Rental housing crackdown 'only on serious abuses'

Stacy Shi

Cleresa Wong Pie-yue, head of the Housing Authority's subsidized housing committee, said tenants engaging in minor handicraft sales or providing tutoring services are not considered to be seriously abusing public housing resources.

However, such activities may still violate tenancy agreements.

Wong was speaking yesterday as the committee proposed criminalizing serious abuses involving public rental housing, with penalties of up to HK$500,000 and a potential one-year imprisonment.

Wong said the existing Housing Ordinance only allows for the termination of tenancies for misuse of public housing, without further punitive measures and that the Housing Authority aims to enhance deterrence against serious abuse.

Judy Chan Ka-pui, a member of the Legislative Council housing panel who sits on the committee, clarified that the proposed amendment is not aimed at "small businesses" engaged in tutoring or home-based work but rather at "commercial practices involving renting out and collecting rent without residing in the premises."

Chan also said that while the Housing Society may reference the Housing Authority's practices, it may not fully comply with the ordinance in regulating its tenants.

She anticipates there to be more bills requiring scrutiny in the final year of the current legislative term and is committed to expediting the passage of the amendment.