II. After signing a Tenancy Agreement (or a Lease), how
should the parties handle the document?
   
A tenancy document is usually executed in counterparts, both of which
are forwarded to the Stamp Office of the Inland Revenue Department
for stamping within 30 days after the date of execution.
If the tenancy document is a Lease, then it should also be registered at the Land Registry
within 30 days of the date of execution, otherwise it will lose priority under
the Land Registration Ordinance (Cap.128 of the Laws of Hong Kong). For more
information on the registration of tenancy documents, please go to "Some tenancy documents
have to be registered at the Land Registry but some do not. Why?"
The landlord of a domestic property should also submit a Notice of New Letting or Renewal Agreement (Form CR109)
to the Commissioner of Rating and Valuation for endorsement within 1 month
of the execution of the tenancy document. A
landlord is not entitled to maintain a legal action to recover rent under
a tenancy document (in case the tenant
fails to pay rent) if the Commissioner does not endorse the Form CR109. However, a landlord who does not submit the form within the one month period
may later do so after paying a fee of $310.
- How is stamp duty calculated on a tenancy document?
- What are the consequences of failing to stamp a tenancy document?
- Some tenancy documents must be registered with the Land Registry but some do not. Why?
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