Politics
Tung Chung Revises Property Rates for 2026-27 Fiscal Year
Tung Chung property owners and tenants face recalculated annual rates payments beginning in the 2026-27 fiscal year under the updated municipal ordinance.
How we reported this
The Tung Chung mayor's office released the Municipal Rates Revision Policy on 7 July 2026, which recalibrates the annual levy applied to both commercial and residential properties across the district. The change directly affects the 18,450 rateable properties listed in the Tung Chung Valuation Roll, with adjustments calculated on the rateable value assessed as of 1 April 2026.
The revision follows the completion of the district's 2025 property revaluation exercise conducted by the Tung Chung Rating and Valuation Department. Local government records show that commercial premises along Tung Chung Waterfront Road recorded an average 11 percent increase in rateable value during that exercise, while residential blocks in Tung Chung Crescent and Caribbean Coast showed smaller average rises of 4 percent.
Effects on Specific Resident Categories
Small business operators leasing ground-floor units in the Tung Chung Town Centre stand to receive a reduced rates bill when their properties fall into the new lower band created by the revision. In contrast, owners of larger retail spaces exceeding 200 square metres will see higher assessments applied to the portion of value above the threshold. Tenants in private residential estates will experience pass-through increases only where lease agreements allow landlords to recover the full rates amount.
The 2026 Tung Chung District Budget Paper records that the policy reallocates HK$4.2 million from the general rates pool to fund a targeted rebate for properties valued under HK$8 million. This sum covers an estimated 7,800 residential units, while the remaining 10,650 properties receive no rebate and absorb the full adjusted levy.
Implementation begins with the first quarterly rates notice issued on 1 August 2026. Property owners may apply for the rebate through the Tung Chung Municipal Services portal by 15 September 2026, with payments processed within 30 working days of approval. The Rating and Valuation Department will publish the final schedule of adjusted values on its public website by 22 July 2026.