[expat1]

Hi Guys,

I will be moving to HK in the next 3 - 5 weeks. I plan to rent a flat in mid levels. Budget is about 10K .. maybe a little more if i thnk its worth it.
My question is - do I need to go through an agency or is it easy to find someone who will rent privatley - thus saving me the agency fees ?
2nd question is - what is the standard lease term ? I will be in HK for at least 2 years - but I would prefer a lease that is renewable every 6 months ?

Is it easy to get that out there?

Thanks !

[gcheung]

Hi, your budget for mid level might be a bit low.. My colleague has recently found a service appointment at mid level - he needs to pay HK$18000 per month. If you want to stick to your budget, pls consider the Shengwan area. Some of my friends could find a flat for HK$6000 per month..

[dinesh]

hi friends,

Good evening,

I am coming to your beautiful city hongkong for 2 weeks from 20th April.Can someone suggest me accomodation in quarry bay or north point area.my budget will be 4000 hkd for 2 weeks.
thanks

[gcheung]

In North Point, you could check with City Garden hotel (tel 852-28872888) or www.citygarden.com.hk .. However, the rate for 2 weeks might be around HK$8000.

Try those in Kowloon side - Nathan (Tel : 852-2388-5141)

[gcheung]

You could try this one in Happy Valley Emperor hotel
http://www.emperorhotel.com.hk/promotion.asp?lang=

Hope this info is useful..

[Maze]

Hi expat1!

In Hong Kong, rental contracts are usually leased in minimun two years term. You can terminate the contract after the first year with 2 months advance notice to the landlord. (the period of notification depends and is usually negotiacable). If you are looking for a renewable 6-mth rental contract, I think your only option is go for service apartments. There are few service apartments in Central. However, service apartments tend to be more expensive as compare to a normal residental flat.

I hope this helps.

[dinesh]

Originally Posted by gcheung

You could try this one in Happy Valley Emperor hotel
http://www.emperorhotel.com.hk/promotion.asp?lang=

Hope this info is useful..

thanks for ur suggestion,the period i m visiting the city is high season so the tariff is a bit higher.
thanks

[expat1]

Maze / gcheung - thanks very much for the info


dinesh - quit hijacking my thread!!!!! - makes it confusing -- start one of your own by clicking on 'new thread'

Cheers!

[ct1]

Originally Posted by expat1

Hi Guys,

I will be moving to HK in the next 3 - 5 weeks. I plan to rent a flat in mid levels. Budget is about 10K .. maybe a little more if i thnk its worth it.
My question is - do I need to go through an agency or is it easy to find someone who will rent privatley - thus saving me the agency fees ?
2nd question is - what is the standard lease term ? I will be in HK for at least 2 years - but I would prefer a lease that is renewable every 6 months ?

Is it easy to get that out there?

Thanks !

10k is definitely on the low side but can be found in Mid-levels providing you are willing to compromise on light, location and interior and of course size. Not sure where you are coming from but you will also certeinly need to change your expectations. Property is small and expensive here. Also, expect small old kitchens with little worktop space. You can get decent kitchens of course but you might pay a little more and/or compromise more in other areas.

For 12k more you can get something a bit more modern and maybe brighter with a decent kitchen. A friend of ours has a 2 bed place in a building on Caine Road called Honor Villa (I think it is Villa). It's pretty modern inside but the bedrooms are small. Just enough room for a bed. It's right near the escalator which is good.

Plus we know someone who rented in a pretty old building for 10k a month. A bit dark but OK size.

If you want an expat area and decent apartment then you might want to consider Happy Valley instead of Mid-levels.

We looked for a while in Mid-levels but ended up in Happy Valley as you can get more for your budget. For 11.5k we have 2 bedroooms and a full view out over the race course which makes it nice and bright. It is also right near the shops. If you want a good agent for Happy Valley then let me know and I will give you the details of our agent. She has excellent properties at good prices. You will get something decent for 10k with her.

Also, make sure you use local agents in the area you want to live in and not HongKongHomes. You will pay more trust me.

Expect to pay 1/2 months rent in commission to the agent plus you will need to sign for 2 years but can get out of it after 12 months by giving 1-2 months notice (total of 13-14 months all up). You will also need to pay 2 months deposit and 1 month in advance. It adds up but I don't know anyone that paid any differently.

Also, most places are through an agent. Unless you see someone advertising on this site.

Your other option is to find a shared place which will work out cheaper and you can probably get out of it sooner than a year.

Good luck.