Convenient service: Rent collection points will be extended to 7-Eleven stores from March 19.

About 680,000 public rental housing households can use the Housing Department's electronic payment cards to pay their monthly rent at 7-Eleven stores operating round-the-clock at over 700 locations throughout the territory from March 19.

The rent-collection network will be expanded to cover Customer Service Centres at 50 Mass Transit Railway stations from May 24, Assistant Director of Housing (Estate Management) Lee Cert-quinn said.

However, rent-collection service will not be available at the 7-Eleven store at the Kowloon Canton Railway Station in Sheung Shui and at the MTR's Airport Express stations and Disneyland Resort Station.

As it takes about three working days to process rent payments made through these channels, tenants should complete the transaction at least three working days before the end of the month, Mr Lee said.

Rent payments can still be made at estate-management offices from Mondays to Fridays or through autopay, payment-by-phone and web service, automatic teller machines, phone banking and internet banking services.

Meanwhile, a pilot auto-dialing rent reminder service is being introduced in 28 public rental housing estates between March and May this year. A gentle reminder for overdue payment in the form of short message service or recorded message will be sent to the tenant's mobile or residential phone once the rent is in arrears

For enquiries, call the department at 2712 0660.