Subdivided-flat misery much worse than realised, study finds

As many as 280,000 families could be living in subdivided flats in old buildings across the city, with many paying higher than average rents, according to a new study by a concern group.

The figure is much higher than the government's estimate last year that 30,000 families live in subdivided accommodation.

The high number was calculated by the Platform Concerning Subdivided Flats and Relevant Issues in Hong Kong, a group formed in March by academics and social workers.

In October and November, the group sent more than 200 college students to inspect 4,045 flats in buildings older than 30 years in six districts, including Western, Kwun Tong, Sham Shui Po and Tai Kok Tsui.

It found that 42 per cent, or 1,639, were subdivided into as many as 10 rooms. The average was 4.3 units.

Using that percentage, the group deduced that there could be 280,000 subdivided units in the 16,000 old Hong Kong buildings - a conservative estimate according to educator Lai Kin-kwok, because the group assumed each block has only 10 flats.

They also found the monthly rent for some of these flats was HK$27 per square foot in October, higher than the average HK$22.20 for 85 private housing developments recorded by Centaline Property that month.