Renting a flat in HK

After visiting some 35-40 flats, i'm likely to settle something quite soon.

Any advise about what I should check or be aware about before renting in HK :

I- Concerning the flat "per se"

II - Concerning the contract


Thanks in advance for any valuable piece of advice.

Read the contract and make sure you understand it, and agree with everything, before you sign anything.


Before you make the offer, or before your agent makes the offer, it's a very good idea to see the flat again and make a detailed list of any repair/decoration work that needs doing.

Hello Saikunga,

what do you mean by from upstairs ?

Good advice above.


Flat: Depending on the amount of rent you are paying - Ask for all appliances included (a/c, refrigerator, water heaters, light fixtures, washer & dryer), new paint and floor refinishing, curtains, car park, and wardrobes/closets.



Contract: Try for a two week rent free move-in period and also negotiate with your agent on his commission if reasonable.

2 weeks commission is what they propose ... fair enough (and Ok according to some HK people i know)


Concerning the lease, do i have to ask a lawyer to review it (at least the 1st time i rent here) ? What is the standard fee for that ?

What clauses shall i be careful about ?

1. inclusive or exclusive - are menagement fees included in the rent?


2. can you have a 1 + 1 lease?


3. are appliances (cooker/fridge/washing machine/airconditioners) you responsibility?


4. is the apartment or building for sale without you knowing?


5. rent increases?


You can put whatever additional clauses in if you want, as long as the landlord agrees. NOt a bad one is maximum increase in rent, for example in a 1 + 1. You could also try and get them to agree to renewalable after 2 years without more than x% rent increase.


The standard tennancy agreements are pretty neutral, but you should try and get it sloping your way.


Try and work out what you think the landlord wants (flexibility for rent increase, minimum time of commitment of lease)- they'll always have a financial angle. Then drive back with some things you want based on agreeing to some things you think they want.


You probably won't be familiar with the way in which the law works here so forget common law rights. Even some lawyers in Hong Kong get done over by some landlords, even ones familiar with HK/UK/common law. If your landlord is a decent person the standard agreement will be fine, but if not then you could well get shafted if you aren't careful.