If you are planning to rent a flat off campus, finding the right place can be exciting – but watch out for scams! Scammers often use the following tactics:

🔍 Common scam tactics:

  • Someone pretends to be a landlord and shows a “stamp duty certificate” (打厘印) to gain your trust.
  • After you rent the flat, the scammer (posing as the landlord) sublets it to you, collects one year’s rent in advance, and then disappears.

⚠️ Important reminder:
A “stamp duty certificate” only proves that the stamp duty has been paid. It does NOT prove that the tenancy agreement is genuine or that the person you are dealing with is the real landlord.

🏠 How to protect yourself:

  • Choose licensed estate agents.
  • Visit the flat in person before renting. Never rely solely on online information.
  • Search the Land Registry records (查冊).
  • Check the original tenancy agreement and the landlord’s Hong Kong Identity Card.
  • Do not rush into transferring money or signing any contract.
  • Make reference to housing options on the CEDARS housing webpage: https://housing.cedars.hku.hk/

To reduce rental scams, you are encouraged to explore HKU CEDARS Private Student Living Collaboration and Referral Scheme, which provides structured and transparent private housing options—helping you make safer, more informed accommodation choices.

You can also refer to the “Tenancy Guide” and “Notes on Appointing Estate Agents” published by The Estates Agents Authority for helpful tips on renting a residential place. Check the license list on their website to verify the validity of a license.

For further advice on tenancy matters, please email CEDARS at cedars.housing@hku.hk.

If you are unsure or need support, please reach out to the following hotlines:

  • Police Anti-Scam Helpline: 18222
  • CEDARS WhatsApp: 8400 1334 / Call: 3917 2305
  • Caritas Family Service Crisis Line: 18288 (24-hour professional social worker support for crisis or trauma)
  • Caritas Financial Distress Counselling Hotline: 3161 0102 (24-hour registered social worker support)

 

如果你正計劃在校外租屋，找到合適的落腳點固然令人興奮，但請務必提防詐騙！騙徒常用以下手法行騙：

🔍 常見詐騙手法：

  • 有人假扮房東，向你展示「打厘印證明」（印花稅證明）以取得你的信任。
  • 在你租下單位後，該騙徒（假裝是房東）將單位分租給你，一次性收取一年租金，然後消失無蹤。

⚠️ 重要提醒：
「打厘印證明」只代表已繳付印花稅，不能證明租約是真實有效的，也不能證明與你交易的人是真正的房東。

🏠 租房小貼士：

  • 選擇持牌、信譽良好的地產代理。
  • 租房前務必親身實地看房，切勿只依賴網上信息。
  • 查閱土地註冊處的記錄（查冊）。
  • 核對正本租約以及房東的香港身份證。
  • 切勿急於轉賬或簽署任何合約。
  • 參考CEDARS網頁上提供的住宿選項：https://housing.cedars.hku.hk/

為減少租房詐騙，建議參考 HKU CEDARS 私營學生住宿合作及轉介計劃，該計劃提供具系統性及透明度的私人住宿選項，協助你作出更安全、更明智的住宿選擇。

要了解更多有關租房的指南，請參閱香港地產代理監管局發佈的《租屋指南》和《委託地產代理須知》。亦可在他們的網站上查看持有許可證的房產中介名單，以確定相關中介是否持有有效許可證。

如需進一步了解租房事宜的建議，請發送郵件至 cedars.housing@hku.hk 與CEDARS聯繫。

如有懷疑或需要幫助，請聯絡以下：

  • 警方反詐騙熱線：18222
  • CEDARS WhatsApp：8400 1334／電話：3917 2305
  • 向晴熱線：18288（24小時專業社工危機支援熱線，為面對危機或創傷的人士提供即時情緒輔導）
  • 財困壓力輔導熱綫：3161 0102 （24小時註冊社工支援熱綫）