Hong Kong’s subdivided flats capped against rent increases in new legislation, 6 NGOs appointed to promote new law
- New law caps rent increases at maximum of 10 per cent for every two-year lease period, cover 92,000 flats
- Pro-establishment NGOs appointed to help landlords and tenants to understand regulatory changes
A law to cap rent increases for subdivided flats, which house some of Hong Kong’s poorest residents, will come into effect in three weeks, with six NGOs appointed to help promote the legislation.
The law covers about 92,200 flats and limits rent rises to no more than 10 per cent per two-year lease period. But it does not regulate the initial rent that tenants are charged.
The government on Monday said six non-governmental organisations had won three-year contracts to each set up a service team to promote the law, which will take effect on January 22, in one of six districts.
They will arrange activities to help landlords and tenants to understand their rights and obligations, and handle general inquiries. The NGOs mostly are pro-establishment groups or chaired by a pro-Beijing figure.
Two of the organisations are branch centres under the New Home Association, in which the chairman of the board of directors is Hui Wing-mau, a national committee member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.
At another NGO, the New Territories Association of Societies (Community Services) Foundation, pro-Beijing ex-lawmakers Leung Che-cheung and Cheung Hok-ming are honorary chairmen.
