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Hong Kong home prices climb to 30‑month high as rents hit fresh record

An 11‑month rally has pushed Hong Kong home values to their highest level in over two years, while tight supply and inflows of new residents drive rents to new peaks

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Hong Kong home prices have risen for an 11th straight month to their highest level in two and a half years, while residential rents set another record, underscoring a broad recovery in the city’s housing market despite lingering economic headwinds.

The government’s official private home price index climbed 0.9 per cent in April from March, reaching its highest reading in about 30 months, according to preliminary data from the Rating and Valuation Department. On a year‑on‑year basis, prices were up about 10.5 per cent, extending a rebound that began in mid‑2025 after a prolonged slide.

Analysts quoted in local media said the uptrend reflects improved sentiment after successive interest rate cuts, a stronger stock market and the relaxation of property‑cooling measures, which have drawn more end‑users and investors back into the market. Smaller units and mass‑market estates have seen particularly brisk activity as buyers look to enter before prices climb further, they added.

Rents have been even more buoyant. The city’s private residential rental index set a new all‑time high in April, beating the record set only a month earlier. 

[See more: Hong Kong dethrones Switzerland as world’s top hub for cross‑border wealth]

Leasing costs have been pushed up by a steady inflow of mainland professionals and students under various talent‑attraction schemes, as well as residents delaying purchases while they assess the pace of rate cuts and price gains.

Property agents cited by broadcasters said demand is strong across urban Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, with some districts now surpassing pre‑2019 rent levels. One analyst estimated that rents could still rise around 5 to 6 per cent this year, given tight vacancy rates and limited new supply.

Despite the rebound, home prices remain below their 2021 peak, and some economists warn that higher borrowing costs than in the previous cycle and global uncertainties could cap further gains. For now, however, the data point to a market that has clearly emerged from its trough, with both buyers and tenants facing a steadily more expensive landscape.

The strength of the recovery is likely to feed into debate over whether any additional property curbs or targeted support measures are needed, particularly for first‑time buyers and lower‑income households most exposed to rising rents.