Renting As A Single Woman in Hong Kong

Living in Hong Kong is overall a very pleasurable experience. Whether you are here for a contracted period of time, or you’ve decided to make the Pearl of the Orient your permanent home for the foreseeable future, Hong Kong has so much to offer new and existing residents for work, recreation, travel and ease of life. Getting around is a breeze with one of the world’s best and prompt MTR services connecting the north, east, west and south, regular bus/minibusses, trams in the Central districts and an abundance of taxis and Uber drivers on hand.

Regarding rent, there is a bigger emphasis on safety and comfortability for single women. But do not fret; there are many options to consider regarding which areas are best suited to your needs. Hong Kong is considered one of the safest cities in the world to live in, alongside Japan, Singapore, Dubai and a handful of others. Crime rates are very low, especially on Hong Kong Island, where it is still safe for women to walk alone at night without fear of sexual assault or mugging.

Where to Live - Best Suburbs for Single women

Property estate agents note that there are a number of more popular areas to rent apartments, especially amongst the expat community. Areas such as the Mid Levels, Soho, Sheung Wan, Sai Ying Pun, Wanchai and Kennedy Town are extremely popular amongst the single professionals and young couples, who want to make the most of this great city, enjoying the bars, restaurants and full-on entertainment that is always no more than a quick walk or short cab ride away.

Single women generally look for good security at their residence, concierge service for dry cleaning and errands, easy access to a gym and supermarkets, shopping, medical, dental, nail bars and hairdressers. For these things, the best areas to live no doubt are Central, Soho and the Mid Levels. These suburbs offer everything within a close proximity. If work is in Central there is the Mid Levels escalator to take you to and from work, or if your workplace is further afield, you have connections to everywhere from the districts.

The Apartments - What to Expect

The residential properties in these areas cater to the expat community with modern to ultra-luxury apartments, sizes ranging from studios to 3 and 4 bedrooms. The studios and 1-bedroom apartments are very popular and there is always an excellent supply on the market of clean, open plan dwellings with balconies, views, adequate kitchens with the latest appliances, furnished or unfurnished to make your stay perfect. We all accept that as space is limited and that the rents compared to most countries are relatively high due to demand and land prices, it’s best to look at Hong Kong apartments with a fresh approach, not to compare with luxury homes we can get back home.

These modern buildings such as Soho 39, CentreStage, The Wellesley and Azzio all offer 24-hour security on-site, concierge reception areas, incredible shared spaces with swimming pools, gardens, BBQ pits and fitness gyms. Most have private clubhouse facilities for residents with libraries, entertaining areas, billiards and so on. All are very conveniently located to give you the best facilities and amenities for a carefree life, so that you have more time to be out and enjoy yourself in this exciting and vibrant city.

Why This Area Is So Good for Singles

Soho’s Elgin, Peel and Staunton streets are filled most nights with diners at the many and varied restaurants in the neighbourhood and the bars are full of after-work and happy hour participants. All of these are within a 5 to 10 minutes’ walk and are accessible from the escalators and the many shortcut lanes and alleyways. During the daytime and the weekends, there are an abundance of brunch and set menu lunch eating establishments, and sports bars are showing LIVE sports games and car racing from around the world.

The supermarkets in the areas are well stocked and cater to western consumers' tastes, where you will be able to find most things “from home''. Some carry brands such as Tesco and Waitrose with a large representation of Australian products as well. There are plenty of wine shops about, and smaller boutique fashion stores, not forgetting you are a short hop to Central with all the luxury fashion houses and department stores.

The escalator will take you towards the IFC Centre which houses the “downtown check-in facility” and the Airport Express which is a godsend for flights in and out of Hong Kong. The IFC Shopping Mall also houses many luxury brands stand-alone stores and Lane Crawford department store plus sportswear, jewelry, fast fashion, sunglasses and cosmetic shops. You will also find many of the food chain outlets here and the famous City Super supermarket. Restaurants with outdoor terraces and panoramic views out over Victoria Harbour are perfect for after-work meet-ups before you hop back on the escalator towards home.