A Housing Authority scheme to hire private firms for maintenance, cleaning and security has failed to deliver significant savings or better service, an internal review had found.
The review said there were several reports of flat repairs having been delayed due to a lack of technical staff at private property firms.
The scheme was launched three years ago to reduce bureaucracy and costs, with the aim of the authority eventually shifting responsibility for managing all estates to private firms.
The review compared the services of private firms at five rental estates with those at blocks managed by the Housing Department.
Tenants at privately managed estates rated management quality at 3.6 on a scale of one to five. Government-managed estates scored 3.7.
The review attributed the dissatisfaction partly to wastage in private firms and a lack of expertise in structural and maintenance work, which prevented them responding to complaints quickly.
