Step 4 Moving In
Open Utilities Accounts and Furnish the Apartment
If the utilities are not handled by your landlord, you need to open water, electricity and gas accounts and pay the bills regularly. To see major utility services, please click here (Useful Links > About Tenancy Matters > Utilities). The furnishing of the properties may vary from nothing to full-furnishing. If you need to furnish the apartment, you can find common items in the various major furniture and home appliance shops.
Always Know the Rights and Duties during the Tenancy
Certain rights and duties are implied in a tenancy unless there are contrary provisions in the tenancy agreement. For example, using the property in a reasonable and proper manner is one of your implied duties.
Implied covenants of the landlord:
- Tenant to have quiet enjoyment of the property
- Fitness for habitation
- Landlord not to derogate from his grant
Implied covenants of the tenant:
- To pay rent on the due date
- To repair and maintain the property’s interior
- To pay rates
- To use the property in a ‘tenant-like’ manner
- Not to commit waste
- To yield up vacant possession of the property upon expiry of the tenancy
For more on the implied rights and duties of the landlords and the tenants, please click here.
Source of Information:
• The Land Registry, HKSAR
• Renting a Domestic Property – GovHK Website
• Tenancy Guide for Non-local Students in Hong Kong – Estate Agents Authority
• Stamping Procedures and Explanatory Notes – Inland Revenue Department, HKSAR
• Landlord and Tenant – Community Legal Information Centre
• Monograph – Hong Kong Domestic Tenancy – Estate Agents Authority