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

A1. Owner or tenant applicants would submit their applications by hand, by post or through this website. About the application methods, please refer to “About Application” on this website. 

“Owner Certificate”: The application fee is $400.

“Tenant Certificate (PRH Applicant)”: The application fee is $150.

“Tenant Certificate (White Form)”: The application fee is $400.

A2. Hong Kong Housing Society (“HKHS”) will vet the eligibility of the applicants and/or their family members (applicable to tenant application), and information provided by the applicants, to protect their best interests. 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 at the scheduled interview in person. In general circumstances, application and/or collection of “Owner Certificate” or “Tenant Certificate (PRH Applicant)” / “Tenant Certificate (White Form)” through any third party other than the applicant(s) is not accepted.

A3. Certificate Holders can conduct the matching process with the assistance of property agent(s) or pair up on their own through the online information sharing platform provided by HKHS (please click here to log in). HKHS will not conduct flat matching for owners and tenants.

A4. HKHS 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.

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

A5. 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 (PRH Applicant)” Holders, and each “Tenant Certificate (PRH Applicant)” Holder must rent at least one bedroom. 

“Tenant Certificate (White Form)” Holders, however, can only rent the entire flat.

A6. In general circumstances, all duly vetted eligible “Tenant Certificate (PRH Applicant)” Holder or “Tenant Certificate (White Form)” Holder and/or their family member(s) listed on the same certificate must reside in the same rental flat. 

After moving into the rental flat, the tenants shall notify HA and/or HKHS of any household changes caused by birth, death or otherwise to make related applications according to the latest housing policies and procedures of HA and/or HKHS.

A7. If “Tenant Certificate” Holder intends to rent flat/bedroom(s) therein with premium unpaid as specified on “Owner Certificate”, he/she must apply for a “Nomination Certificate” from HKHS (Note 1) or Hong Kong Housing Authority (“HA”) (Note 2) for renting the flat/certain bedroom(s) therein. “Tenant Certificate” Holder must enter into the tenancy agreement with “Owner Certificate” Holder only after obtaining the “Nomination Certificate”.  Under no circumstance does HKHS guarantee that “Tenant Certificate” Holder can successfully obtain a “Nomination Certificate”.

“Owner Certificate” Holder shall provide a copy of “Owner Certificate” to “Tenant Certificate” Holder for application of “Nomination Certificate”. Copies of “Owner Certificate” and “Tenant Certificate” should be submitted together with the application to HKHS or HA. 
 
To check the issued “Nomination Certificates”, please refer to “Home > Archive and Resources > Search Issued Nomination Certificate” on this Website or click here. 

Note 1:  Regarding the application form and application guide of HKHS’s “Nomination Certificate”, please click here.

Note 2: 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/
common/pdf/global-elements/forms/general-information/HD1142.pdf 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.

A8. 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 the 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 Light Public housing unit allocated by Housing Bureau or Transitional Housing unit recognised by Housing Bureau as a Category A tenant or Transitional Rental Housing unit provided by HKHS (T-Home) or traditional PRH flat allocated by HA/Housing Department or Rental Estate unit allocated by HKHS, 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.

If the property concerned or the transaction has not been completed yet and the relevant assignment has not yet been executed, the “Tenant Certificate” Holder may continue to reside in the Flat/bedroom(s) therein until the tenancy expiration date of the term, whichever is earlier. “Tenant Certificate” Holder shall truthfully report to HKHS the entering into any agreement (including provisional agreement) to acquire any domestic property in any manner in Hong Kong within 14 days therefrom.

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.

A9. If both parties possess new certificates with the last date of validity being 31 October 2031, the parties are required to use the latest version of Prescribed Tenancy Agreement and commence the tenancy no later than 1 November 2029 while the expiration date of the tenancy agreement shall not exceed 31 October 2031 (for a tenancy term of 2 years, whichever is the later).

For more details, please refer to “Home > Prescribed Tenancy Agreement” on this website for the templates of “Prescribed Tenancy Agreement” or click here to download.

A10. “Owner Certificate” and “Tenant Certificate” Holders are required to use the “Prescribed Tenancy Agreement” provided by HS if they agree to 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 Landlord hereby makes the following statement that, when signing this Agreement, he is not aware of: any breach of the Buildings Ordinance or notices, orders, etc. issued under the Buildings Ordinance in relation to the Premises; and any breach of other laws and regulations in relation to the Premises.”)  Nevertheless, the Owner and 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” on 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.

A11.
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.    Holders of “Owner Certificate” and “Tenant Certificate” shall be responsible for arranging the stamping of the signed tenancy 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 (For Owner)” and “Notice of Execution of the Tenancy Agreement (For Holder of “Certificate of Participation - Tenant”)” respectively to Applications Section of HKHS within 2 weeks from the signing of the tenancy agreement. You may click here to download the related Notices or log in to the “Owner and Tenant Information Sharing Platform” to fill in and submit online.

4.     “Owner Certificate” Holders shall pay the quarterly Letting Permit Fee to HKHS as specified in the demand notes if letting their entire flat to “Tenant Certificate (White Form)” Holders.

Please note: If holders of “Owner Certificate” and “Tenant Certificate” decide to renew the tenancy agreement, they shall return the duly completed “Notice of Soon-To-Expire Tenancy Agreement (For Owner)” and “Notice of Soon-To-Expire Tenancy Agreement (For Tenant)” respectively to HKHS Applications Section within 2 months before the expiration date of the tenancy agreement. They may also click here to download the related Notices or log in to the “Owner and Tenant Information Sharing Platform” to fill in and submit online.

A12. The rent will be affected by several factors such as property age, district, floor, area and view of the flat.  Hence, it is more appropriate to let Owners and Tenants negotiate and decide the rent.

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

Please note: For both “Owner Certificate” and “Tenant Certificate (PRH Applicant)” or “Tenant Certificate (White Form)” with last date of validity being 31 October 2031, the Certificate Holders shall enter into a tenancy agreement with the commencement date no later than 1 November 2029 and the expiration date not exceeding 31 October 2031 (for a tenancy term of 2 years, whichever is the later).

A13. In the event of any controversies or disputes between the Owners and Tenants regarding the tenancy (including but not limited to the terms and conditions of the tenancy agreement), it shall be handled by the contractual parties on their own.

A14. 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).

A15.  “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.

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

A16. 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 latest version of “Prescribed Tenancy Agreement” (containing terms and conditions to be abode by contractual parties) provided by HKHS. For more details, please refer to “Home > Prescribed Tenancy Agreement” on this website for the templates of “Prescribed Tenancy Agreement” or click here to download.