The first fixed rent level of the sub-house by the Federation of Social Services refers to the initial rent of the rent management system.

18 District News

Written by: Mo Jiawen

2021-07-04 21:33

The last update date: 2021-07-04 21:35

The subdivided rent control research team submitted a research report earlier, saying that it is difficult to establish a starting rent level for subdivided residential properties in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Council of Social Security released a survey today (4th) and found that subdivided residential tenants are generally overstaying in order to improve their living environment. The more expensive, the worse the condition of moving, and collecting rent data for more than 1,500 sub-household households, and working out the initial rent estimate. It was found that 15.8% were charged by the landlord more than 20% higher than the estimated rent. The amount, I think it is "difficult but not enough" to formulate a rent mechanism for subdivided houses. I hope to throw out the data so that the public can discuss how to add to the rent control regulations.

The HKCSS today announced the results of a survey on low-income sub-household households.

(Photo by Mo Jiawen)

Successfully collected data of more than 2,108 sub-household households

From June 1st last year to January 29th this year, the HKCSS conducted a questionnaire survey of low-income sub-household households through 50 social service units in Hong Kong. It successfully collected 2108 questionnaires. The respondents compared their families with families with children. At 69%, 17% are single-person households.

The median rent of subdivided housing in the overall surveyed households is RMB 5,000, 78% of the respondents are waiting for public housing, of which 58% have been waiting for four years or more, and 27% of the interviewees have long-term family members living with them. Sick or mentally recovered person.

The survey divided the respondents into two categories: subdivided households living with children and one-person households. Taking the households living with children as an example, 72% of the respondents had monthly income below the poverty line, and 34% used to I have moved to other sub-district houses within three years. The main reasons include the convenience of going to school and work, raising children, and moving out after marriage. However, after the relocation, 69% of the interviewees said that the rent was higher than before, and 74% said that the cost was due to relocation expenses. Almost all their savings have been exhausted, and even 37% of the respondents need to borrow money to cover moving expenses.

As for the situation of one-person households, the survey shows that 43% of one-person households account for more than 50% of their income, and 33% say they are chronically ill.

46% of the interviewees admitted that given the current income situation, there is no option to rent a subdivided house at all.

32% have moved to other sub-district flats in the past three years, but 52% said that the rent increased after the move, 35% of the living area decreased, and 23% described the worse environment after moving.

The more expensive the more subdivided households live, the worse they move

The survey also determined a starting rent estimate based on the monthly rent for subdivided housing provided by 1544 households, divided by region, number of households, division of units, building facilities and housing types, and used those who live in Sham Shui Po without any facilities. Take a one-person household in the interval as an example. The estimated rent is $2,691. If a family of two large and one small family lives in Kwun Tong, a one-bedroom unit on the third floor of Tangshan with independent toilets and windows, the estimated rent is about $5,360.

After a comprehensive analysis of the rent levels of more than 1,500 sub-divided households by the Hong Kong Council of Social Affairs, it was found that 15.8% were charged more than 20% of the estimated rent by the landlord. The situation is cause for concern.

Huang Jianwei, Business Director of the Social Council, said that given the poor affordability of low-income sub-housing households, housing options are limited. Even if they want to improve the environment, there are few rental options available in the market. As a result, the more expensive they live, the more they move. The worse, there is no quality of life at all. It is recommended that the authorities strengthen support, including redistributing the N no allowance of the Community Care Fund. The earlier policy address proposed to distribute cash allowance or cash allowance to the grassroots who have been waiting for public housing for more than 3 years and have not received CSSA. The number of recipients of the CSSA rental subsidy is wider, and the effect of supporting low-income people is better.

Regarding the subdivided rent control research working group submitted a research report in April this year, claiming that it is difficult to establish a starting rent and fearing that it may cause disputes between landlords and tenants. Huang Jianwei believes that the Social Council can collect subdivided rent data from more than 1,000 people to determine an estimate. The rent level, I believe that the government has more popular population data. The relevant mechanism is "technically difficult, but it is not done or not, the focus is on doing or not." It is hoped that a plan will be thrown out to reflect the importance of the initial rent level to the government.

He also suggested that social welfare agencies should be assisted in setting up regional subdivided housing service teams in areas with many subdivided housing, to strengthen support and identification of poor subdivided housing households, and to consider setting up a relocation emergency fund in response to the difficulty of depleting their savings after the relocation of subdivided households. The service team is responsible for the examination and approval, which solves the urgent need.

Analysis table of the estimated level of rent of the social union sub-divided housing:

Base: Unit living alone in Sham Shui Po, without any facilities and partitions, the second unit on the ground, the estimated rent is $2,691

1) Regional factors: Hong Kong Island + $697, Yau Tsim Mong and Kowloon City + $112, Kwun Tong and Wong Tai Sin + $666, Tsuen Wan and Kwai Tsing District + $587, New Territories (excluding Tsuen Tsing) + $220

2) Number of households: each additional person +$435

3) Sub-room facilities: separate toilet + $918, independent or shared kitchen + $158, window + $473, separate or shared living room + $575, two rooms or more + $1,131

4) The division of the unit: each division of the unit has one more sub-room (not applicable to bed rooms)-$145

5) Building facilities: there is a lift for each floor +$31, and there is no lift for each floor -$86

6) Housing types: wooden cubicles-$92, squatters-$620, other units such as pavilions, beds, roof houses-$786

Example A: Two large and one small families, living in a four-story terrace house, no elevator on the fifth floor, no partitions, separate toilets, no kitchens, and windows

Estimated rent level: $2,691+$112+($435X2)+$918+$473+(-$154X2)+(-$86X5)-$786=$3558

Example B: Two large and one small families living in Kwun Tong Tang on the third floor without elevators, no partitions, only one room, one subdivision with separate toilets and windows

Estimated rent level: $2,691+$666+($435X2)+$918+$473+(-$86X3)=$5,360

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