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.
476 transactions registered in Mid-Levels West between 9 June and 9 September 2026 — 212 sales and 264 lettings — show a district that sells mid-sized homes and lets small ones. Set against the advertised pool across three portals, with comparable PropMark listings in each segment, plus daily life and a livability verdict.
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.