Village House Risk Audit

Findings

• Ding right already executed

  The Small House grant has been used for this lot. Resale is permitted subject to Lands Department premium if within the 5-year restriction period.

• Block Crown Lease

  Standard NT title format; check for restrictions on the schedule.

• OZP zone: Village (V)

  Within the village envelope — Small House development is presumed permitted.

• Vehicular access

  Drivable access confirmed.

• Right of way documented

  Right of way is registered / granted.

• Mains water connected

  WSD supply confirmed.

• Septic vs mains sewage

  Septic tanks require periodic desludging and EPD-compliant soakaways. Future Village Sewerage Programme connection charges possible.

• Mains electricity

  Grid power confirmed.

• Building Licence on file

  Lands Department Building Licence on record.

• Certificate of Compliance issued

  CC issued by DLO.

• No UBW recorded

  Buildings Department records clean.

• Within 3-storey limit

  Conforms to Small House Policy envelope.

• No registered slope nearby

  Outside CSR 50m buffer.

• Outside flood-prone zone

  Not in a published DSD flood-prone area.

Frequently asked

What is a 'ding house' (丁屋)?

A New Territories Small House — a 3-storey (≤8.23m, ≤65.03m² per floor) dwelling that an indigenous male villager descended from a recognised village in 1898 may apply to build under the 1972 Small House Policy. The right itself is non-transferable; the completed house, once a Certificate of Compliance is issued, can usually be sold subject to Lands Department restrictions.

Why do banks refuse some village houses?

The most common refusals are: no Building Licence on file (the structure is unauthorised), major Unauthorised Building Works such as an added storey or rooftop room, undocumented right of way over neighbouring land, or Tso/Tong ancestral ownership which needs Secretary for Home Affairs consent to mortgage.

Does the OZP zone really matter?

Yes. Inside a Village (V) zone, Small House development is presumed permitted. In Agriculture you need a Section 16 planning application. In Green Belt, applications are routinely refused and existing UBWs face enforcement. Always pull the current OZP from the Town Planning Board.

What does the score mean?

It is a heuristic 0–100 risk indicator built from documented Hong Kong Small House Policy, Lands Department, Buildings Department and DSD criteria. It is not legal or surveying advice. Any RED finding warrants a licensed solicitor and a registered surveyor before deposit.