Hong Kong home rents flirt with record, set to keep rising next year, agents say
With an influx of overseas talent and non-local university students, rents are set to increase by around 6 per cent in 2026, analyst says
Hong Kong’s residential rental market has improved for eight consecutive months, with rents reaching a record high amid sustained local and overseas demand as analysts predict the gains will continue into 2026.
Home rents in the city have increased 2.95 per cent this year, according to Benny Sham, an analyst at Midland Realty.
“The rental index stands at a historical high since tracking began, and we expect the figure to increase further, as the drivers for leasing momentum will remain robust,” he said.
At the end of September, residential rents had grown 14.9 per cent from 2023, Sham said, citing Midland’s data. Meanwhile, property prices fell 12.7 per cent over the past two years before recovering 2.2 per cent this year as of October 12, he added.
Analysts attributed the rental boom to sustained demand arising from the government’s talent-import scheme and its efforts to boost the non-local student population at universities.
Nearly three years after the launch of the Top Talent Pass Scheme, more than 220,000 successful applicants had arrived with their families, according to government figures.