Ordinary Families | Hong Kong Housing Authority and Housing Department

The relationship between the Applicant and family members, and between family members must be either a married person and his/her spouse, parent and child, grandparent and grandchild. The Applicant may apply with his/her single sibling(s). A single sibling means that the sibling has never undergone any formal or customary marriage formalities, divorced or widowed.

Yes

Question 4a.

Does your application include any married family members? Details

Details :

All married persons included in the application must apply together with their spouses (except for persons who have applied to the court for a divorce, persons whose spouses have not been granted the right to land in Hong Kong or widowed persons).

Yes

(If No, go to Question 6)

Question 4b.

Are all the married family members included in your application applying together with their spouses? (For exceptional cases as mentioned in "Details", please answer Yes) Details

Details :

Yes

Question 5a.

Are you applying with your married child(ren)? Details

Details :

Applicants who make an application with their child(ren)/ grandchild(ren) can only apply for Public Rental Housing together with one of their married children/ grandchildren and the nuclear family of that child/grandchild.
As far as this requirement is concerned, a nuclear family means:

a married person and his/her spouse without children;
a married person and his/her spouse with one or more unmarried child(ren); or
a single parent (father or mother) with one or more unmarried child(ren).

Yes

(If No, go to Question 6)

Question 5b.

Are you applying with only one of your married child(ren)? Details

Details :

Applicants who make an application with their child(ren)/ grandchild(ren) can only apply for Public Rental Housing together with one of their married children/ grandchildren and the nuclear family of that child/ grandchild.
As far as this requirement is concerned, a nuclear family means:

a married person and his/her spouse without children;
a married person and his/her spouse with one or more unmarried child(ren); or
a single parent (father or mother) with one or more unmarried child(ren).

Yes

Question 6.

Do you and all the family members included in your application reside in Hong Kong and have the right to land in Hong Kong? Details

Details :

The Applicant and all his / her family member(s) must be residing in Hong Kong and have the right to land in Hong Kong. Their residence in Hong Kong is not subject to any conditions of stay (except for conditions on the limit of stay). Any persons who are not granted the right to land in Hong Kong cannot be included in the application. At the time of allocation, at least half of the family members included in the application must have lived in Hong Kong for seven years and all family members must still be living in Hong Kong. Under the following circumstances, children under the age of 18 are deemed to have fulfilled the seven-year residence requirement:

regardless of their place of birth, one of the parents has lived in Hong Kong for seven years; or
they were born in Hong Kong with their permanent resident status established.

Yes

Question 7.

Do you or the family members included in your application own any domestic property in Hong Kong? Details

Details :

From the date of signing the Application Form for Public Rental Housing (PRH) to the date of entering into a new tenancy agreement of the PRH unit allocated in consequence of the application, the Applicant and his / her family member(s) must not:

own or co-own or have an interest in any domestic property in Hong Kong (including a beneficiary of the estate of any deceased person which includes any domestic property in Hong Kong). Domestic property includes any domestic property in Hong Kong, uncompleted private domestic property, rooftop structure approved by the Building Authority, domestic building lots and Small House Grants approved by the Lands Department;
have entered into any agreement (including provisional agreement) to purchase any domestic property in Hong Kong; or
hold more than 50% of the shares in a company which owns, directly or through its subsidiaries, any domestic property in Hong Kong.

Domestic property includes any domestic property, uncompleted private domestic property, roof top structure approved by the Building Authority, domestic building lots and Small House Grants approved by the Lands Department in Hong Kong.

Yes

Question 8.

What is the total monthly household income of your family? (Please enter numerals and press [Enter]. Enter "0" in case of no income.) [Please refer to the Income and Total Net Asset Limits] Details

Details :

The total monthly household income of the Applicant and all his / her family members must not exceed the income limit laid down by the Hong Kong Housing Authority. Such limit is subject to review annually. At the time of filing the Application Form and attending the interview to determine eligibility for public rental housing allocation, the persons who have a fixed employer must declare their income (statutory employees’ mandatory contribution to Mandatory Provident Fund Scheme / Recognised Occupational Retirement Scheme is deductible) and submit the original copy of the Employer Certificate (HD527E) signed by the employer / the Company’s responsible person; the persons who have no fixed employer are required to submit the completed declaration form to declare the average monthly income; the persons who are self-employed without holding a Business Registration Certificate are required to submit the completed declaration form to declare the average monthly amount of net income and / or profit and the present net asset value of the company; the persons who hold a Business Registration Certificate are required to submit the completed declaration form and a copy of the valid Business Registration Certificate, etc. For the calculation of Income and the necessary documents and declaration forms, please refer to the latest version of “Application Guide for Public Rental Housing”.

Question 9.

What is the total household net asset value of your family? (Please enter numerals and press [Enter]. Enter "0" in case of no asset.) [Please refer to the Income and Total Net Asset Limits] Details

Details :

The total household net asset value of the Applicant and his / her family members must not exceed the net asset value limits laid down by the Hong Kong Housing Authority. Such limit is subject to review annually. The Applicant and his / her family members must declare the assets they own or co-owns or any interest in any type of assets, including:

Land (for land in and outside Hong Kong);
Landed properties (for landed properties (including ancestral houses) of any uses which are completed or for pre-sale, or which are the subject matter of a sale and purchase agreement in and outside Hong Kong);
Vehicles (private cars, vans, light goods vehicles, lorries, coaches, motor-cycles, taxis, public light buses, container tractors and trailers, etc.);
Taxi / public light bus licences;
Investments (insurance policies, shares, bonds, futures, paper gold, certificates of deposits, structured investment products, deposits with brokers, mutual fund, unit trust fund, annuity plans and voluntary contributions under Mandatory Provident Fund schemes, etc.);
Business undertakings (interests in any business of sole proprietorship / partnership / firms or limited companies); and
Deposits, cash in hand and loan to others (deposits include the actual balance (irrespective of the amount) in all fixed and savings/ current accounts, the amount that has been withdrawn or can be withdrawn at any time from the Mandatory Provident Fund/ Provident Fund account and cash in hand in Hong Kong dollars and foreign currencies at a value of HK$5,000 or above).

For the calculation of Net Asset Value and the necessary documents and declaration forms, please refer to the latest version of “Application Guide for Public Rental Housing”

Question 10.

Are you and all the family members included in your application from the whole household of a Public Rental Housing unit? Details

Details :

Public Rental Housing (PRH) applications from the whole household (including one-person household) living in PRH units under the Hong Kong Housing Authority or rental estate units under the Hong Kong Housing Society (HKHS) will not be accepted. If, due to addition/deletion of family member(s) to/from the current tenancy of PRH units/rental estate units under the HKHS or to/from the current PRH application, the family members in the whole household of PRH unit/the rental estate unit are the same as those in the PRH application, even registered PRH applications will be cancelled.

Yes

Question 11.

Are you or your family members included in your application the ex- owner(s) / ex-joint owner(s) / former recipient(s) and their spouses under any subsidised home ownership scheme? (For applicants under any of the special circumstances as mentioned in "Details", please answer No.) Details

Details :

Ex-owners / ex-joint owners / former recipients and their spouses under subsidised home ownership schemes include, but not limited to, Home Ownership Scheme (HOS); Private Sector Participation Scheme; Green Form Subsidised Home Ownership Pilot Scheme / Green Form Subsidised Home Ownership Scheme; Middle Income Housing Scheme (Melody Garden); Mortgage Subsidy Scheme; Buy or Rent Option; HOS Secondary Market Scheme / Interim Scheme (2013 & 2015) / White Form Secondary Market Scheme; Home Purchase Loan Scheme / Home Assistance Loan Scheme; Tenants Purchase Scheme; any subsidised housing schemes administered by the Hong Kong Housing Society (including Flat-for-Sale Scheme (FFSS), FFSS Secondary Market Scheme, Sandwich Class Housing Scheme and loan / subsidies under any subsidies housing schemes); and any subsidised housing schemes administered by the Urban Renewal Authority are ineligible to apply for Public Rental Housing (PRH). However, Housing Department (HD) may give special consideration to their applications under the following circumstances, subject to their fulfilment of other eligibility criteria for PRH application:

adjudicated bankruptcy by the court;
financial hardship resulting in need of Comprehensive Social Security Assistance;
adverse changes to family circumstances such as divorce, death of bread-winner, etc;
a significant drop in household income resulting in difficulties in mortgage repayment; or
households with social problems and medical reasons (if applicable) but not to the extent of qualifying for compassionate rehousing.

The Applicant and/or his/her family member(s)must submit relevant documents to prove that he/she/they is/are under one of the above circumstances and provide records of the ex-owner(s) and current owner(s) of the subsidised properties registered with the Land Registry for HD’s consideration.

Yes

Question 12a.

Are you or your family members included in your application the family member(s) under subsidised home ownership scheme? Details

Details :

Family members under subsidised home ownership may, after having their names deleted from the records of those schemes, apply for Public Rental Housing (PRH) or add their names to a PRH application if they fulfill the eligibility criteria for PRH application.

Yes

(If No, go to Question 13a.)

Question 12b.

Have you or your family member been deleted from the records? Details

Details :

Family members under subsidised home ownership scheme may, after having their names deleted from the records of those schemes, apply for Public Rental Housing (PRH) or add their names to a PRH application if they fulfill the eligibility criteria for PRH application.

Yes

Question 13a.

Have you or your family members included in your application entered into Agreement for Sale and Purchase under any subsidised home ownership scheme? Details

Details :

Purchasers of flats under subsidised home ownership schemes, if, subsequent to the signing of the Agreement for Sale and Purchase (ASP), they are granted approval to rescind the ASP of the flats concerned before receiving any of the subsidised assistance, such persons may apply for Public Rental Housing (PRH) after rescission, subject to their fulfilment of the eligibility criteria for PRH application.

Yes

(If No, go to Question 14a.)

Question 13b.

Have you or your family members included in your application rescinded the Agreement for Sale and Purchase? Details

Details :

Yes

Question 14a.

Have you or your family members included in your application ever been the ex-tenant with PRH tenancies terminated by the HA during the period from 1 January 2006 to 30 September 2023 as well as their family member(s) aged 18 or above at the time of tenancy termination? Details

Details :

As for the ex-tenants with PRH tenancies terminated by the HA during the period from 1 January 2006 to 30 September 2023 as well as their family member(s) aged 18 or above at the time of tenancy termination are ineligible to apply for PRH within two years from the following day after the date of tenancy termination (except for those applicants who are required to submit PRH Application Forms for admission to IH). Although their applications may have been registered before the date of tenancy termination or accepted for registration due to the Applicants’ admission to IH, these applications will be temporarily frozen for two years from the following day after the date of tenancy termination and the frozen period will not be counted as the waiting time (Non-elderly One-person Applicants also will not earn any waiting time points during the frozen period). At the time of flat allocation, the above two categories of applicants will not be offered a unit better than their previous PRH abode in terms of geographical location, age of building and floor level. Should applicant households including ex-tenants and family members aged 18 or above at the time of tenancy termination have vacated the unit without paying the rent arrears / debts when the tenancy is terminated, they must settle all the outstanding rent arrears / debts before they will be offered another unit in consequence of the application. The above restrictions are also applicable to ex-licensees of PRH and IH and their family member(s).

Yes

(If No, you need not answer Question 14b below.)

Question 14b.

Did the termination of tenancy take effect on a date more than two years from now? Details

Details :

Yes

Question 15a.

Have you or your family members included in your application ever been the Applicant or family member whose PRH applications cancelled by the HA on or after 1 October 2023 on grounds of making false declarations or furnishing false information? Details

Details :

Yes

(If No, you need not answer Question 15b below.)

Question 15b.

Did the termination of tenancy take effect on a date more than five years from now? Details

Details :

Applicants or family members whose PRH applications cancelled by the HA on or after 1 October 2023 on grounds of making false declarations or furnishing false information will be barred from re- applying for PRH for a period of five years from the date of cancellation. Ex-tenants with PRH tenancies terminated by the HA on or after 1 October 2023 for making false declarations, breaching any terms of the tenancy agreement, violating the Marking Scheme for Estate Management Enforcement in Public Housing Estates etc., as well as their family member(s) aged 18 or above at the time of tenancy termination are ineligible to apply for PRH within five years from the following day after the date of tenancy termination (except for those applicants who are required to submit PRH Application Forms for admission to IH). Although their applications may have been registered before the date of tenancy termination or accepted for registration due to the Applicants’ admission to IH, these applications will be temporarily frozen for five years from the following day after the date of tenancy termination and the frozen period will not be counted as the waiting time (Non-elderly One-person Applicants also will not earn any waiting time points during the frozen period). The above restrictions are also applicable to ex-licensees of PRH and IH and their family member(s).

Yes

Question 16a.

Have you or your family members included in your application ever been the ex-tenant with PRH tenancies terminated by the HA on or after 1 October 2023 for making false declarations, breaching any terms of the tenancy agreement, violating the Marking Scheme for Estate Management Enforcement in Public Housing Estates etc., as well as their family member(s) aged 18 or above at the time of tenancy termination? Details

Details :

Ex-tenants with PRH tenancies terminated by the HA on or after 1 October 2023 for making false declarations, breaching any terms of the tenancy agreement, violating the Marking Scheme for Estate Management Enforcement in Public Housing Estates etc., as well as their family member(s) aged 18 or above at the time of tenancy termination are ineligible to apply for PRH within five years from the following day after the date of tenancy termination (except for those applicants who are required to submit PRH Application Forms for admission to IH). Although their applications may have been registered before the date of tenancy termination or accepted for registration due to the Applicants’ admission to IH, these applications will be temporarily frozen for five years from the following day after the date of tenancy termination and the frozen period will not be counted as the waiting time (Non-elderly One-person Applicants also will not earn any waiting time points during the frozen period). At the time of flat allocation, the above two categories of applicants will not be offered a unit better than their previous PRH abode in terms of geographical location, age of building and floor level. Should applicant households including ex-tenants and family members aged 18 or above at the time of tenancy termination have vacated the unit without paying the rent arrears / debts when the tenancy is terminated, they must settle all the outstanding rent arrears / debts before they will be offered another unit in consequence of the application. The above restrictions are also applicable to ex-licensees of PRH and IH and their family member(s).

Yes

(If No, you need not answer Question 16b below.)

Question 16b.

Did the termination of tenancy take effect on a date more than five years from now? Details

Details :

Yes

Question 17a.

Have you or your family members included in your application ever been the Applicant or family member whose rental estate units applications cancelled by the HKHS on or after 1 December 2023 on grounds of making false declarations or furnishing false information? Details

Details :

Applicants or family members whose rental estate units applications cancelled by the HKHS on or after 1 December 2023 on grounds of making false declarations or furnishing false information will be barred from re- applying for PRH and rental estate units for a period of five years from the date of cancellation.

Yes

(If No, you need not answer Question 17b below.)

Question 17b.

Did the termination of tenancy take effect on a date more than five years from now? Details

Details :

Yes

Question 18a.

Have you or your family members included in your application ever been the ex-tenant with rental estate units tenancies terminated by the HKHS on or after 1 December 2023 for making false declarations or breaching any terms of the tenancy agreement etc., as well as their family member(s) aged 18 or above at the time of tenancy termination? Details

Details :

Ex-tenants with rental estate units tenancies terminated by the HKHS on or after 1 December 2023 for making false declarations or breaching any terms of the tenancy agreement etc., as well as their family member(s) aged 18 or above at the time of tenancy termination are ineligible to apply for PRH and rental estate units within five years from the following day after the date of tenancy termination. Although their applications may have been registered before the date of tenancy termination, these applications will be temporarily frozen for five years from the following day after the date of tenancy termination and the frozen period will not be counted as the waiting time (Non-elderly One-person Applicants also will not earn any waiting time points during the frozen period). Should applicant households of PRH or rental estate units including ex-tenants and family members aged 18 or above at the time of tenancy termination have vacated the PRH or rental estate units without paying the rent arrears / debts when the tenancy is terminated, they must settle all the outstanding rent arrears / debts before they will be offered another unit in consequence of the PRH or rental estate units application.

Yes

(If No, you need not answer Question 18b below.)