A Guide for Renting Composite Buildings in Hong Kong

Ever since “Transformers4”, more and more tourists are flocking to Quarry Bay's Monster Building for their Insta shots. Did you know Hong Kong has nearly 2,000 of these composite buildings? Shocking, right? But not all are as huge or famous as the Monster Building in Quarry Bay. Let's start with what a composite building is and dive into Hong Kong's composite buildings, weighing their pros and cons for renting.

What's a Composite Building?

In Hong Kong, a composite building, as defined in the Building Ordinance, is essentially a “commercial and residential mixed-use building”. These were super popular in the 50s and 60s, growing with Hong Kong's light industry boom. Many later transformed into street-level shops selling clothes, traditional Chinese medicine, health foods, books, etc. Typically, these buildings have a commercial ground floor with residential units above.

The Evolution of Hong Kong Composite Buildings

Hong Kong's composite buildings are unique. Initially built based on the 1950s building codes, they maximized every bit of space. This led to huge building clusters and super crowded streets, affecting light and air flow. In the 60s, the government introduced new rules to control the size and shape of buildings. The new buildings, usually with commercial space below and residential units above, are taller and narrower. Although these new rules kicked in around 1966, it wasn't until the early 70s that this new building style became widespread. Today, you can still see these composite buildings around Hong Kong.

Quarry Bay's Monster Building

The Monster Building in Quarry Bay is a unique and famous tourist spot. It's made up of five interconnected old composite buildings: Oceanic Mansion, Fook Cheong Building, Montane Mansion, Yick Cheong Building, and Yick Fat Building. Lacking a unified name and due to its massive size, it's nicknamed 'Monster Building'. Construction began in 1964, halted due to the developer's financial issues, and finally completed in 1972. The building gained fame from its appearances in Hollywood blockbusters like 'Transformers 4' and 'Ghost in the Shell'. Its architectural features are unique – it's huge like a castle and has an incredibly high population density, with about 10,000 people living in 2,443 units, probably one of the most densely populated spots globally.

Besides the Monster Building, Hong Kong has other famous old composite buildings like the Chungking Mansions in Tsim Sha Tsui, Mei Wah Building in Wan Chai, and the Central Building, all key landmarks.

Hong Kong's Composite Building Rentals

In recent years, many of Hong Kong's old composite buildings have been renovated into modern residential or serviced apartments. For example, the Sung Fai Building in Kennedy Town, built in 1963, was transformed into a high-end apartment in 2014. Similarly, the former Beacon Hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui (built in 1961) was revamped into serviced apartments named The Camphora in 2015. Swire Properties also joined this trend, converting Wan Chai's Wing Ho Court and Wing Fung Building into boutique residences called “STAR STUDIOS”. The rents of these revamped buildings are comparable to new high-end apartments in the area, like those in Xi Hui, showing their high market value.

Pros and Cons of Composite Building Units

From the above, we see there are two types of composite buildings: unrenovated old ones, like the crowded Monster Building, and renovated old ones, with rents similar to new buildings, like STAR STUDIOS. When considering renting in Hong Kong's composite buildings, weigh their pros and cons:

Pros:

• Prime Location: Usually in the city center or easily accessible areas, convenient for tenants.
• Multi-functionality: The mixed-use design suits self-employed or small business owners.
• Modern Amenities in Renovated Buildings: Renovated ones might offer modern facilities like updated kitchens or bathrooms.

Cons:

• High Rent: Especially for renovated buildings, rents can be as high as new developments, challenging for those on a budget.
• Crowded Living Conditions: Older buildings might have poor ventilation, lighting, and sanitary conditions.
• Maintenance Issues: Older buildings might need more upkeep and face facility aging or malfunction issues.
• Noise and Privacy Issues: Due to commercial activities, there might be noise disruptions and mixed living-working spaces can affect privacy.

When choosing a composite building unit in Hong Kong, consider your needs and budget and closely look at the specific conditions and location of the unit. For those seeking convenience and flexible living-working spaces, composite buildings could be a great choice. But if you're after a more spacious and quiet environment, you might want to explore other options.

LetsGetHome: Your Best Partner for Composite Building Rentals

LetsGetHome is an online platform focused on Hong Kong's rental market, offering a convenient and flexible renting experience, especially for composite building rentals.

• Flexible Rental Options: LetsGetHome provides flexible plans for both owners and tenants.
• Efficient Online Listing: Easy online listing of properties, saving on agent fees.
• VR Viewing: Check out properties through VR technology at home.
• Full Rental Support: Assistance through rent negotiation, contract signing, and the rental process.
• Multilingual Services: English, Mandarin, and Cantonese services for Hong Kong's diverse rental market.

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