Kowloon City District-based Building Rehabilitation Pilot Scheme
Kowloon City, with its rich history, is a vibrant and diverse community that embodies the unique characteristics of the region. In recent years, the urban landscape of Kowloon City has undergone significant transformations, with many dilapidated old buildings being demolished and replaced by modern high-rise structures. At the same time, numerous well-structured existing buildings remain in the area, whose owners aspire not only to maintain and repair their properties but also enhance the environment and beautify the exterior of their buildings. This vision aims to integrate these structures seamlessly into the community's new developments, thereby elevating the overall appearance of the district.
The Urban Renewal Authority (URA) places great emphasis on the long-standing aspirations of Kowloon City residents for urban renewal and has conducted comprehensive planning and research to devise a feasible strategy. Following detailed studies and extensive consideration, the URA selected the "Lung Shing District" of Kowloon City as a pilot area to implement an innovative "Integrated Approach." This approach combines redevelopment, building rehabilitation, conservation, and revitalization efforts to holistically enhance the existing built environment by blending of old and new cityscapes.
Previously, two major redevelopment projects were successfully carried out in the district. These include the government-approved Kai Tak Road/Sa Po Road project (KC-015), and the To Kwa Wan Road/Carpenter Road Development Scheme (KC-017), which was initiated in May 2022. Subsequently, the URA formulated rehabilitation programmes and selected a cluster of buildings along Nam Kok Road and Tak Ku Ling Road without immediate need for redevelopment as a testing ground. The programme aims to intensify promotional efforts and offer enhanced incentives by providing both financial and technical support to eligible property owners. This encourages timely maintenance and repairs of their buildings. It is expected to benefit approximately 1,000 residential units and contribute to a noticeable improvement in the overall environment.
“Joint Property Management” (JPM) — A New Joint Management Model for single-block buildings
In older districts, numerous single-block old buildings lack regular maintenance, repairs, and effective management, leading to poor hygiene, security concerns, and deteriorating communal facilities. Due to the limited number of units in these buildings, it remains challenging to attract property management companies to manage these older buildings, even if owners are willing to pay several hundred dollars per month in management fees.
The JPM model addresses this challenge by bringing together neighboring old single-block buildings without management companies into a small district. These grouped buildings collectively hire a single property management company to implement joint management across multiple single-block buildings. This achieves economies of scale and reduces the financial burden of management fees for each building. The management services offered by JPM are highly flexible. Therefore, owners can select appropriate management services from a standard quotation list based on their needs. These may include basic services required by law as well as other optional management services.
In late 2022, the URA, in collaboration with the Hong Kong Institute of Housing, launched the JPM pilot program in the "Lung Shing District of Kowloon City'." This initiative coordinates the joint hiring of a property management company by old single-block buildings, enabling owners to receive appropriate management services at a more affordable cost, without compromising on the standards of building maintenance due to lower fees. In addition to improving the management efficiency of single-block old buildings, the property management company also assists in organizing repair and maintenance works, ensuring the buildings remain in good condition and reducing redevelopment pressure.
The JPM pilot program concluded at the end of December 2024. During this period, two participating buildings successfully resolved to jointly hire one property management company, which began providing services in November 2024 and January 2025. The owners of both buildings were satisfied with the performance of the property management company and noted significantly improvements in building management (for more details, please visit the URA’s News Centre webpage).
The URA submitted an experience report on the JPM pilot program to the government in 2025. It is hoped that the JPM pilot program in Kowloon City will serve as a model for other old districts, raising the overall standard of maintenance and management efficiency for old buildings across Hong Kong in the long run, and creating a more livable and safer living environment for residents.
Home Affairs Department’s Pilot Scheme on Joint Property Management (Pilot Scheme)
The Chief Executive announced in the 2024 Policy Address that a pilot scheme would be launched in selected districts in 2025. Taking into consideration the number and distribution of older single-block private buildings in the districts, the Home Affairs Department will implement a one-year pilot scheme starting from 1 June 2025 in Yau Tsim Mong, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon City, and Tsuen Wan. The relevant District Offices have commissioned non-governmental organizations (NGOs) with experience in building management and with extensive local networks, to assist with the implementation of the pilot scheme. The appointed NGOs will proactively contact incorporated owners or owners of target buildings in the districts to facilitate the hiring of property management companies for joint property management. For more details, please refer to the Home Affairs Department’s webpage or contact its District Building Management Liaison Teams.
