Hong Kong – Leasing plans revealed for public market stalls in August

The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) revealed today (July 30) that open auctions for an overall of 474 stalls in 43 public markets will be kept in August. Market stalls not taken at open auctions will be readily available to the general public for leasing at their upset costs on August 22 on a first-come, first-served basis.

(1) Open auctions

The kinds of stalls to be auctioned this time cover prepared food, frozen meat, fresh meat, fresh fish, frozen (cooled) poultry, fruits, veggies, ready-to-eat food, food-related dry products and damp items, non-food associated dry products and damp products, service trades, siu mei and lo mei, and so on. The occupancy contract is a three-year set term from September 1, without any right of renewal upon expiration of the occupancy contract. The upset rates of the month-to-month lease of the stalls differ depending upon the sizes, places and job durations of the specific stalls. The upset rates for the stalls in an open auction will be at first repaired at 80 percent of the free market lease (OMR) if the stalls have actually been uninhabited for over 6 months, and at 60 percent of the OMR if the uninhabited duration has actually been over 8 months. Pertinent details is offered on the FEHD site.

The date of the auctions and the variety of stalls are as follows:

New Territories (1)
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Auction date: August 8 (Friday) (am)
Variety of stalls: 73

New Territories (2)
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Auction date: August 11 (Monday) (am)
Variety of stalls: 84

Hong Kong Island and Islands District (1)
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Auction date: August 12 (Tuesday) (pm)
Variety of stalls: 98

Hong Kong Island and Islands District (2)
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Auction date: August 13 (Wednesday) (am)
Variety of stalls: 88

Aberdeen Market
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Auction date: August 13 (Wednesday) (pm)
Variety of stalls: 10

Kowloon (1)
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Auction date: August 14 (Thursday) (am)
Variety of stalls: 59

Lai Wan Market
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Auction date: August 14 (Thursday) (pm)
Variety of stalls: 2

Kowloon (2)
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Auction date: August 15 (Friday) (am)
Variety of stalls: 39

Kowloon (3)
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Auction date: August 15 (Friday) (pm)
Variety of stalls: 21

The open auctions will be held at Room 410, 4/F, Food and Environmental Hygiene Department Nam Cheong Offices and Vehicle Depot, 87 Yen Chow Street West, Kowloon. Minimal seats are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. The admission tickets will be provided 30 minutes prior to the beginning of each auction. Individuals who wish to participate in the auctions need to wait at the waiting location of the auction place and produce their Hong Kong identity card or passport for registration. The signed up individual will then be supplied with an admission ticket for the auctions. In addition, qualified bidders after confirmation will be released with a bidding paddle for the auction. The FEHD has actually likewise welcomed agents of the Police and the Independent Commission Against Corruption to keep an eye on the auctions at the auction place in order to guarantee that the open auctions are performed in an organized and reasonable way.

(2) Renting at upset costs on first-come, first-served basis

The occupancy contract of market stalls leasing on a first-come, first-served basis is a three-year set term from October 1, without any right of renewal upon expiration of the occupancy arrangement. The upset costs of the regular monthly lease of the stalls differ depending upon their sizes, areas, job durations and the lowered upset costs from the last open auction of the specific stalls. Pertinent info is offered on the FEHD site after the open auction.

Members of the general public who have an interest in leasing a market stall at its upset rate ought to approach the following FEHD workplaces, as suitable, to use face to face from 9.30 am to 12.30 pm or 2.30 pm to 4.30 pm on August 22 (Friday):

A representative for the FEHD stated, “Bidders or applicants for the market stalls must be at least 18 years old and ordinarily reside in Hong Kong. To allow more people to bid for or select the stalls and increase customer choices by enhancing the diversity in terms of the variety of stalls, there will be a restriction on the number of stalls to be rented in the same market by a single tenant. Any person who is currently a stall tenant is not allowed to bid in the first round of auction for any stall in the same market, and will only be allowed to bid for one stall in the second round of auction or to select one stall in the same market on a first-come, first-served basis. The existing tenants under the new three-year fixed term tenancy scheme (i.e. those persons who became stall tenants through the market open auctions after August 2022) are allowed to bid for a stall in the auction or select a stall on a first-come, first-served basis in the same market, but shall vacate the current stall and return it to the FEHD before the effective date of commencement of the new tenancy agreement.”

Information of the open auctions and the general public market stalls worried (consisting of stalls for open auction at decreased upset costs) have actually been submitted to the FEHD site (www.fehd.gov.hk/english/pleasant_environment/tidy_market/open_auction_coming.html). Information on leasing public market stalls on a first-come, first-served basis will be submitted to the FEHD site after open auctions (www.fehd.gov.hk/english/pleasant_environment/tidy_market/FCFS/index.html). Interested bidders or candidates might check out the department site or get in touch with the particular District Environmental Hygiene Office.