Hong Kong’s subdivided flats: officials may set minimum size between 75 and 108 sq ft
- Size range put forward by housing minister Winnie Ho could lead to elimination of more than 10,000 substandard flats, according to data
Hong Kong is considering setting a minimum size for the city’s subdivided homes at between 75 and 108 sq ft, the housing minister has said, a move that will potentially eliminate more than 10,000 substandard flats.
Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho Wing-yin said on Saturday the government would offer a grace period for owners to make necessary adjustments to subdivided flats that did not meet the new requirements.
“There will be a registration period or a grace period to give everyone some time to correct their issues before we conduct enforcement based on our priorities,” she told a radio show, appealing to residents not to be worried about the efforts to crack down on substandard housing.
Ho said the minimum size being considered was between “seven and 10 square metres” (75 and 108 sq ft), which was based on suggestions collected earlier from different parties.
Recommendations made over minimum standards also included introducing requirements for ceiling heights, windows and toilet ventilation, she said.
At least 220,000 people in the city live in subdivided flats – homes carved up by separating a property into tiny cubicles that are notorious for hygiene, safety and security hazards.