Village Houses in the New Territories
Small House Matters
The New Territories Small House Policy is a policy approved by the Executive Council in November 1972 and has been implemented since December 1972. It is formulated to allow an indigenous villager to apply for permission to erect, for once in his lifetime, a small house on a suitable site within his own village.
Village House Rebuilding
In general, the land owner of the Village Houses in the New Territories is required to obtain the approval from the Lands Department before carrying out the rebuilding works. Lands Department will usually make reference to the relevant lease conditions and requirements set out in the Buildings Ordinance (Application to the New Territories) Ordinance (Cap. 121) to determine the location, built-over area, number of storeys and height of the village house to be rebuilt.
Application Forms
| Form | Form Title | Details | Download |
|---|---|---|---|
| CE/1 to CE/5 | Application Form for Certificates of Exemption in respect of Building, Site Formation & Drainage Works |  |
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| C/PVS | Safety Certificate for Photovoltaic System installed on Roof/ Roof of Stairhood of New Territories Exempted House (Starting from 2 April 2024, the C/PVS forms will be submitted electronically, replacing the paper-based submissions. All Authorized Persons must submit the forms through the online platform.) |
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| VISD-01 | Application for Rebuilding a Village House in the New Territories | |
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| VISD-02 | Composite Application Form to build a Small House in the New Territories | |
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Publications
- The New Territories Small House Policy - How To Apply For a Small House Grant
- List of Recognized Villages under the New Territories Small House Policy
Text version of List of Recognized Villages under the New Territories Small House Policy - New Territories Exempted Houses A Guide to Fire Safety Requirements
- Information Notes on the Procedures for Handling Objections to Small House Applications by the Lands Department and its District Lands Offices
- Building New Territories Exempted Houses
- Proper Operation of Septic Tank Systems
Relevant Releases
- Response to whether selling rights to build small houses involves criminal offences
(Date of Issue : 7 December 2015) - Development Bureau responds to judgment on judicial review of Small House Policy
(Date of Issue : 8 April 2019) - Development Bureau follows up on Orders of the Court in relation to judicial review of Small House Policy
(Date of Issue : 6 May 2019) - Government appeals against judgment on judicial review of Small House Policy
(Date of Issue : 9 July 2019) - Development Bureau responds to judgment of Court of Appeal on judicial review of Small House Policy
(Date of Issue : 13 January 2021) - Government welcomes CFA judgment on Small House Policy
(Date of Issue : 5 November 2021)
Links
- Emergency Vehicular Access (New Territories Exempted Houses) provided under "New Territories Exempted Houses - A Guide to Fire Safety Requirements" implemented since July 2006
- Environmental Protection Department - Guidance Notes on Discharges from Village Houses
- Contact Information of District Lands Offices
- GeoInfo Map
