Tung Chung Public Housing Rents Change Under New Legislation Next Year

The Public Housing Rent Review Bill, enacted by the Legislative Council on 2 July, updates the formula used to set rents in estates managed by the Housing Authority, including those in Tung Chung such as Yat Tung and Mun Tung.

The change arrives as the government finalises its 2026-27 budget allocations for public housing maintenance across the New Territories.

Effects on Household Budgets

Under the bill, rent reviews will now incorporate a new weighting for transport and utility costs specific to outlying districts. Tung Chung residents in two-person households currently paying around the median rent level will see their payments recalculated each October instead of every two years.

Local advocates note that this shift aligns review dates with the release of the annual Consumer Price Index figures published by the Census and Statistics Department. Families in Yat Tung Estate who rely on the nearby MTR station for airport and urban commutes will receive notice letters by mid-August detailing the revised amounts.

The legislation states that the Housing Authority must publish the updated rent tables on its website within 30 days of each review cycle. Policy analysts say this requirement replaces the previous practice of issuing paper notices only at estate offices.

Projected figures in the 2025 Housing Authority annual report indicate that Tung Chung estates account for 8 per cent of all public rental units in the Islands District. The bill requires the Authority to report any cumulative rent adjustments exceeding 5 per cent over two cycles to the Legislative Council panel on housing.

Implementation begins with the October 2026 review. The Housing Authority has scheduled briefings at community halls in Tung Chung for the week of 20 July to explain the revised calculation method to sitting tenants.