The government said on Tuesday it would reward property management companies for reporting suspected abuse of public housing.

Permanent Secretary for Housing Rosanna Law said property management staff who patrol buildings may find cases of tenants misusing public housing flats.

She said they had been encouraged to report such cases, adding that if their tip-offs eventually helped the government take back the units, the companies would receive a higher score.

The senior housing official said the score would increase their chances of being awarded future property management contracts.

"We want to give more encouragement to the property management companies. We evaluate their performance on a monthly basis. If they do a good job, of course they will get more points, which will help their overall rating and increase their chances of getting the next contract for property management services from the Housing Department," she said.