A privately built villa is spotted at the top of a residential building in Beijing on August 12, 2013. The villa, hidden among the rockeries and bushes, has prompted complaints from neighbors downstairs. Photo: Xinhua

A Beijing resident is currently being investigated for illegally building a two-story villa, complete with mountain and gardens, on the rooftop of an apartment building. 

The 1,000-square-meter villa, which caps the 26-story Building B of the Renji Shanzhuang living compound in Haidian district, rests atop a faux mountain complete with terrace, trees and other landscape features, reported the Beijing Morning Post.

The owner surnamed Zhang began construction after he purchased a relatively modest 100-square-meter penthouse on the building’s rooftop in 2007, which he then tore apart and rebuilt into his sprawling mini-estate.

Those living below have complained of chronic leaks and constant noise over the past six years, according to a neighbor surnamed Yan, who described Zhang as “a professor”. 

Employees with the building’s property management said Zhang expressed he had ‘no fear of being sued,’ the paper said.

Although paperwork has been filed, local officials are stumped as how to deal with Zhang and his rooftop palace.

“We have talked with Zhang about the issue but the villa can only be demolished with approval from the district government,” said a local urban management officer surnamed Yang.

Yang Shichun, a nationally registered constructor, went over the obvious risk of building such a structure, and that any rooftop renovations should be first approved by the building’s architect.

“Such unauthorized renovations can increase load pressure on beams to dangerous amounts, damage insulation, cause leaks or compromise the structure’s lightening protection system,” said Yang.