Hong Kong passes legislation to regulate notorious subdivided flats
Legislation aims for safer and better-quality living, but lawmakers urge government to prevent landlords from passing conversion costs onto tenants
Lawmakers have passed legislation regulating Hong Kong’s notorious subdivided flats, with enforcement efforts set to begin in 2027 and landlords able to register their properties from as early as next March.
The Legislative Council on Friday morning approved the Basic Housing Units Bill, which requires all subdivided flats to meet new standards for “basic housing units”.
These include a minimum size of 86 sq ft, a ceiling height of 2.3 metres (7.5 feet), proper windows and at least one toilet per unit.
Landlords will be able to register their subdivided flats with authorities starting in March next year and will have a 36-month grace period, from March 2027 to February 2030, to bring their properties into compliance.
To encourage landlords to apply early to register their properties for rectification, authorities from March next year will waive or reduce recognition fees for the first three years of the policy.
“The rental market will not have much room for growth, given the coming supply of public homes,” Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho Wing-yin said in Legco.