Housing and moving guides
From viewing a flat and signing a lease to arranging utilities and handing over the keys.
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18 guides found
Renting your first Hong Kong flat: viewing to handover
Check the landlord, costs, tenancy, and condition before paying and moving in.
Housing and movingStamping a Hong Kong tenancy agreement
Prepare tenancy details and check stamping deadlines, duty, and electronic submission requirements.
Housing and movingBefore applying for public rental housing
Identify the application category and prepare household, income, asset, and residence evidence.
Housing and movingMoving home: opening and closing water accounts
Record meter readings and handle the new account, old-account settlement, and deposit separately.
Housing and movingAn unexpectedly high water bill: readings, leaks, disputes, and reduction enquiries
Compare consumption, period, and meter readings, investigate possible leaks or misreading, and retain plumber and application records.
Housing and movingQuestions about an electricity bill: estimates, readings, and a formal enquiry
Identify the supplier and period, separate consumption from charges, check estimates or revisions, and retain handling instructions.
Housing and movingChanges in a PRH household: members, deaths, departures, and the estate office
Notify the estate or tenancy office promptly of household changes, follow the applicable process, and verify the tenancy record.
Housing and movingBuilding water-seepage complaints: the 2026 investigation process and repair evidence
Record the location and timing, identify the manager's, owner's and Joint Office's roles, and follow official letters and tests.
Housing and movingReceiving a mandatory window-inspection notice: qualified persons, quotations and completion
Use the notice's scope and deadline, verify the qualified person and repair contractor, and confirm formal submission beyond payment.
Housing and movingChecking a management-fee increase: budget, shares and accounts
Separate monthly management fees, reserve contributions and special levies, using the budget and your unit records to explain the difference.
Housing and movingA mandatory building-inspection notice: inspector, scope and submissions
Appoint a Registered Inspector for the notice, check common parts, external walls and projections, and track repairs and formal certificates.
Housing and movingChecking a minor-works contractor: number, class, type and item
Match the proposed work to BD's register, distinguish company and individual registration, and retain the current check and submissions.
Housing and movingReporting suspected unauthorised works: location, records and safety
Record observable facts for BD's reporting channel, and check approved plans and minor-works records when assessing your own premises.
Housing and movingHome drains smell or run slowly: water seals, checks and maintenance
Record odours, blockage and visible defects, maintain floor-drain water seals using BD guidance, and arrange suitable inspection.
Housing and movingSuspected bedbugs at home: identification, belongings and pest-control quotes
Record mattress and furniture evidence, organise belongings with FEHD guidance, and check professional treatment scope and follow-up.
Housing and movingChecking drinking-water concerns: supply data, building plans and your tap
Distinguish WSD monitoring from the building's plumbing, record unusual conditions and request water-safety and maintenance records from management.
Housing and movingHong Kong property searches: use IRIS and check the correct unit
Locate a land register by address, lot or reference, distinguish current and historical records, and understand why a search does not guarantee title.
Housing and movingBefore home electrical work: check the contractor, worker and completion papers
Use EMSD's official registers, match the contractor and actual worker's qualifications, and specify scope, tests, quotation and documents.
Written for the next step
Compiled by HomeHK with context, practical steps, and official sources. Guides distinguish Hong Kong, Macao, and mainland arrangements. Dates describe the content's preparation, not daily official verification.
Check the official page before acting
Fees, eligibility, capacity, and timetables change. Each guide links to official information for a final check. Seek appropriate individual advice for legal, tax, or medical decisions.