shared corridors, and has no exception for "fine as long as it does not block the way". The competent authority, following the Ministry of the Interior's letter, looks at whether it obstructs escape, evacuation, and access, and decides case by case. This article suggests moving it indoors, or using a cabinet inside your door.
Can I install an iron gate or fence in the stairwell?
No. Article 16, paragraph 2 also prohibits "installing fences or doors" in these places, and violators are likewise subject to the fine under Article 49, paragraph 1, subparagraph 4.
If all residents agree to the shoe cabinet, is it OK?
This article reads it as no. Article 7, subparagraph 2 provides that corridors or stairs connecting several private units may not be designated for exclusive use by agreement, and Article 9, paragraph 3 provides that agreements may not violate this Act. A resolution of the owners meeting (區權會) cannot legalize conduct that violates Article 16, paragraph 2.
How long do I have to fix it after being reported?
Follow the competent authority's notice. In the Taipei appeal case above (clutter on setback open land), the city government first sent a letter asking the resident to submit a statement within 20 days with proof of any self-correction already made; the penalty was imposed only after an on-site inspection showed it still was not corrected, and the resident was given 15 days from receipt of the document to finish correcting; if the deadline passes without action, penalties will continue.
Last updated: 2026-10-31
This article was compiled by SOSfix editors from public information and is for general reference only. For your own case, contact Taipei's building management and engineering office, or the condominium competent unit of the special municipality or county (city) government where you live.
Sources
- National laws and regulations database (全國法規資料庫): Condominium Administration Act (amended May 11, 2022, verified 2026-10-31) (in Chinese): Article 7, subparagraph 2; Article 9, paragraph 3; Article 16, paragraphs 2 and 5; Article 36, subparagraph 5; Article 48, subparagraph 4; Article 49, paragraph 1, subparagraph 4 and paragraph 2; Article 59.
- National laws and regulations database: Criminal Code of the Republic of China (amended July 22, 2026, verified 2026-10-31) (in Chinese): Article 189-2, the offense of blocking an escape route.
- Taipei laws and regulations query system (臺北市法規查詢系統): Taipei City Government uniform penalty standards for handling violations of the Condominium Administration Act (amended June 3, 2005, verified 2026-10-31) (in Chinese): item 13, the NT$40,000 penalty; point 3, doubling for repeated penalties and the cap.
- Taipei laws and regulations query system: Taipei City Government appeal decision of December 1, 2025, no. 府訴三字第 1146087184 號 (PDF, verified 2026-10-31) (in Chinese): the standard of judgment from the minutes of the Ministry of the Interior letter of June 30, 2008, the investigation process, a fine of NT$40,000 with 15 days to correct, and the 2015 delegation to the urban development department.
- Taipei building management and engineering office: Condominium Administration Act Q&A (updated 2026-02-24, verified 2026-10-31) (in Chinese): item 30, how clutter in stairwells is handled, and Article 59; item 39, the scope of application.
- Taipei laws and regulations query system: letter 北市法二字第09231144200號 of the Taipei City Government legal regulations committee, October 20, 2003 (verified 2026-10-31) (in Chinese): the Act still applies where no management organization has been set up, and residents may ask the competent authority to handle it directly (the letter cites old article numbers).
- Footer contact information of the Taipei City Government department of legal affairs laws query system (verified 2026-10-31) (in Chinese): Taipei 1999, 02-2720-8889 from outside Taipei, and the petition system.
