Ning Hanhao: 1,800 short-term rental official lands have accumulated leases for over ten years, with the longest lease term of 60 years

The Director of the Development Bureau, Ning Hanhao, responded in writing to questions from Legislative Council members, stating that according to statistics maintained by the Lands Department, there are approximately 1,800 leases with a cumulative term of over 10 years through direct leasing. Among them, the longest lease term for renewal is 60 years, granted for use as a staff canteen for bus employees, in line with the operations of the nearby Tsim Sha Tsui Bus Terminus.

She indicated that the Lands Department is responsible for granting and managing short-term leases, with fixed lease terms generally ranging from one to five years, and not exceeding seven years. Upon the expiration of the fixed lease term, it is usually re-tendered for another fixed lease term or renewed based on circumstances. Among the leases with a cumulative term of over 10 years through direct leasing, about 1,550 belong to several major situations, including short-term leases granted for businesses that need to be relocated due to public works; leases converted from earlier government land licenses; and some business land for public utilities or exclusive rights.

She further stated that if the fixed lease term of a short-term lease expires and the land is not needed for long-term development in the following years, the Lands Department generally re-tenders to provide equal bidding opportunities for other interested operators in the market, maintaining healthy competition. However, leases directly granted that are related to economic activities, supported by policies, or based on special historical factors can be renewed quarterly after the expiration of the fixed lease term