On March 30, 2014, a M4.7 earthquake occurred in the Zigui county, in Hubei province. The epicenter intensity reached Ⅵ. The earthquake caused various degrees of damage to houses in the epicentral area. According to on-site investigation data conducted after the earthquake, through the sampling statistics and analysis on house damage in the epicentral area, two typical and common house damages in rural areas are summarized in this work. There are three main reasons for the Ⅵ damage caused by the earthquake to the houses in the area studied. First, the house foundation is mishandled. Most damaged houses are located in the scarp near the Yangtze River, where part of the houses lie on bedrock foundation and part lie on artificial stone masonry. Therefore, the houses are prone to uneven deformation and cracking. Second, high mountains and deep valleys also have an effect. Due to the amplification of ground motion in abrupt mountain terrain, the houses will suffer stronger seismic action and thus house damage occurs. Third, the houses' structure is defective and the construction quality is unqualified. Most of the damaged houses have cavities in the walls and the constructional columns are missing. The design and construction are not standardized. Hence, the houses are vulnerable to damage caused by earthquakes. Based on the investigation and analysis, four suggestions on the site selection, design, and construction of rural housing have been put forward in this study. These suggestions can provide the basis and reference for the rural construction and government decision-making in the disaster area and other earthquake prone areas. First, the houses should be built in areas which aid earthquake resistant structures. The houses should not be built on towering isolated hills and steep slopes. Second, houses should be built with constructional columns and ring beam structures and with a superior strength of mortar. These are the key measures to ensure that masonry structures do not collapse. Third, the house builders should put emphasis on the foundations design. Finally, the government should train building craftsmen in the rural areas and improve earthquake resistance knowledge.