how to find a suitable accommodation student residence office 21 august 2013 student residence...

How to find a Suitable Accommodation

Student Residence Office 21 August 2013

Student Residence OfficeGuest Speaker: Centaline Property

21 August 2013

How to find a suitable Accommodation

Part 1

• Why living off-campus?• Roles & Services provided by Student Residence Office• Housing Alternatives • Survey of 2012-CityU Students Living Off-campus • Important Points

Part 2

• Landlord and Tenant (Consolidation) Ordinance • Notes on Signing a Tenancy Agreement • Renting Procedures

Part 3

• Itinerary of Tour


Why living Off-campus?

• Finding affordable and comfortable accommodation in Hong Kong can be quite a challenge. Yet, there are tons of benefits you will enjoy by living off-campus. e.g.

• - Freedom• - Flexibility• - Chance to Learn• - Life-long Experience


Role & Services Provided by Student Residence Office (SRO)

• Provides general assistance for students on off-campus accommodation

• Website: http://www.cityu.edu.hk/sro/htm/e_off-campus2.htm• Accommodation/Roommate Search (OCAS)http://www.cityu.edu.hk/sro/htm/e_off-campus1.htm


http://www.cityu.edu.hk/sro/htm/e_off-campus2.htm


Housing Alternatives

• Non-government Organization Hostels /Guest Houses• Service Apartments• Budget Hotels• Private Rental Properties• Short-Term Accommodations• http://www.cityu.edu.hk/sro/htm/e_off-campus10.htm



Survey of 2012 – Student living off-campus

• Students spend less than 1 month to find housing (50%)• Main source of accommodation search is property agents (45%)• Shatin is the most welcome place to reside (44%)• $3000 to $3999 comprise of 34% of the respondents' individual spending on

accommodation per month (including rental, water, electricity, gas and internet)


Type of StudentsNo. of Non-local Students in CityU

No. of Students Living Off-Campus

No. of response

ResponseRate

Tpg Students 1739 1714 756 44.1%

Rpg Students 758 200 60 30.0%

Professional Doctorate Level Students 45 41 19 46.3%

Exchange Students (UG) 451 59 22 37.3%

Exchange Students (PG) 19 2 0 0.0%

Total 3012 2016 857 42.5%


Less than 1 month

1 month 2 months

4 months

3 months

5 months

6 months

More than 6

months

050

100150200250300350400450 420

233

147

943

1 2 2

2012


• Students spend less than 1 month to find housing (50%)



• The main source of accommodation search is property agents (45%)

0100200300400

222 202

383

15 10 25

2012



• Shatin is the most welcome place to reside (44%)

050

100150200250300350400

12 8 1

129

6 1646

1537

4

102

374

1 15 6 11 4 1 833 18 10

2012



• $3000 to $3999 comprise of 34% of the respondents' individual spending on accommodation per month (including rental, water, electricity, gas and internet)

<$2,000

$2,000 - $2,999

$3,000 - $3,999

$4,000 - $4,999

$5,000 - $5,999

$6,000 - $6,999

$7,000 - $7,999

$8,000 - $8,999

$9,000 - $9,999

$10,000 - $10,999

$11,000 - $11,999

>12,0000

50100150200250300350

59

171

315

164

7530

7 13 7 5 1 10

2012

Private Residence Rental Information (Last update: June 2013)


Rental varies depending on the estate’s transportation convenience, size, layout, building year and other factors. The following tables show the estimated rental in nearby districts for your reference only

Size of Flat (sq. meter) Estimated Rental, Kowloon (HK$/ per month)

<40 HK$6,000 – HK$10,080

40-70 HK$10,480 – HK$18,314

>70 HK$17,920 – HK$25,574

Source: Rents & Rates Department

Can I sublet a flat?


Can I sublet a flat? • —Under the “Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation

Ordinance”, occupier, proprietor or tenant who wish to provide sleeping accommodation at a fee with a tenancy term of less than 28 continuous days, he/she must apply for license.

• —A person permitted to stay in Hong Kong as a student shall only study at a specified school and undertake such course of study as may be approved by the Director of Immigration. Such students are not allowed to take up employment, whether paid or unpaid, or establish or join in any business in Hong Kong, without Director’s permission.


Attention to Illegal Sub-divided Flats • Q1: What is Sub-divided flats?

• A1: The “sub-divided flats” is a kind of rental housing in Hong Kong, common in tenement and old buildings.

• That is, when the owner or principal tenant of a residential unit sub-divide flats into smaller independent units for sale or lease.

• Each smaller unit is typically equipped with toilets. The size of each subdivided flats varies from 30 to 200 square feet.

• The monthly rent is normally between several hundred to several thousand dollars.

• Tenants are usually grassroots, new arrivals or single person. They cannot afford high rent or not yet qualified to apply for public housing, thus making the demand for this type of housing high. The profit for illegal alternation flat is high, leading to abundant supply in the market.


Attention to Illegal Sub-divided Flats

• Q2: Sub-divided flats is facing what type of problem?

• A2: Since most of the subdivided flats have not obtained the legal permit in making alternations, violations involving illegal removal of structural walls, the raising of floor for laying sewage system often lead to structural problems of the building.

• The unit is subdivided into different rooms; the number of tenants living inside a flat exceeds the original design criteria; increased number of people flow within the building; ways of access is narrowed which leads to problems such as insufficient space or means of emergency escape.

• From 1 January 2008 to 30 April 2011, 4000 complaints have been received by the government.

• Ma Tau Wai Road Fire in 2011


How to identify Illegal Subdivided Flat?


1. 单位内有数个电表让不同租客摊分电费 A flat with several electric meters to divide electricity charges amongst tenants

2. 房间内只有一张床或简单家具 Only a bed place or very simple furniture can be found

3. 一间劏房出入口共有一扇主閘及多扇木门 A subdivided flat usually comes with one main gate and several wooden doors

4. 为了方便联络住客，一间劏房设置多个电子门铃To contact individual tenants several electronic door bellscan be found outside the main door

ContactStudent Residence OfficeCity University of Hong Kong 22 Cornwall Street, Kowloon Tong, Hong KongPhone No. （ 852 ） 3442 1200Email ： [email protected]


how to find a suitable accommodation student residence office 21 august 2013 student residence...

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student residence office

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campus accommodation

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type of students

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