A fixed-term tenancy in Hong Kong binds both sides unless the contract says otherwise. Here is how break clauses, notice, surrender and reletting work, and what to check before you sign.
Hong Kong has no deposit protection scheme for ordinary residential tenancies — the money sits in the landlord’s own account, governed only by the clause both sides signed. When the deposit is paid, when it must come back, what the Rating and Valuation Department, the Inland Revenue Department and the Estate Agents Authority actually require, what may lawfully be deducted, and how a disputed deposit is recovered.
Hong Kong’s lettings market peaks in summer, when good flats go quickly and tenants have least time to think. A practical guide to timing, true costs, the fixed-term-and-break-clause structure, and protecting your deposit.