Hong Kong’s Ombudsman will launch a direct investigation into the workflow for recovering public rental housing (PRH) flats, to help improve the housing authorities’ work efficiency and ensure a timely reallocation for families in need.

The investigation will look into the arrangements for refurbishing flats and procedures for tenants to appeal against the notice-to-quit, the Office of The Ombudsman said in a statement on Thursday.

It will also examine the approaches to handling personal items left by outgoing tenants after the PRH flats are reclaimed, said Ombudsman Jack Chan Jick-chi.

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“If PRH flats are recovered and refurbished in a timely manner for reallocation to the families on the PRH waiting list as soon as possible, it would not only shorten their waiting time but also enhance their sense of happiness and contentment,” he said.

The Hong Kong Housing Authority and the Hong Kong Housing Society recover hundreds of PRH flats every year for various reasons, including tenants passing away, moving into residential care homes purchasing subsidized sale flats, or breaching the tenancy agreement.

The retrieved units are redistributed later to new tenants following refurbishment, which should take no more than 44 days as per the Housing Authority’s key performance indicator.

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The refurbishment processes however occasionally take more than 100 days to complete, with one instance lasting up to 197 days, the statement pointed out, saying that will “directly affect” families on the waiting list.

If the tenants appeal the authorities' decision to recover the PRH flat, the process will be temporarily suspended. As the number of appeals has increased following the authorities’ recent efforts to curb tenancy abuse, the office said it is “concerned about whether there is room to expedite and improve the workflow of and procedures for appeals”.

The office will also examine methods for handling tenants’ items, as it has received complaints from time to time alleging failure by the authorities to properly dispose of items left in PRH flats by outgoing tenants.

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In July, the Housing Authorities reported that four tenants were fined and sentenced to 14 days in prison for failing to declare their domestic property ownership or having household net assets exceeding 100 times the PRH Income Limits while applying for Home Ownership Scheme flats.

Around 19,700 flats, or more than 83 percent, of the 23,600 allocated in 2023-24 were recovered flats, official figures showed.