SHANGHAI: A local court in the eastern hub of Shanghai has given the ruling in a real estate dispute between a gay couple, which experts said highlights a lack of legislation over property disputes amongst homosexuals.

The dispute is over a 50 sq m apartment now worth about 600,000 yuan ($87,800) in the city's Pudong New Area. The defendant, Zhang Bin, and the plaintiff, his companion surnamed Zhan, bought the apartment together in 2004 with both their names on the ownership certificate.

The Lujiazui court in Pudong on Monday ruled against Zhang, depriving him of his co-ownership of the apartment based on a note he wrote in 2007 that stated he did not pay any money for the apartment.