Landlords cut rents on Hong Kong luxury homes as demand weakens

Demand for luxury rental homes is weakening, forcing landlords to cut rents and offer more incentives to secure tenants, many of whom are also faced with reduced housing budgets from their employers.

The trend is in marked contrast to the rest of the residential sector, where landlords are experiencing no difficulty finding or retaining tenants, and where rents are on the rise.

Rents for luxury apartments offered for lease in Island South and on The Peak have been hit the hardest as a result of fewer expatriates arriving and an increase in the stock available.

Anne-Marie Sage, head of residential leasing and relocation services for Hong Kong at property consultancy Jones Lang LaSalle, said overall luxury residential rents dropped by 3.3 per cent last year, with the South Side and The Peak recording sharper falls of up to 7 per cent.

"This is in line with the rental brackets of HK$100,000-plus per month, which have been most affected. The very-high-end sector offered at HK$300,000-plus is really feeling the decline, with stocks remaining vacant for several months if landlords are not willing to lower the rentals," she said.

The main reason for the fall, she said, was a drop in the number of expatriate families coming to Hong Kong - particularly from the financial services sector. "The drop in relocations, coupled with more high-end luxury stock entering the market due to the stagnant sales market, is the reason for the downturn."