Whether you’ve just touched down in Hong Kong or you’ve outgrown that 200 square foot studio – finding a unique (let alone spacious) apartment is no easy feat. Here’s where to search and who to contact to rent a flat in Hong Kong. Sure, that serviced apartment served you well for your first few months, but now you’re ready to commit to a lease to comfortably see out your time in Hong Kong. We’ve all been there, trawling through Facebook groups and hoping friends will pass on their sought-after Soho gem with the incredible terrace, and it’s safe to deduce that finding the perfect property can be tiresome – to say the least. Hoping to save you from hours of scrolling and viewings that reveal two bedrooms that should probably have just been one, we’ve put together a list of the best property agents and websites to contact should you be looking to rent a flat in Hong Kong. The best property agents to help you to rent a flat in Hong Kong: Habitat Property Specialists when it comes to unique and luxury homes in Hong Kong, you’ll find yourself scrolling daily through an array of beautiful apartments regardless of whether you’re actively looking to rent a flat in Hong Kong, or simply lusting after future abodes. “Passionate about property, design aesthetics and community,” founder Victoria Allan has a highly curated portfolio of dreamy apartments ranging from cutesy 15k per month studios to 300k per month villas sitting atop The Peak. 28hse A portal for prospective tenants, agents and direct landlords alike, 28hse features more local listings and real estate gems that aren’t necessarily listed by more well-known property agents. Featuring both flats to buy and rent in Hong, the site can be set to English (bar a few translational quirks), and easily navigated based on budgets, preferred locations and size of apartment. You can even filter by direct landlord listed properties. NEST Property Another drool-worthy property agency, NEST recently won the Asia Pacific Property award for 2020-2021 – and with good reason. Helping you to find your dream home in a simple search, rent a flat in Hong Kong (or abroad!) to suite your lifestyle. Whether it’s a bespoke beachfront apartment in Lantau, a beautifully renovated village home in Sai Kung, or a spacious new-build in the heart of Soho, the site is chock full of gorgeous imagery and easy to navigate features. It’s worth noting that property prices do start higher on NEST, with most listings going for over 30k per month – although there are a couple of lower priced apartments featured. Spacious A popular multi-agency property website for flat rentals in Hong Kong, you may have heard of Spacious for its ‘haunted house’ search filter that could help you to knock off a couple of bucks when negotiating – if you don’t mind a poltergeist or two. Featuring flats to rent and buy, as well as serviced apartments, co-living spaces and new developments, there are thousands of properties to browse through which can easily be enquired about at the touch of a button. The agent or landlord will reply via an in-site chat as to whether the apartment is still up for grabs. www.spacious.hk/en/hong-kong OKAY Property Recently made a founding member of Forbes Global Properties, OKAY is an award-winning property agency that promises to help “find your ideal home.” Having recently pushed out a mobile app for on-the-go searches, its consultants are on hand to help curate a list of prospective homes and arrange a viewing schedule for you, so that you won’t need to put aside several days (or even weeks) dedicated to viewings. If you already follow Associate Team Leader & Senior Manager, Jade Pamuk, (AKA @okay.comjayde) on Instagram, you’ll be well acquainted with the calibre of rentals up for grabs. Squarefoot Another well-known multi-agency property website for flat-seekers, Squarefoot has hundreds, if not thousands of listings to make your way through. Although its search functions aren’t quite as comprehensive as some of its competitors, its VR Virtual Tour tool has recently launched, enabling prospective tenants to tour a home online before setting up a viewing. There are also plenty of property and lifestyle guides to sift through that offer current advice on popular neighbourhoods and interior design trends. Engel & Völkers With property agencies positioned across the globe, Engel & Völkers is well sought-after for its expertise and professionalism. Whether you’re in the market to buy, sell or rent a flat in Hong Kong (and beyond), you’re sure to find something in its extensive property portfolio that catches your eye. An unlimited budget will see you snapping up a multi-million dollar mansion in Mid-Levels, however those with a slightly more modest monthly intake will still be able to find a covetable home for your time in Hong Kong that ticks all of the boxes. PROWAY This full service real estate company specialises in settling expats into the Hong Kong property market. Its clean, easy-to-navigate website features a variety of unique properties valued from 20k to over 150k per month – many with outdoor assets like a rooftop and terrace, a popular search for prospective tenants. Offering relocation services as well as on-the-ground help, PROWAY has a VR Tour function available to a large portion of its properties that makes online viewings a cinch, especially amidst the pandemic. asiaXPAT & geo expat Known for its extensive classifieds that feature a huge selection of second-hand goods to help you furnish your new abode with, both asiaXPAT and geo expat also have a property section that feature rentals listed by both agents and by direct owners – often saving you on high agency fees. Although you may have seen a few listings from agents on various other property platforms, often direct owners will list here exclusively, meaning that you could come across a real gem. Looking for a short-let? This could be your best bet as you’ll be connected directly to the landlord themselves. With Hong Kong being such a transient city, there is even a section to feature or snap up a ‘break leases’, which could see you initially taking over a lease for a great apartment, and then renegotiating a new contract with the landlord come the end of the current contract. www.hongkong.asiaxpat.com/property ; www.geoexpat.com/classifieds/apartments Featured and hero image courtesy of Théo Dorp via Unsplash
