https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/rss/318781/feed Latest news, features and analysis on Hong Kong housing, including policy and efforts to find a solution to the problem of a shortage of homes in the world’s most expensive property market. en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg Ambrose Li Ambrose Li Inspections into lift safety across Hong Kong have found no missing fire-resistant door frames among contractors other than Taizoom Elevator, authorities have said, after 338 buildings served by the firm were confirmed to lack the crucial components. The Electrical and Mechanical Services Department provided an update on the checks on Thursday after the government pledged to expand the inspection scope to cover lifts handled by other contractors as well to check whether the problem existed... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3371792/missing-lift-fire-door-frames-confined-taizoom-hong-kong-authorities-say https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3371792/missing-lift-fire-door-frames-confined-taizoom-hong-kong-authorities-say Thu, 22 Oct 2026 10:39:32 +0000 Cheryl Arcibal Cheryl Arcibal Hong Kong’s largest landlords and developers could get their first formal route into the rising student accommodation market after the government announced plans to tender land for a purpose-built student hostel this quarter, according to analysts. Development Secretary Bernadette Linn Hon-ho announced on Thursday last week the inclusion of a 1,100 square metre (11,840 square foot) site for student accommodation as one of two land tenders in the October to December quarter. The plot – at the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3371634/could-hong-kongs-student-housing-boom-lure-property-giants-sidelines https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3371634/could-hong-kongs-student-housing-boom-lure-property-giants-sidelines Wed, 21 Oct 2026 23:00:06 +0000 Cheryl Arcibal Cheryl Arcibal Sun Hung Kai Properties (SHKP), one of Hong Kong’s largest developers, has sold out the latest batch of flats at its Sierra Sea project in the New Territories, where units were offered at discounted prices ahead of a possible US Federal Reserve interest-rate increase by year-end. By 5.40pm on Wednesday, SHKP had found buyers for all 128 flats offered at listed prices in Phase 2C(2) of the development in Shap Sze Heung, between Sai Kung and Ma On Shan, according to agents. Sales began at... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3371657/hong-kongs-shkp-sells-128-sierra-sea-flats-ahead-possible-us-rate-increase https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3371657/hong-kongs-shkp-sells-128-sierra-sea-flats-ahead-possible-us-rate-increase Wed, 21 Oct 2026 10:00:41 +0000 Chris Tsang Chris Tsang New World Development and China Merchants Land broke ground recently on a joint residential project in Pak Shing Kok, Tseung Kwan O, with presales expected to begin as early as 2028, when surveyors say pricing pressure may have eased. James KT Cheung, executive director of the valuation department at Centaline Surveyors, said property prices remain lower than they were in 2022, when the consortium won the project. “If property prices can recover to 2022 levels by the time the Pak Shing Kok... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3371577/surveyors-say-presales-pak-shing-kok-residential-project-could-begin-2028 https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3371577/surveyors-say-presales-pak-shing-kok-residential-project-could-begin-2028 Wed, 21 Oct 2026 04:00:39 +0000 Natalie Wong,Jeffie Lam Natalie Wong,Jeffie Lam An independent committee investigating the deadly Tai Po fire is set to submit its final report to the Hong Kong government on Thursday, with the judge-led panel expected to largely endorse the scathing closing submission of its lead counsel, sources have said. A redacted version of the committee’s report, which may withhold some information to avoid prejudicing criminal proceedings related to Hong Kong’s deadliest residential fire in decades, is scheduled for public release next week at the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3371533/tai-po-fire-report-be-submitted-thursday-scathing-submission-endorsed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3371533/tai-po-fire-report-be-submitted-thursday-scathing-submission-endorsed Tue, 20 Oct 2026 12:22:36 +0000 Edith Lin Edith Lin The owner of a luxury house in Hong Kong has been fined HK$255,800 (US$32,600) for persistently failing to comply with a statutory removal order even after previously being prosecuted seven times for illegal site works and unauthorised structures found at his property. The Buildings Department said on Tuesday that the owner of a Beaulieu Peninsula detached house on Yu Chui Street in Tuen Mun was convicted and fined at Tuen Mun Court last Friday. It was the eighth time the owner had faced... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3371471/luxury-homeowner-fined-hk255800-after-eighth-prosecution-over-illegal-renovations https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3371471/luxury-homeowner-fined-hk255800-after-eighth-prosecution-over-illegal-renovations Tue, 20 Oct 2026 06:42:31 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Hong Kong’s civil engineering work is reputedly among the world’s best, as evidenced by the awe-inspiring infrastructure marvels and skyscrapers that have been built with exceptional efficiency and high standards across the city. These hard-earned credentials are not accidental but rooted in generations of professional practice and robust institutional safeguards and monitoring. Yet public confidence has been shaken by a series of scandals involving shoddy construction and maintenance work. From... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/comment/article/3371351/ensure-standards-hong-kongs-civil-engineering-work-remain-sky-high https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/comment/article/3371351/ensure-standards-hong-kongs-civil-engineering-work-remain-sky-high Mon, 19 Oct 2026 23:15:08 +0000 Jess Ma,Ng Kang-chung Jess Ma,Ng Kang-chung An investigation into work carried out by a lift contractor in Hong Kong has found another 186 buildings lacking crucial components designed to prevent flames and smoke from entering the shaft in the event of a fire. The checks pushed the number of buildings with substandard lifts installed by Taizoom Elevator to 338 on Monday. According to the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD), its latest inspections covered lifts installed by the company at 184 single-block buildings and two... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3371363/hong-kong-lift-scandal-prompts-calls-review-checks-and-engineer-accreditation https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3371363/hong-kong-lift-scandal-prompts-calls-review-checks-and-engineer-accreditation Mon, 19 Oct 2026 06:39:35 +0000 Cheryl Arcibal Cheryl Arcibal Hong Kong homebuyers are poised to see new residential launches in the coming days and weeks following a sell-out weekend of more than 360 flats in two major projects in the city. Sun Hung Kai Properties (SHKP), one of Hong Kong’s major developers and landlords, was set to hold a second round of sales for Sierra Sea Phase 2C(2) in Shap Sze Heung, which is between Sai Kung and Ma On Shan, with 152 flats on offer on Wednesday, it said in a statement. Among them, 128 flats would be sold via a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3371302/hong-kongs-primary-residential-market-sees-wave-launches-successful-sales https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3371302/hong-kongs-primary-residential-market-sees-wave-launches-successful-sales Sun, 18 Oct 2026 10:01:52 +0000 Leopold Chen,Edith Lin Leopold Chen,Edith Lin Hong Kong authorities have ordered the developer of One Stanley to inspect eight more homes, including one acquired by a Mongolian mining tycoon’s family, as concerns over substandard work at the seaside luxury estate mount. The details of the inspection were contained in a sales brochure updated by developer K&K Property on Friday and follow an announcement by the Buildings Department last month that it would conduct random checks on buildings at the estate. Online property news platform... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3371183/inspections-ordered-8-more-houses-hong-kongs-one-stanley-after-rebar-scandal https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3371183/inspections-ordered-8-more-houses-hong-kongs-one-stanley-after-rebar-scandal Fri, 16 Oct 2026 10:42:49 +0000 Tim Yuen Lingk,Cheryl Arcibal Tim Yuen Lingk,Cheryl Arcibal The Hong Kong government will release two parcels of land for sale – one for a residential development and another for a student hostel project – in the October to December quarter, as officials maintain a cautious stance towards housing supply even as the market rebounds. One residential site – an 8,015-square-metre (86,250-square-foot) parcel of land in Sha Tin – will be offered through tender in the third quarter of the 2026-2027 financial year, Development Secretary Bernadette Linn Hon-ho... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3371042/hong-kong-plans-just-two-land-sales-next-quarter-despite-housing-rebound https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3371042/hong-kong-plans-just-two-land-sales-next-quarter-despite-housing-rebound Thu, 15 Oct 2026 12:14:35 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma Hong Kong’s Fire Services Department has extended a scheme allowing property owners to install smart fire alarm systems rather than traditional safety equipment to another 6,000 old buildings, but conceded that no installations had been completed although the policy was rolled out over five months ago for 3,600 blocks. Lai Kin-mo, acting deputy chief fire officer for building improvement, said on Wednesday that while 300 buildings had expressed interest in installing the system, which can send... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3370912/hong-kong-extends-smart-fire-alarm-scheme-another-6000-old-buildings https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3370912/hong-kong-extends-smart-fire-alarm-scheme-another-6000-old-buildings Wed, 14 Oct 2026 14:20:38 +0000 Mike Rowse Mike Rowse When news broke last week that three newly completed housing blocks were to be demolished without ever having been occupied, I suffered an immediate attack of deja vu. In early 1974, I was in the first wave of recruits to the Operations Department of the newly established Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC). As luck would have it, my first posting was to the team dealing with the old Public Works Department. That was my introduction to the wide world of corruption and shoddy work in... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3370590/hong-kong-accountability-must-be-more-slogan https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3370590/hong-kong-accountability-must-be-more-slogan Wed, 14 Oct 2026 08:30:06 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words. Hong Kong has become a sought-after regional education hub, drawing mainland and foreign students to its universities. Rising international enrolment has intensified demand for student housing, with on-campus places insufficient and rents near university districts buoyant. Some... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/letters/article/3370715/mind-hong-kongs-dorm-boom-today-doesnt-become-tomorrows-oversupply https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/letters/article/3370715/mind-hong-kongs-dorm-boom-today-doesnt-become-tomorrows-oversupply Wed, 14 Oct 2026 03:30:07 +0000 C. K. Yeung C. K. Yeung China has lifted nearly 800 million people out of extreme poverty, arguably the greatest achievement in poverty reduction in human history. Even so, no mainland Chinese economist has won the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences. Across the Pacific, the United States has produced about 75 per cent of Nobel economics laureates, even as its economy staggers under mounting public debt, chronic fiscal deficits, and recurring financial crises and government shutdowns. Of the 99 economics laureates ever... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3370554/does-hong-kongs-economy-serve-people-or-profit https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3370554/does-hong-kongs-economy-serve-people-or-profit Wed, 14 Oct 2026 01:30:05 +0000 Chris Tsang Chris Tsang A clear divide has opened up in Hong Kong’s property market in recent months: sales of new-build homes have surged, but the recovery in the secondary market has remained far more modest. The contrast between the two segments is not a coincidence – and is likely to persist for some time, according to analysts. The trend is largely being driven by developers slashing prices on new-builds to clear their inventories ahead of expected interest rate rises in the coming months. This is making new homes... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/markets/article/3370332/new-vs-old-why-new-builds-are-far-outselling-used-homes-hong-kong https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/markets/article/3370332/new-vs-old-why-new-builds-are-far-outselling-used-homes-hong-kong Sun, 11 Oct 2026 04:00:17 +0000 Peggy Ye Peggy Ye Developer K&K Property has announced plans to offer a six-year structural warranty to homeowners at its luxury One Stanley development, as the company seeks to move on from a growing furore over alleged construction defects at the complex. “As the developer of the One Stanley development project, we attach great importance to the recent public attention surrounding one of the detached houses in the project,” the company said in a statement released late on Friday. One Stanley, a collection of... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3370397/kk-offers-extra-warranty-one-stanley-homebuyers-amid-building-defects-furore https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3370397/kk-offers-extra-warranty-one-stanley-homebuyers-amid-building-defects-furore Fri, 09 Oct 2026 13:50:15 +0000 Ng Kang-chung Ng Kang-chung The developer of One Stanley has offered flat owners a six-year structural warranty and free independent property inspections amid an investigation into suspected steel reinforcement deficiencies at the seaside luxury residential development in southern Hong Kong. K Wise, a subsidiary of One Stanley developer K&K Property, addressed the brewing scandal on Friday, a week after allegations of substandard work were reported by a local property media outlet, issuing a statement outlining remedial... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3370395/developer-one-stanley-pledges-6-year-warranty-and-checks-amid-steel-bar-probe https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3370395/developer-one-stanley-pledges-6-year-warranty-and-checks-amid-steel-bar-probe Fri, 09 Oct 2026 13:47:34 +0000 Kristen Cheung Kristen Cheung Lawmakers and engineering sector leaders have called for a review of Hong Kong’s building inspection mechanism and a blacklist to bar errant contractors from government tenders, after a developer said half of the city’s first privately built “starter homes” project will be demolished due to shoddy steel work. The government should review the inspection regime and increase its supervisory manpower, lawmakers and engineers said on Friday, calling for inspectors to be stationed at construction... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3370294/hong-kong-needs-tougher-inspection-regime-experts-say-after-ck-asset-building-fiasco https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3370294/hong-kong-needs-tougher-inspection-regime-experts-say-after-ck-asset-building-fiasco Fri, 09 Oct 2026 06:01:43 +0000 Edith Lin Edith Lin Three of the six residential buildings at CK Asset’s “starter homes” project in Hong Kong will be demolished and rebuilt in what the developer called the most “time-saving” solution, two years after a scandal over substandard steel reinforcement work halted construction. The Buildings Department said on Thursday that it had approved demolition plans for three blocks at the Anderson Road development in Kwun Tong, while remedial work was under way at the other three. Earlier investigations found... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3370223/ck-asset-opts-rebuild-3-blocks-starter-homes-project-after-steelwork-scandal https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3370223/ck-asset-opts-rebuild-3-blocks-starter-homes-project-after-steelwork-scandal Thu, 08 Oct 2026 13:50:08 +0000 Matthew Cheng Matthew Cheng Hong Kong’s development chief has dismissed concerns that commercial floor space in the Northern Metropolis megaproject will further depress the city’s struggling office market, stressing that incoming supply is primarily for the innovation and technology (I&T) sector. Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn Hon-ho told the Legislative Council on Thursday that the 1 million square metres (10.8 million square feet) of economic floor space to be provided in the megaproject next to the Shenzhen... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3370199/development-chief-dismisses-fears-northern-metropolis-supply-will-hit-office-sector https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3370199/development-chief-dismisses-fears-northern-metropolis-supply-will-hit-office-sector Thu, 08 Oct 2026 10:56:32 +0000 Peggy Ye Peggy Ye The furore over alleged construction defects at luxury development One Stanley threatens to cast a shadow over Hong Kong’s recovering super-prime property market, as banks hold off on mortgages and property agents suspend viewings at the complex while an investigation continues. “Most [banks] are adopting a wait-and-see approach,” said Eric Tso Tak-ming, chief vice-president at mReferral Mortgage Brokerage Services, adding that lenders were likely to take a more cautious approach to mortgage... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3370086/hong-kong-banks-grow-cautious-one-stanley-mortgages-amid-investigation https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3370086/hong-kong-banks-grow-cautious-one-stanley-mortgages-amid-investigation Wed, 07 Oct 2026 23:00:11 +0000 Vivian Au,Edith Lin Vivian Au,Edith Lin Two dozen luxury houses at One Stanley have been sold since Hong Kong authorities launched an investigation into alleged structural defects in March, with buyers including local and international businesspeople. The transactions have prompted experts to call for stronger homebuyer protections, including implementing a mandatory period for buyers to rescind contracts when statutory violations are discovered. The South China Morning Post learned that 24 transactions were recorded at One Stanley... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3370089/24-luxury-houses-one-stanley-sold-amid-probe-alleged-construction-defects https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3370089/24-luxury-houses-one-stanley-sold-amid-probe-alleged-construction-defects Wed, 07 Oct 2026 14:45:38 +0000 Wynna Wong Wynna Wong Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District is betting on property development to ease its financial pressures amid a widening operating deficit, but experts have warned that land sales will only provide temporary relief and cannot replace a sustainable long-term funding model for the arts hub. The warning comes as the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority prepares to tender a prime residential site in the first half of next year, a potentially lucrative project that property experts expect to... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3369960/land-sales-offer-only-temporary-relief-west-kowloon-arts-hub-experts-warn https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3369960/land-sales-offer-only-temporary-relief-west-kowloon-arts-hub-experts-warn Wed, 07 Oct 2026 00:00:31 +0000 Peggy Ye Peggy Ye Kerry Properties has won a land plot in Ho Man Tin for HK$4.31 billion (US$549 million), the highest price paid for a residential site in Kowloon in nearly five years, as developers show confidence in demand for luxury homes. The site on Fat Kwong Street sold at HK$20,738 per square foot of gross floor area, the highest land premium for a residential site in recent years, according to Vincent Cheung, managing director of valuation firm Vincorn Consulting and Appraisal. The last time a Kowloon... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3369948/hong-kong-land-sale-stuns-market-hk43b-bid-hits-5-year-kowloon-high https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3369948/hong-kong-land-sale-stuns-market-hk43b-bid-hits-5-year-kowloon-high Tue, 06 Oct 2026 13:13:03 +0000 Edith Lin,Leopold Chen,Matthew Cheng Edith Lin,Leopold Chen,Matthew Cheng Hong Kong’s building authorities will conduct random sampling and inspections at the remaining properties of a luxury development in Stanley where substandard work was uncovered at one house, as well as at other projects undertaken by the contractor and professionals involved. The Buildings Department revealed the move on Tuesday night, hours after Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said the city would strengthen its regulatory regime and impose stiffer penalties to ensure strong deterrence... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3369861/hong-kong-leader-pledges-tougher-rules-penalties-deter-construction-violations https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3369861/hong-kong-leader-pledges-tougher-rules-penalties-deter-construction-violations Tue, 06 Oct 2026 04:00:54 +0000 Edith Lin,Vivian Au Edith Lin,Vivian Au Hong Kong’s building authorities should consider inspecting the remaining properties in a luxury residential development and tightening work process documentation after one house was found to have used insufficient steel bars during construction, experts have said. Their suggestions followed the Buildings Department revealing at the weekend that it had launched an investigation into work quality issues at One Stanley in Stanley, one of the most expensive neighbourhoods in Southern district, and... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3369835/experts-urge-wider-one-stanley-checks-tighter-paperwork-after-steel-bar-shortfall https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3369835/experts-urge-wider-one-stanley-checks-tighter-paperwork-after-steel-bar-shortfall Tue, 06 Oct 2026 00:34:38 +0000 Cliff Buddle Cliff Buddle The hotly contested court battle over government plans to build 12,000 public flats on Hong Kong’s oldest golf course has played its final round. The government decided not to appeal against a ruling that held its approval of an environmental impact assessment (EIA) report on the project to be unlawful. This is better than pursuing a further attempt to persuade the courts to uphold a fatally flawed process. Now, a broader review of the plans can be undertaken in light of the Court of Appeal’s... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3369682/hong-kong-must-scrap-housing-plan-and-preserve-golf-course https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3369682/hong-kong-must-scrap-housing-plan-and-preserve-golf-course Mon, 05 Oct 2026 21:30:05 +0000 Edith Lin Edith Lin The owners of 14 subsidised sale flats have applied for a grace period to comply with Hong Kong’s new regulatory regime for subdivided homes, the housing minister has revealed, raising concerns that public resources were being abused. The cases were disclosed on Monday at a Legislative Council housing panel meeting when lawmaker Mark Chong Ho-fung asked Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho Wing-yin about the use of subsidised sale flats as subdivided units for renting. Chong said flats sold under the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3369830/bid-turn-14-subsidised-sale-flats-subdivided-homes-raises-abuse-concerns https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3369830/bid-turn-14-subsidised-sale-flats-subdivided-homes-raises-abuse-concerns Mon, 05 Oct 2026 15:08:29 +0000 Edith Lin Edith Lin Housewife May and her three children were overjoyed last September when they moved into a 200 sq ft subdivided flat in Kwai Tsing, a Hong Kong district with one of the city’s lowest average monthly household incomes. For years, the 50-year-old single parent had lived in a squatter hut with her son and two daughters, where they had to climb hundreds of stairs daily. They later moved into a 100 sq ft subdivided flat before securing their current place. Located on the 15th floor of a lift-equipped... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3369726/hong-kongs-drive-eliminate-substandard-housing-doing-more-harm-good https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3369726/hong-kongs-drive-eliminate-substandard-housing-doing-more-harm-good Mon, 05 Oct 2026 02:00:28 +0000 Chris Tsang Chris Tsang Despite signs that Hong Kong property prices could have bottomed out and begun rebounding in August, market sources said at least 100 secondary residential homes were sold at a loss in September, up from at least 81 the previous month. Hong Kong’s property market dodged an immediate setback from the US Federal Reserve’s rate increase in September, and agents estimated that home prices could end the year 15 per cent higher than a year earlier. The positive trend, however, did not generally apply... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/property/article/3369600/more-hong-kong-homes-sell-loss-despite-signs-prices-have-bottomed-agents https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/property/article/3369600/more-hong-kong-homes-sell-loss-despite-signs-prices-have-bottomed-agents Sun, 04 Oct 2026 08:00:10 +0000 Lo Hoi-ying Lo Hoi-ying More than 73,000 owners of subdivided flats in Hong Kong have applied for a three-year grace period to meet the government’s minimum standards, a figure the housing chief has described as “better than expected”. Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho Wing-yin said on Saturday that authorities received around 73,800 applications during the “early bird” registration phase under the Basic Housing Units Ordinance, which closed on August 31. The tally represented nearly 70 per cent of the city’s estimated... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3369653/better-expected-73800-subdivided-flats-apply-3-year-grace-period https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3369653/better-expected-73800-subdivided-flats-apply-3-year-grace-period Sat, 03 Oct 2026 06:26:14 +0000 Peggy Ye Peggy Ye The sole residential site included in the Hong Kong government’s latest land sale programme has attracted interest from a host of major developers, with 10 tenders being submitted before a noon deadline on Friday. Chinachem Group, Wheelock Properties, Kerry Properties and Sun Hung Kai Properties all confirmed to the South China Morning Post that they had submitted individual bids for the site on Fat Kwong Street in Ho Man Tin, Kowloon, while Sino Land issued a joint tender with Great Eagle... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/companies/article/3369572/developers-vie-land-plum-hk2-billion-residential-site-ho-man-tin https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/companies/article/3369572/developers-vie-land-plum-hk2-billion-residential-site-ho-man-tin Fri, 02 Oct 2026 09:16:50 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial The government has finally decided not to appeal a court ruling revoking environmental approval of a controversial proposed housing development at the Hong Kong Golf Club. This casts serious doubt on plans to build 12,000 public flats on 9.5 hectares out of 32 hectares of land resumed from the Old Course at the club in Fanling. The future use of the land is now uncertain. It remains to be seen what course the government will adopt, including how it will remedy a flawed consultation process. Some... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/comment/article/3369298/hong-kong-must-balance-boosting-public-housing-supply-other-goals https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/comment/article/3369298/hong-kong-must-balance-boosting-public-housing-supply-other-goals Wed, 30 Sep 2026 23:15:10 +0000 Emily Hung Emily Hung Hong Kong authorities are facing calls to increase the proportion of private housing in selected districts and work more closely with developers to expand accommodation for non-local students. The government forecasts annual demand for non-local student housing at 2,310 flats over the next decade, 45 per cent higher than last year’s estimate, according to the latest Long Term Housing Strategy progress report released on Monday. The Housing Bureau based the figure on an average annual increase of... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/education/article/3369295/hong-kong-urged-boost-private-housing-supply-student-demand-jumps-45 https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/education/article/3369295/hong-kong-urged-boost-private-housing-supply-student-demand-jumps-45 Wed, 30 Sep 2026 05:46:46 +0000 Kristen Cheung Kristen Cheung Residents who lost their homes in Hong Kong’s deadly Tai Po fire started choosing their replacement flats on Tuesday, with some calling on authorities to introduce stamp duty waivers to help ease their financial burden. After last November’s blaze at Wang Fuk Court, authorities rolled out a HK$7.8 billion (US$994 million) plan to buy back flats at the eight-block subsidised housing estate. Under the scheme, participants can use the cash compensation to buy a flat on the private open market or... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3369209/early-birds-wang-fuk-court-buy-back-get-first-pick-subsidised-houses https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3369209/early-birds-wang-fuk-court-buy-back-get-first-pick-subsidised-houses Tue, 29 Sep 2026 10:17:55 +0000 Chris Tsang Chris Tsang As the shadow of possible interest rate increases darkens Hong Kong’s property market outlook, well-known people including model-actress Eunis Chan Ka-yung and billionaire Angela Leong On-kei have recently decided the time was right to sell luxury properties, according to market sources. Chan sold a two-bedroom Mid-Levels flat for HK$32.25 million (US$4.1 million), making a profit of about 130 per cent, while Leong, a businesswoman and Macau legislator who was the fourth wife of the late casino... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3369169/eunis-chan-angela-leong-sell-luxury-hong-kong-properties-rate-increases-loom https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3369169/eunis-chan-angela-leong-sell-luxury-hong-kong-properties-rate-increases-loom Tue, 29 Sep 2026 10:00:13 +0000 Chris Tsang Chris Tsang Hong Kong’s Town Planning Board has rejected an application from a consortium of developers to rezone a commercial project in Kowloon for development as residential flats, leaving sellers struggling with high vacancy rates, according to analysts. A consortium formed by CSI Properties, Asia Standard International, and Chongqing-born property tycoon Cheung Chung-kiu applied to the Town Planning Board to redevelop “Harbourside HQ” – a grade A office building at 8 Lam Chak Street, Kowloon Bay, which... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/china-business/article/3369122/plan-turn-hong-kong-office-block-flats-rejected-amid-high-commercial-vacancy-rates https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/china-business/article/3369122/plan-turn-hong-kong-office-block-flats-rejected-amid-high-commercial-vacancy-rates Tue, 29 Sep 2026 00:01:06 +0000 Ken Ip Ken Ip When Hong Kong’s first chief executive, Tung Chee-hwa, announced his housing plan in 1997, the ambition was extraordinary. The government would produce at least 85,000 flats a year across the public and private sectors, and raise the home ownership rate to 70 per cent. The idea was simple. Build more homes, make housing more affordable and allow more families to own a piece of Hong Kong. Then history intervened. The Asian financial crisis struck. Property prices collapsed. The economy weakened.... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3368422/how-hong-kong-trying-new-solution-its-land-value-problem https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3368422/how-hong-kong-trying-new-solution-its-land-value-problem Mon, 28 Sep 2026 01:30:09 +0000 Vivian Au Vivian Au Hong Kong will fast-track key Northern Metropolis roads, bringing forward the San Tin highway section to 2034 and targeting 2033 for the Tsing Lung Bridge, but a transport expert and lawmaker have cautioned that the first arrivals could still end up stranded. Infrastructure projects could lag behind developments such as the Hung Shui Kiu University Town, they said, suggesting the government launch express bus routes and build the Central Rail Link as soon as possible to ensure connectivity. A... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3368850/hong-kong-fast-tracking-northern-metropolis-links-will-they-be-ready-time https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3368850/hong-kong-fast-tracking-northern-metropolis-links-will-they-be-ready-time Sat, 26 Sep 2026 04:00:14 +0000 Vivian Au Vivian Au Plans to build 12,000 public flats on part of Hong Kong’s oldest golf course have been thrown into serious doubt after the government chose not to appeal a court’s decision to uphold a ruling revoking the project’s environmental approval. Authorities said on Thursday that they had decided against appealing after “holistically” considering legal advice following the Court of Appeal’s decision to uphold the overturning of conditional approval for the construction of 12,000 flats on part of the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3368668/hong-kong-authorities-wont-appeal-court-halt-12000-flat-project-golf-course https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3368668/hong-kong-authorities-wont-appeal-court-halt-12000-flat-project-golf-course Thu, 24 Sep 2026 10:16:19 +0000 Chris Tsang Chris Tsang With office vacancy rates in Kowloon East remaining high, the Planning Department has indicated it has “no objection” to a request by some developers for a commercial project in the area to be rezoned for residential development. A consortium comprising CSI Properties, Asia Standard International and Chongqing-born property tycoon Cheung Chung-kiu has submitted an application to the Town Planning Board to rezone Harbourside HQ – a grade A office building at 8 Lam Chak Street, Kowloon Bay, which... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3368602/high-office-vacancy-rates-spur-bid-rezone-kowloon-east-site-residential-development https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3368602/high-office-vacancy-rates-spur-bid-rezone-kowloon-east-site-residential-development Thu, 24 Sep 2026 06:00:05 +0000 Chris Tsang Chris Tsang Purpose-built student accommodation is drawing mainland Chinese university students away from Hong Kong’s traditional rental market, as professionally managed residences gain favour despite charging higher rents than many private flats. Some students said dedicated student housing offered greater convenience, stronger security, more predictable costs and a better living environment, helping offset higher rents and, in some cases, longer commutes. Qi Zhonghao, a mainland Chinese student pursuing... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/property/article/3368296/despite-higher-costs-hong-kongs-student-residences-attract-mainland-chinese-renters https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/property/article/3368296/despite-higher-costs-hong-kongs-student-residences-attract-mainland-chinese-renters Tue, 22 Sep 2026 00:00:29 +0000 Cheryl Arcibal Cheryl Arcibal Late last month, an open tender for Hotel Cozi Harbour View in Kwun Tong was announced, with interested parties given until October 15 to submit bids. The 598-room hotel, located in Hong Kong’s eastern Kowloon Peninsula, a former industrial area, was taken over by Nanyang Commercial Bank for HK$1.87 billion (US$238.4 million) in 2025, with the bank now looking to dispose of the asset to the highest bidder. Just a week after the announcement of the tender, Nina Hospitality, one of the largest... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3368207/once-worlds-most-visited-city-hong-kong-now-converts-hotels-student-dorms https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3368207/once-worlds-most-visited-city-hong-kong-now-converts-hotels-student-dorms Mon, 21 Sep 2026 07:00:06 +0000 Peggy Ye,Chris Tsang Peggy Ye,Chris Tsang Hong Kong’s property market dodged an immediate hit from the Federal Reserve’s rate hike on Thursday as major local banks kept their prime rates unchanged, but another increase could puncture the market’s relatively fragile recovery, according to industry insiders. The Fed raised its benchmark rate by a quarter point at its latest meeting on Wednesday in the US, but HSBC and other major Hong Kong banks left their prime rates unchanged. The decision should have no immediate impact on the local... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3367855/hong-kong-property-market-gets-reprieve-rates-position-remains-precarious https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3367855/hong-kong-property-market-gets-reprieve-rates-position-remains-precarious Thu, 17 Sep 2026 10:00:11 +0000 Natalie Wong Natalie Wong Hong Kong’s leader has unveiled the city’s first five-year blueprint, aligned with China’s national development strategy, setting targets to nearly double innovation spending and raise the share of manufacturing and new industries to 5.5 per cent of the economy. In a historically significant new approach, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu prefaced his annual policy address on Wednesday with a comprehensive set of binding and anticipatory or aspirational longer-term targets for Hong Kong up to the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3367768/hong-kong-sets-5-year-plan-double-innovation-spending-boost-new-industries https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3367768/hong-kong-sets-5-year-plan-double-innovation-spending-boost-new-industries Wed, 16 Sep 2026 15:23:47 +0000 Connor Mycroft Connor Mycroft Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has placed deepening integration with mainland China and developing new economic engines centre stage as he unveiled the city’s first-ever five-year plan alongside the last policy address of his term. During his landmark speech on Wednesday, which ran just one minute shy of three hours, Lee laid out how the city’s first five-year plan would align the city more closely with the national development blueprint, while the policy address would serve as the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3367706/14-key-takeaways-john-lees-policy-address-hong-kongs-first-5-year-plan https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3367706/14-key-takeaways-john-lees-policy-address-hong-kongs-first-5-year-plan Wed, 16 Sep 2026 09:37:58 +0000 Vivian Au Vivian Au More than 85 per cent of owners at the blaze-hit Wang Fuk Court have signed agreements to sell their flats to the Hong Kong government as authorities move ahead with flat selection under a special rehousing scheme. Authorities said on Tuesday that 1,702 households – 85.8 per cent of flat owners across blocks A to H at the estate – had signed sale and purchase agreements as of Monday. On the same day, the Housing Bureau held a computerised ballot to determine the selection sequence for subsidised... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3367611/85-wang-fuk-court-owners-sign-sale-deals-flat-selection-moves-ahead https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3367611/85-wang-fuk-court-owners-sign-sale-deals-flat-selection-moves-ahead Tue, 15 Sep 2026 10:43:45 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words. I refer to the report, “Government still weighing decision on restricting proxy voters, Hong Kong official says” (August 22). The government should be commended for seeking to combat bid-rigging in large-scale, high-value procurement decisions and to enhance the democratic... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/letters/article/3367120/ensuring-building-safety-hong-kong-uphill-struggle https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/letters/article/3367120/ensuring-building-safety-hong-kong-uphill-struggle Sun, 13 Sep 2026 03:30:05 +0000 Vivian Au Vivian Au The quality of concrete used in three blocks of a public housing estate under construction in Tung Chung requires further testing and review, Hong Kong’s Housing Authority has revealed. According to official documents, the main contractor on the project is Able Engineering. The same company is also involved in a scandal over defective lift installation work at an expansion project at Queen Mary Hospital in Pok Fu Lam. The authority said on Saturday that regular checks had uncovered issues with... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3367319/quality-concerns-prompt-further-tests-concrete-used-3-public-housing-blocks https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3367319/quality-concerns-prompt-further-tests-concrete-used-3-public-housing-blocks Sat, 12 Sep 2026 14:10:08 +0000