A total of 5,499 flats at Fu Shin Estate in Tai Po will be offered for sale under the last phase of Housing Authority's Tenants Purchase Scheme from October 31.

Tenants at the estate wishing to purchase their rented flats can submit their Letter of Offer from November 3. Copies of sales brochures and related documents will be available at the scheme's enquiry and application team office at the estate from October 31.

Deputy Director of Housing (Allocation & Commercial) Fung Ho-tong today reminded those wishing to join the scheme that owners are responsible for maintaining both their own flats and the common areas and facilities of their housing estates. 

Owners under the scheme will be able to exercise their rights to manage the estate by forming owners' corporation and capitalise upon a maintenance fund injected by the Housing Authority to carry out major maintenance works in their estates, he said.

The authority has undertaken to contribute to the maintenance fund an amount equivalent to $14,000 for each residential unit, calculated to be adequate to cover major maintenance expenses for common facilities for 10 years after sale.

Seven-year structural guarantee

There are provisions under the Deed of Mutual Covenant regulating the use of the fund and setting out the major maintenance works, such as structural repairs, repairs and replacement of building services and repairs of slopes and retaining walls.

Mr Fung stressed all buildings in the estates offered for sale are in good condition as the authority has carried out all necessary pre-sale maintenance works on all estates for sale. It also undertakes to provide a structural guarantee for seven years.

A total of 23,290 units in five public housing estates will be offered for sale in stages to existing tenants under the current phase of the scheme launched in August. Vacant flats will be offered upon launch to tenants of the same estate in a one-off restricted sale exercise.

Another 15,000 flats in the pipeline

Under the current phase, sale of the 1,898 flats at Nam Cheong Estate in Sham Shui Po was launched in late August.

The remaining three estates - Cheung Fat Estate (2,478 flats) in Tsing Yi, Long Ping Estate (8,483 flats) in Yuen Long and Tsui Lam Estate (4,932 flats) in Tseung Kwan O  - will be put up for sale in the next few months once the necessary repair works are completed.

Since launching the scheme in January 1998, over 100,000 tenants have become owners.