Hong Kong Housing Authority and Housing Department

In light of the increasing demand for public rental housing (PRH), the Subsidised Housing Committee (SHC) considers that while making the best efforts to increase PRH supply, we should at the same time examine ways to better utilise PRH resources to ensure that efforts would be focused towards allocating PRH resources to those with more pressing housing needs.

SHC endorsed revisions to the “Well-off Tenants Policies” at its meeting of 9 December 2016 and subsequently endorsed the implementation details of the policies at its meeting of 14 February 2017.  The revised “Well-off Tenants Policies” have been in place since the declaration cycle in October 2017.

• PRH households whose family income exceeds 5 times the prevailing PRH income limits (PRHILs) or whose total household net asset value exceeds 100 times the prevailing PRHILs or PRH households fail to return the completed Declaration Form on or before the specified date, or opt not to declare should vacate their PRH flats.
• PRH households who have domestic property ownership in Hong Kong should vacate their PRH flats, irrespective of their levels of income or assets.
• For households who do not have domestic property ownership in Hong Kong and whose household income and net asset value do not exceed the prescribed levels of income and net asset value, they may continue to live in their PRH flats; if their household income exceeds 2 times and not more than 3 times the prevailing PRHILs, they will be required to pay 1.5 times net rent plus rates; if their household income exceeds 3 times and not more than 5 times the prevailing PRHILs, they will be required to pay double net rent plus rates. Households that are required to vacate their PRH flats but have a temporary housing need may apply for a fixed-term licence to stay in their existing PRH flats for a period of not more than 12 months, during which a licence fee equivalent to the double net rent plus rates or market rent, whichever is higher, is charged. (Please click here for the relevant income and net asset limits)

1. All members aged 60 or above
2. All members receiving Comprehensive Social Security Assistance
3. All members eligible for/ receiving Social Welfare Department’s Disability Allowance
4. All members in different combinations of i, ii and/ or iii above
5. On shared tenancies

Households who have been living in PRH for ten years are required to make a declaration biennially. In addition, households who are granted a new tenancy under the Policy on Grant of New Tenancy and households with their applications under the Tenancy Management Policies for PRH approved are also required to make a declaration biennially pursuant to the "Well-off Tenants Policies", irrespective of their length of residence.

• Households will first declare whether they have domestic property ownership in Hong Kong. If affirmative, they do not need to fill in their income details or declare their asset level.
• Households who do not have domestic property ownership in Hong Kong will be required to fill in their family income details and declare whether or not their total household net asset value exceeds 100 times the prevailing PRHILs. (No supporting documents are required at this stage.)
• Households who refuse to declare whether they have domestic property ownership in Hong Kong/ fill in the details about their family income and/ or declare whether or not their total household net asset value exceeds 100 times the prevailing PRHILs will need to vacate their PRH flats.

Households with less than 10 years’ residence in PRH are not required to declare their income and assets. However, if the Housing Department (HD) finds that they have domestic property ownership in Hong Kong upon receipt of complaints, they will be required to vacate their PRH flats irrespective of their length of residence.

Ownership of Domestic Property in Hong Kong means the tenant/ licensee and/ or his/ her household member(s):

• own(s) or co-own(s) or has/ have an interest in any domestic property in Hong Kong (including but not limited to trustee, executor, administrator or beneficiary having an interest in any domestic property in Hong Kong); or
• has/ have entered into any agreement (including provisional agreement) to purchase any domestic property in Hong Kong; or
• hold(s) (including holding individually and/ or together with any other household member(s) in the aggregate) more than 50% of 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, rooftop structure approved by the Building Authority, domestic building lots and Small House Grants approved by the Lands Department in Hong Kong.

• Employment income (pre-tax)(including income from household members working overseas)
• Allowances from employers (including education, housing allowances, etc.)
• Self-employment income and business income
• Income from the average monthly interest, bonus and dividends, etc. from fixed deposits, insurance and investments
• Income from lands/ landed properties, etc.
• Income from commercial vehicles
• Monthly pension
• Any other income (such as CSSA for individual household member(s), financial support from relatives and friends not living together, maintenance fee of divorce, etc.)

• Deposits, cash and loans to others
• Investments
• Business undertakings
• Vehicles
• Taxi/ Public Light Bus Licences (including vehicles)
• Landed properties (such as commercial and industrial properties, parking spaces, etc.)
• Lands

• Lump-sum compensation for loss of earning power due to injuries sustained at work or in traffic and other accidents;
• Lump-sum retirement benefits received under mandatory provident fund schemes, occupational retirement schemes and civil service pension scheme;
• Lump-sum insurance claims, statutory/ non-statutory compensations and special financial assistance received due to death of household members in the tenancy and claims under critical illness insurance policies received by household members in the tenancy.

General information on the “Well-off Tenants Policies” can be obtained from this webpage and the HA Hotline (2712 2712).  For details, please contact the local Estate Offices/Estate Management Offices/ District Tenancy Management Offices, or call Public Housing Resources Management Sub-section on 3547 0881 during office hours (Monday - Friday, 9am - 6pm).

• Matters relating to Policy Implementation
• Matters relating to Declaration Arrangements
• Matters relating to Income Declaration
• Matters relating to Asset Declaration
• Matters relating to Domestic Property Ownership in Hong Kong
• Matters relating to the Social Welfare Department’s Disability Allowance
• Arrangements under Special Circumstances