A landlord is still leasing out illegally subdivided flats at an industrial building in Tai Kok Tsui, little more than a week before the premises are due to be closed down and the cubicles demolished by order of the government.
Number 78-78A Larch Street was issued with a closure notice on December 29, with the Buildings Department sticking up notices inside to notify tenants. But while most residents are worrying about where to go, new tenants have been streaming in - even though all the illegal walls and floors inside are slated to be demolished on March 7.
At least three new tenants moved in last week, and none of them knew the building was to close, tenants and social workers told the South China Morning Post. One only stayed a day, after receiving a full refund from the landlord. The Post also found an advertisement for the flats in Friday's Oriental Daily at rents of HK$960 to HK$1,600 a month, with the landlord's contact numbers on it.
'I saw the landlord taking a few potential tenants up here to see the place a few days ago,' tenant Jacky Lee said when the Post visited the premises.
Lee herself moved in on January 8 with her boyfriend, Bosco Ng. She did not know about the government order and found out from Buildings Department social workers a few days after she moved in. 'I called up the landlord and his wife said she forgot to tell me when she took me up to see the place. These people are heartless. They just trick people so they can make more money,' Lee said.
Raymond Ng, who moved in at the end of January, said he was also tricked into renting a room. 'When I moved in, the landlord told me that the building wouldn't change for at least another six months, so I thought that was enough time,' he said. 'Two days after I moved in I found out that I have to be gone by March.' He added that he would probably see if there were any spaces at temporary government shelters.