The most common mistake people make renting in Hong Kong for the first time is buying too much.
Rooms here are not large. Appliances you buy often won’t fit, can’t be returned, and have to be dealt with again when you leave. So before you move in, work out what the room already has.
Already in the room
All four CityHome layouts — Classic Single A, Classic Single B, the Twin Room and the Studio Office — come with the following. You don’t need to buy any of it:
- A private bathroom — your own, not shared, and nothing to queue for
- A washing machine, inside the room rather than in a communal laundry
- A fridge
- Air conditioning
- A desk and chair
- A wardrobe and storage
That first pair deserves a note. A private bathroom and an in-room washing machine are not the norm at this price in Hong Kong. Plenty of co-living buildings share both, which means queueing and planning around other people. If you’re comparing options, put that line in the comparison.
Worth bringing yourself
No universal answer here, but these come up often:
- A plug adapter. Hong Kong uses the British three-pin socket (BS 1363). Anything from the mainland, Taiwan, Japan or the US will need one.
- Any medication you rely on — not because you can’t buy it here, but because finding the right pharmacy takes a while when you’ve just arrived.
- Indoor slippers.
- An extension lead. Sockets are rarely exactly where you want to work.
- Your own lamp. A warm desk or bedside light is the quickest way to make a room feel like yours.
Check on the day
Some things depend on the contract. Don’t pack based on a guess:
- Whether bedding, pillows and a duvet are provided
- Cooking arrangements and kitchenware
- How internet is set up and billed
- How utilities are billed
Ask us directly when you view, or read the FAQ first. Don’t buy from what someone said online — arrangements differ between buildings and between layouts.
One suggestion
Pack light. Kai Tak is well served, and the village has a 680-metre culture, sport and arts street — buying what you’re missing later is far easier than hauling it across a border.
What’s actually worth bringing from home usually isn’t an appliance. It’s the small things that make a room read as yours: photographs, books, a piece of fabric you like. The pegboard wall in the room exists precisely so you can hang them.
When you book a viewing, bring a written list of what you want to confirm and ask it all in one go.