Renting in Macau compared to Hong Kong

[pb1234]

Hi

I'm familiar with the dynamics, considerations, and trials and tribulations of renting in Hong Kong, but wanted to understand how Macau was compared to HK. I have some friends immigrating to Macau soon and wanted to help them find somewhere.

In particular, ​compared to Hong Kong, what's different / same / worse / better with regards to:-

• Property availability
• Accuracy / usefulness of online listings (i.e. HK pointless - same for Macau?)
• Lead time to find somewhere decent (I normally assume really 1 month in HK to get a decent chance to get to know the agents, get a good selection, sort out paperwork etc)
• Typical rental periods (is it like HK where its usually 12months + 2 months notice?)

If anyone who has had experience and / or a view on both HK and Macau and can compare and contrast, that would be really useful.

[Mr Me]

I knew one person who did it and he travelled to HK each day and loved it. But for me personally now way I would do it. Much better would be Park Island or DB as its a way cheaper and shorter commute.

[chingleutsch]

If it's not too late to help,
then - property availability: big oversupply of high end properties in Macau (following closure of an investment visa class), but more competition there than here for lower end places. Not that lots of developments have been thrown together in double-quick time, and building standards are noticeably LOWER than Hong Kong.

Online listings? For Macau? Useful? (Sorry, I can't find the ROFLOL icon).

For availability, because of the huge number of, and societal acceptance of, shonky construction in Macau, I would rely much more on personal recommendations and guanxi than on agents.

It's changing as the city grows, but there are still a lot of "gentleman's handshake" leases in Macau, nothing written on paper, and with terms fluid according to circumstances. And even a written lease is not normally worth the paper it is written on owing to the extremely convoluted (and corrupt) legal system.

(P.S. I loved my 5 years there; it's just a matter of getting used to living in an "Alice Through the Looking Glass" world)

[imparanoic]

does the ferry cost to macau at HK$140 each trip?

[wtbhotia]

Macau property,Macau real estate,Macau condos,business center,ZhuHai apartment-vProperty.com

[Mat]

does the ferry cost to macau at HK$140 each trip?

Depends which company, day and time of the day:

Details here:

Cotai Water Jet | Ferry Service between Hong Kong and Macau

and here:

TurboJET

[Mat]

Property availability - PLENTY

Accuracy / usefulness of online listings (i.e. HK pointless - same for Macau?) - POOR (easier to go there direclty)

Lead time to find somewhere decent (I normally assume really 1 month in HK to get a decent chance to get to know the agents, get a good selection, sort out paperwork etc) - SAME

Typical rental periods (is it like HK where its usually 12months + 2 months notice?) - NOT Really unless it has changed since I moved out.

[wtbhotia]

Know your right as a tenant if you are renting | Delta Bridges

another good info website, know your rights as a tenant in Macau.

[chingleutsch]

Commute by ferry? How plebeian! While working there, two of my students' fathers made the daily commute by helicopter - of course, in those days, the fare was *only* $1800 one way.

[Paxbritannia]

Commute by ferry? How plebeian! While working there, two of my students' fathers made the daily commute by helicopter - of course, in those days, the fare was *only* $1800 one way.

I was about to ask how much taking the helicopter would be!