Hong Kong Housing Authority and Housing Department

Combat Tenancy Abuse

Combat Tenancy Abuse
Picture: Cherish Public Housing Resources

Public housing resources are precious. They should be allocated appropriately and rationally to those in genuine need. We are committed to combating tenancy abuses and striving to take stringent action against all tenancy abuse cases.

Tenants who are proven to have abused public housing resources will have their tenancies terminated and those who knowingly made false declarations may be prosecuted.

Common tenancy abuse cases
  • Non-occupation (or not retaining regular and continuous residence for over three months )
  • Subletting (with or without rental income)
  • Engaging in illegal activities (e.g. gambling, possession of drugs or illicit cigarettes)
  • Non-domestic usage (e.g. commercial activities, storage)
  • False declaration (e.g. income, assets, marital status or household particulars)

If the abuse is of a more serious nature, we will terminate the concerned tenancy without prior warning.  The ex-tenants and all authorised persons aged 18 or above whose tenancies have been terminated due to breach of the Tenancy Agreement will be ineligible for making fresh public rental housing applications for five years from the date of tenancy termination.  They will not be offered a flat better than their previous abodes in terms of geographical locality, age of building and floor level.

The more serious breaches include cases of -

  • Subletting (with or without rental income)
  • Staying in proven alternative accommodation or not retaining regular and continuous residence for over three months (“regular and continuous” be construed in accordance with its ordinary meaning and reasonableness is the crucial yardstick in judging the cases)
  • Engaging in illegal activities inside the premises
Enhancing efforts in combating PRH abuse

The Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) Subsidised Housing Committee (SHC) endorsed a series of new measures to enhance efforts to combat tenancy abuse and enhance the "Well-off Tenants Policies"on 24 May 2023, with a view to safeguarding the rational use of public rental housing (PRH) resources.  The new measures will be effective from October 1, 2023.

  1. PRH tenants are required to make declarations every two years that they have continuously resided in the units and complied with the terms in the tenancy agreement regarding occupancy status after admission to PRH. Tenants are also required to authorized HA to check their information with relevant Government Bureaux/Departments and public/private organizations. Tenants who refuse to make declarations or fail to make declarations within the specified time may have their tenancies terminated;
  2. applicants whose PRH applications are cancelled on grounds of making false declarations during application are barred from re-applying for PRH for a period of five years; and
  3. former PRH tenants whose tenancies were terminated due to making false declarations, breaching any terms of the tenancy agreement, violating the Marking Scheme for Estate Management Enforcement, etc., are barred from re-applying for PRH for five years from the date of termination.
Public Housing Resources Management Sub-section

In addition to the routine tenancy control carried out by our estate offices, we have also set up the Public Housing Resources Management
Sub-section (PHRM) under the Housing Department to combat abuses of public housing resources. Apart from looking into suspected tenancy abuse cases, the PHRM also closely examines the declarations of incomes and assets made by PRH tenants and applicants of various subsidised housing schemes to prevent public housing abuse.

Ways to Report Abuses

If you have any clues or information concerning tenancy abuse, you can report via the above ways.  All information provided will be kept strictly confidential.

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