China has pledged to adopt stricter standards when it comes to identifying whether a property is a "second home" when approving mortgage loans.

An official from the China Banking Regulatory Commission says the government will consult the housing registry to determine whether a family already owns a home.

Previously, the watchdog only checked if a family had an outstanding mortgage. The government has ordered that buyers of second homes pay higher down-payments than those for first homes. Several banks will also charge higher mortgage rates for second homes.