What Changed
- Resident holding two Sai Kung properties sentenced to immediate two-week imprisonment, with flat recovery proceedings initiated by HD.
- Resident holding a Tseung Kwan O property sentenced to four weeks' imprisonment and granted bail pending appeal.
- Court hearing for a second Choi Hung Estate resident holding one Sai Kung property adjourned to November 30, 2026.
Residents living in Hong Kong SAR public rental housing (PRH) face imprisonment following convictions for making false property ownership declarations under the Housing Ordinance. According to a spokesman for the Housing Department (HD) speaking on October 6, 2026, two PRH residents involved in separate enforcement actions were sentenced by the Kwun Tong Magistrates Courts on October 5, 2026.
The cases involved residents from Choi Hung Estate and Kwong Tin Estate who declared in their 2025 Income and Assets Declaration Forms that they did not own any domestic property in Hong Kong. Thorough investigations conducted by the HD subsequently revealed undisclosed residential property holdings across both cases.
In the first case involving Choi Hung Estate residents, the HD investigation established that two tenants each owned residential properties located in Sai Kung. One tenant held two properties, while the other held one. On October 5, 2026, the Kwun Tong Magistrates Courts sentenced the resident who owned two properties to an immediate two-week prison term. The hearing concerning the second resident in this case was adjourned until November 30, 2026. Additionally, the HD confirmed it will proceed to recover the subject PRH flat.
In the second case, a resident from Kwong Tin Estate was found to own a domestic property in Tseung Kwan O. The Kwun Tong Magistrates Courts sentenced this resident to four weeks of imprisonment, and the individual was granted bail pending appeal.
Following these judicial outcomes, the Housing Department reminded all PRH residents and subsidised housing applicants of their legal obligation to honestly declare their income, assets, and property holdings. The HD advised residents to carefully read all completion guidelines and accurately calculate their assets in their Income and Assets Declaration Forms, reiterating its intention to maintain a multipronged strategy to combat the abuse of public housing resources.
Who May Be Affected
Public rental housing residents and applicants in Hong Kong SAR.
Cross-Border Context
Not applicable; local public housing enforcement matter in Hong Kong SAR.
What to check next
- Outcome of the adjourned court hearing scheduled for November 30, 2026
- Status and outcome of the appeal in Case 2
This article provides general information and does not constitute legal advice. Consult the official text and obtain advice appropriate to your circumstances where needed.