About 90% of respondents in a Government consultation exercise favoured the removal of the security of tenure for private domestic tenancies in one go.

The result was based on 360 written submissions received during a two-month consultation that ended in mid-March. Some 2,000 interviews were also conducted during a subsequent telephone survey.

The Housing, Planning & Lands Bureau and the Rating & Valuation Department jointly organised a public forum to explain the proposals to members of the public and to gather their views.

Deputy Director for Housing Elaine Chung briefed legislators on the outcome of the consultation exercise today.

Ms Chung said about 90% of the submissions supported the relaxation of security of tenure provisions under the Landlord & Tenant (Consolidation) Ordinance, out of which about 70% preferred abolition of the provisions in one go.

"They generally did not consider it necessary to retain the security of tenure, given the ample supply of flats in the private rental market and the drastic decrease in rentals in recent years," Ms Chung said.

Nearly 75% of respondents considered that the statutory notice of termination for non-domestic tenancies should be abolished, Ms Chung said, adding that a major argument put forward in support of such abolition was that tenancy terms should be agreed between the landlord and the tenant, and a rigid notice requirement was not necessary.

About two-thirds of respondents believed that prospective tenants should provide personal information and those giving false information should have criminal liability.

Regarding the protection of sub-tenants, over 90% of respondents considered the existing provision adequate.

Results from the subsequent telephone survey also showed that about 63% of the respondents supported the relaxation of security of tenure.

The proposed amendments will be tabled at the Legislative Council in June and the details of the consultations and its results will be available for public viewing at the Housing, Planning & Lands Bureau web page.