Hong Kong public housing tenants jailed for hiding property ownership
Two Hong Kong public housing tenants were sentenced to jail on 5 October for failing to declare residential properties they owned. The Housing Authority said it would continue to crack down on abuse of public rental housing.
The Hong Kong Housing Authority has secured jail sentences for two public housing tenants who failed to declare ownership of residential properties in their income and asset declarations, the government announced on 6 October.
The tenants lived in Choi Hung Estate and Kwun Tong Estate. When filling out their income and asset declaration forms in 2025, neither of them declared that they owned property in Hong Kong. Housing Authority investigations found that in the first case, two tenants each owned residential properties in Sai Kung — one owned two properties and the other owned one. In the second case, a tenant owned a residential property in Tseung Kwan O.
Kwun Tong Magistrates' Court sentenced the tenant in the first case who owned two properties to two weeks' imprisonment, effective immediately, on 5 October. The other tenant in the same case is due to appear in court on 30 November. The Housing Authority said it would reclaim the public rental flats involved. In the second case, the defendant was sentenced to four weeks in jail but was granted bail pending an appeal.
The Housing Authority reminded all public housing tenants and subsidised housing applicants that they must truthfully declare their income, assets and properties when filling out income and asset declaration forms. They should read the forms and instructions carefully and calculate their income and assets according to the specified methods to ensure the information provided is accurate.
The authority said it would continue to take a multi-pronged approach to combat abuse of public rental housing.