Letting Scheme for Subsidised Sale Developments with Premium Unpaid 2019 - Hong Kong Housing Society

A1. For details about the eligibility of the Owner / Tenant applicants, please refer to "About Application > Owner Application / Tenant Application > Application Eligibility" in this website.

Please note: Applicants who applied in October 2018 or December 2019 but have not been successfully issued with the “Tenant Certificate” can reapply and pay the application fee if they are still interested and meet the application eligibility of “Tenant Certificate”

A2. In regard to the designated subsidised sale developments of HS and HA, please visit “About Letting Scheme > Designated Developments” in this website and search by estate name or by district.

A3.

Owners : Owner application is now open, with no application deadline at this moment.  Applicants must submit their applications by hand, by post or through this website. About the application methods, please refer to “About Application > Owner Application > Application Methods” in this website. You can also click here to download Application Form and Application Guide for Owner, or click here to submit online application.

Tenants : Tenant application was reopened on 25 November 2020, with no application deadline at this moment.  Applicants must submit their applications by hand, by post or through this website. About the application methods, please refer to “About Application > Tenant Application > Application Methods” in this website. You can also click here to download Application Form and Application Guide for Tenant, or click here to submit an online application.

A4.

Owner Certificate : The application fee is HK$200. Payment methods will vary according to manners of submission. For details, please refer to “About Application > Owner Application > Application Methods" in this website.

Tenant Certificate : The application fee is HK$100. Payment methods will vary according to manners of submission. For details, please refer to “About Application > Tenant Application > Application Methods” in this website.

A5.

Owners and Tenants : Persons who are interested in applying for “Owner Certificate” or "Tenant Certificate" can obtain the “Letting Scheme” introduction leaflet, Application Form and Application Guide during the office hours via the following locations or download from the designated website :

1. Designated website of the "Letting Scheme": lettingscheme.hkhs.com ;
2. Housing Society's Applications Section (address : G/F, Dragon Centre, 23 Wun Sha Street, Tai Hang, Hong Kong) ;
3. Housing Society's Rental Estate Management Offices (Note 1) ; 

Note 1: Please visit https://www.hkhs.com/en/index for the office hours of Housing Society's Rental Estate Management Offices.

A6. Housing Society will vet the eligibility of the applicants and/or their family members (applicable to tenant application) and information provided by the applicants, in order to protect their best interest. The eligible applicants and/or their family members who are aged 18 or above (applicable to tenant application) have to attend and complete the vetting, certificate collection and signing of declaration and undertaking procedures on the scheduled interview in person. In general circumstances, application and/or collection of “Owner Certificate” or “Tenant Certificate” through any third party other than the applicant(s) is not accepted.

A7. The Certificate Holders can conduct the matching process with the assistance of estate agent(s) or through The Hong Kong Council of Social Service (HKCSS). Besides, they can pair up on their own through the online information sharing platform provided by Housing Society (please click here to log in). Housing Society will not conduct matching for owners and tenants.

A8. Housing Society has established a free information exchange and pair up online platform - “Owner & Tenant Information Sharing Platform” for holders of “Owner Certificate” and “Tenant Certificate”, with designated login accounts.

Certificates Holders may click here to log in the online platform and download the user manual.

A9. If there are two or more bedrooms in the flat as specified on the relevant "Owner Certificate", the owner can let one or more bedroom(s) to at most two "Tenant Certificate" Holders, and each "Tenant Certificate" Holder must rent at least one bedroom. Besides, “Owner Certificate” Holder can let the entire flat to HKCSS.

A10. In general circumstances, all duly vetted applicant(s) and/or their family members listed on the Application Form must be the same as that on their application for Hong Kong Housing Authority's Public Rental Housing.  “Tenant Certificate” Holder and/or their family members listed on the same “Tenant Certificate” must reside in the same rental flat.

After moving in the rental flat, the tenants/licencees shall notify Hong Kong Housing Authority ("HA") of any household changes caused by birth, death or otherwise to make related applications according to the latest housing policies and procedures of HA.

A11. If "Tenant Certificate" Holder or “Organisation Certificate" Holder (i.e. The Hong Kong Council of Social Service) (“HKCSS”) intends to rent Hong Kong Housing Authority (“HA”)’s flat/ bedroom(s) therein with premium unpaid as specified on the “Owner Certificate”, he/she must apply for a “Nomination Certificate” (Note 1) from HA for renting the flat/ certain bedroom(s) therein in accordance with the regulations of HA. "Tenant Certificate" Holder or HKCSS must enter into the tenancy agreement with "Owner Certificate" Holder only after obtaining the “Nomination Certificate” from HA.

“Owner Certificate” Holder shall provide a copy of “Owner Certificate” to “Tenant Certificate” Holder or HKCSS for application of “Nomination Certificate”. Copies of “Owner Certificate”, “Tenant Certificate” and/or “Organisation Certificate” should be submitted together with the application to HA.

To check the issued “Nomination Certificates”, please refer to “Home > Archive and Resources > Search Issued Nomination Certificate (Provided By Housing Authority)” in this Website or click here.

Note 1: Under no circumstance does Housing Society guarantee that Holders of "Tenant Certificate" or "Organisation Certificate" can successfully obtain a “Nomination Certificate” issued by HA.

Regarding the application form and application guide of HA’s “Nomination Certificate”, please call on (852) 3162 0666, or visit the HA's website https://www.housingauthority.gov.hk/en or visit the Home Assistance Loan Unit of HA (address: Room 202, 2/F, Lung Cheung Office Block, 138 Lung Cheung Road, Wong Tai Sin , Kowloon) for any enquiries.

A12. The tenancy period of the tenancy agreement signed between Holders of “Owner Certificate” and “Tenant Certificate” is 2 years. At any time after the expiration of the first 12 months of the tenancy agreement, either party of the owner or the tenant shall be entitled to terminate the tenancy agreement by serving a 2 months’ notice in writing to other party.

During the tenancy period, if the “Tenant Certificate” Holder and/or any family members listed on the relevant “Tenant Certificate” confirms acceptance of a Public Rental Housing unit allocated by Housing Authority or Housing Society, or directly, indirectly, or in any manner owns the title of a residential property in Hong Kong, the “Tenant Certificate” Holder must serve a 2 months’ written notice to the owner to terminate the tenancy within 14 days (also applicable to the licence agreement signed between The Hong Kong Council of Social Service/HKCSS Group and “Tenant Certificate” Holder).

Please note that if the "Tenant Certificate" Holder terminates the tenancy agreement under this term, he/she shall not be required to make any compensation to the owner.

A13. "Owner Certificate” and “Tenant Certificate” Holders are required to use the “Prescribed Tenancy Agreement” provided by Housing Society if they agree the rental on the flat. It contains mandatory terms which cannot be modified or deleted. (For instance, the owner shall declare in the tenancy agreement, “The owner(s) hereby declares, in his/her/their knowledge, when signing this agreement : the flat has not contravened the Buildings Ordinance or any notice or order or etc. issued under the Buildings Ordinance; and the flat has not contravened other legislations”.) 

Nevertheless, the Owner, The Hong Kong Council of Social Service (HKCSS) and/or the Tenant may customise other relevant terms in the “Prescribed Tenancy Agreement” under mutual agreement.  In any event, the mandatory terms in the tenancy agreement prevail over the customised terms.  Please refer to “Home > Prescribed Tenancy Agreement and Licence Agreement” in this website for the templates of “Prescribed Tenancy Agreement” or click here to download. 

Please note: Holders of “Owner Certificate” and “Tenant Certificate” must use the prevailing latest version of the prescribed tenancy agreements.

A14.

1.       After the signing of the tenancy agreement, Owners shall submit the Notice of New Letting or Renewal Agreement (Form CR109) under Part IV of the “Landlord and Tenant (Consolidation) Ordinance” to the Rating and Valuation Department, or click here to download the Form;

2.       “Owner Certificate” Holder, HKCSS and/or “Tenant Certificate” Holder shall be responsible for arranging the stamping of the signed tenancy/licence agreement. The stamp duty shall be borne by the contracting parties in equal shares;

3.       Holders of “Owner Certificate” and “Tenant Certificate” shall return the duly completed “Notice of Execution of the Tenancy Agreement” and “Notice of Execution of the Tenancy Agreement/Licence Agreement” respectively to Applications Section of Hong Kong Housing Society within 2 weeks from the signing of the tenancy/licence agreement. You may click here to download the related Notices or log in the “Owner and Tenant Information Sharing Platform” to fill in and submit online.

Please note: If “Owner Certificate” Holder, “Tenant Certificate” Holder, and/or HKCSS decides to renew the tenancy agreement or licence agreement, they must notify Housing Society at least two months before the expiration date of the tenancy agreement or the expiration date of the licence agreement.

A15. The rent will be affected by several factors such as property age, district, floor, area and landscape of the flat.  Hence, it is more appropriate to let Owners, HKCSS and/or Tenants negotiate and decide the rent.

The properties participating in the Scheme should be designated subsidised sale developments of HS or HA with premium unpaid. Through the Scheme, Holders of “Owner Certificate” can let their flats with premium unpaid or bedroom(s) therein to eligible “Tenant Certificate” Holders who are currently awaiting for allocation of Public Rental Housing ("PRH") as transitional housing.

Under the Scheme, the expiration date of all tenancy agreements and licence agreements must not exceed 31 October 2026.

A16. In the event of any controversies or disputes between the Owners, HKCSS and/or “Tenant Certificate” Holders regarding the tenancy (including but not limited to the terms and conditions of the tenancy/licence agreement), it shall be handled by the contractual parties on their own.

A17. If the “Tenant Certificate” Holder passes away during the tenancy period, the owner shall permit the tenant’s family member(s) who is/are listed in the “Prescribed Tenancy Agreement” to reside in the flat/ bedroom(s) on the same terms and conditions of the tenancy agreement until the tenancy expiry date or the tenancy termination date (as the case may be).

A18. HKCSS or HKCSS Group, as the role of “sub-landlord”, facilitates the matching process between holders of "Owner Certificate" and/or "Tenant Certificate".  HKCSS or HKCSS Group can rent subsidised sale flats with premium unpaid from Owners holding valid "Owner Certificate" and permit valid holders of "Tenant Certificate" to use and occupy the said flats with premium unpaid (or individual bedroom(s) therein) as licencees by way of licence agreement. Meanwhile, HKCSS will help tenants integrate into the new community by providing “Community-based” services.

A19. HKCSS or HKCSS Group will negotiate with owner to determine the rent of each individual flat.  Regarding subletting rent for tenant households, the licence fee of the sub-let flats under “Community Housing Movement” project will be determined with reference to the rent policy of the corresponding project.

A20.

 “Tenant Certificate” Holders are not allowed to sub-let the flat or individual bedroom(s) in any form (in whole or in part) to other tenants in any circumstances.

Only the tenancy agreement signed between HKCSS and “Owner Certificate” Holder permits HKCSS to sub-let the flat (applicable to two bedrooms or above) to at most two “Tenant Certificate” Holders, and each "Tenant Certificate" Holder must rent at least one bedroom.

In regard to the latest version of prescribed tenancy agreements and licence agreement, along with the terms and conditions of the agreements to be abode by all contractual parties, please click here to download or for details.

A21. Tenancies of premises under Hong Kong Housing Society’s “Letting Scheme for Subsidised Sale Developments with Premium Unpaid” (hereinafter referred to as “Letting Scheme”) have been added to the section “Excluded tenancies” under Schedule 6 of the “Amended Ordinance”, and exempted from the application of Part IVA. Hence, all existing terms and conditions of tenancies applicable for leasing either Entire Flat or Individual Bedroom(s) under “Letting Scheme” still remain applicable and are not affected by the Amended Ordinance’s new provisions on tenancy control of subdivided units.

Please note that Holders of "Owner Certificate” and “Tenant Certificate” are required to use the prevailing version of “Prescribed Tenancy Agreement” (containing terms and conditions to be abode by contractual parties) provided by Housing Society.  For more details, please refer to “Home > Prescribed Tenancy Agreement and Licence Agreement” in this website for the templates of “Prescribed Tenancy Agreement” or click here to download.