Combating Housing Abuses
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 may be prosecuted.
- 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 two 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
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.
- Call the Housing Authority Hotline 2712 2712
- Send in the Tenancy Abuse Report Aerogramme or Abuse Report Form [HD844] (PDF format)
- Submit the Online Form for Reporting Abuse of Public Housing Resources
Online Form for Reporting Abuse of Public Housing Resources - Inform estate office
All information provided will be kept strictly confidential.
