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The following is issued on behalf of the Housing Authority :
A spokesman for the Housing Department today (August 31) reminded public rental housing tenants that payment of monthly rent in arrears violated the terms and conditions of the tenancy agreement they had signed with the Housing Authority.
According to terms of the tenancy agreement, rents are due on the first day of the month. If the rents fall into arrears, the authority may terminate the tenancy and recover the public housing flat.
The reminder was issued in response to a petition staged by a concern group at Kwai Chung Estate calling on tenants to pay their monthly rents at the end of the month and demanding the refund of rent deposits.
Public rental housing tenants are required to pay a deposit equivalent to one monthˇ¦s rent at the time of signing the Tenancy Agreement with the authority.
ˇ§The deposit is held by the authority to guard against rent arrears or damage to the fixtures or fittings of the leased property in the event of sudden departure of the tenant,ˇ¨ the spokesman said.
ˇ§It will be refunded to the tenant in full without interest upon termination of the tenancy provided there are no outstanding rents and charges and other losses to the authority,ˇ¨ he added.
At present, new tenants of all-elderly households and those receiving rent assistance will be exempted from paying rent deposits at the time of intake. However, new tenants who are CSSA recipients and those whose rent deposits are paid out of grants from the Social Welfare Department will not be exempted.
Following the endorsement of a proposal by the authorityˇ¦s then Rental Housing Committee in 2002, rent deposits have been refunded to all elderly households and those receiving rent assistance.
Ends/Thursday, August 31, 2006
Issued at HKT 18:00
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