Section B: Estate Management and Rent Policy Chapter 6: Biennial Declaration of Family Particulars To strengthen the public rental housing (PRH) tenancy control, thus ensuring the proper utilization and rational allocation of scarce public housing resources, the Housing Authority (HA) endorsed in June 1998 the implementation of an honest system for PRH tenants to declare their occupancy position (OP). Pursuant to Section 25(1) of the Housing Ordinance, tenants are required to declare their OP on a prescribed form (the Declaration Form on Occupation Position) biennially. The said form will be pre-printed with relevant family particulars according to the existing records of the Housing Department (HD). Tenants are only required to fill in the Chinese names, relationship and marital status of relevant household members and provide other requisite information by ticking the appropriate columns and return the completed form to the Estate Office/District Tenancy Management Office (DTMO). If there is any change of family particulars, such as birth, death, marriage or moving out of any family members, the tenant should inform the Estate Office/DTMO immediately and proceed with the necessary formalities for addition, deletion or application for grant of new tenancy, as appropriate. Upon return of the completed declaration forms, estate staff will carry out home visits to verify the use and occupation conditions of the PRH unit and update records of tenants' family particulars. According to Section 27(a) of the Housing Ordinance, any person who refuses or neglects to furnish any of the particulars required in the prescribed declaration form will be in breach of the law and subject to prosecution. Besides, the HA may terminate the tenancy concerned by virtue of Section 19(1)(b) of the Housing Ordinance and recover the PRH flat. The implementation of biennial declaration of OP was further extended to Interim Housing on 28 February 2001. Furthermore, owners who have purchased their flats under any subsidized home ownership schemes by joining the Priority Scheme for Families with Elderly Members are also required to declare their OP biennially as required under the priority scheme until the death (or the deletion under special circumstances) of the elderly member or the lifting of the restriction against alienation upon lapse of the restriction period and full payment of premium to HA.

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