HONG KONG (SE): A survey conducted by the Caritas Community Centre, Tsuen Wan, in cooperation with a tenants’ rights concern group, found that nearly 90 per cent of respondents said the rent for subdivided flats are unreasonably high. The groups also suggested measures for tenancy control basing on the survey findings. A total of 209 questionnaires were received from tenants of subdivided flats from September last year to February this year and the findings were released on March 14.
The survey showed the rent devoured between 35 to 45 per cent of the total income of families of two to four people so they need to scrimp on expenses in many other areas such as food and entertainment, which affected their quality of living. For one-person households, rent took as high as 70 per cent of their income on average.
More than 60 per cent of respondents said incumbent tenants should be given priority to renew their leases so that their rights can be protected. They believe the measure could reduce the expense of frequently moving residences and give people chance to develop a better relationship with the local community.
As for ensuring reasonable rent for subdivided units, more than 70 per cent of those surveyed believe a sufficient supply of public housing can lead to a decrease in rent.
The Caritas Community Centre and the concerned groups demanded a reform of the tenancy control to deal with the sharp increase in rent of subdivided flats. They urged the government to set a ceiling for start-up rents by referring to a market rent index of subdivided units.
Another proposal was to provide government subsidies if the rent is more than 25 per cent of the family income. They also proposed a rental adjustment mechanism in which rentals can go up or down according to inflation or deflation rates, while the increase percentage should be capped at five per cent and subjected to review every two years.
