Hong Kong subdivided unit landlords to renew registrations every 5 years under proposed law
Hong Kong Free Press
Landlords of subdivided units will have to renew their registrations every five years as part of a proposed law aimed at phasing out “substandard” homes, Hong Kong’s housing minister has said.
The government is planning to have landlords of subdivided dwellings register their name, address, as well as the size of the subdivided units, Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho said in an interview with state-backed paper Ta Kung Pao published on Tuesday. Each registration would be valid for five years.
See also: The infamous ‘coffin homes’ that Hong Kong’s new housing reforms won’t touch
During the Policy Address last week, Chief Executive John Lee announced a raft of housing measures aimed at eradicating “substandard” housing under a proposed law. Lee said subdivided units will soon need to be registered, and then inspected by professionals to ensure they can be designated “Basic Housing Units” before being rented out by landlords.
Subdivided flats would need to be at least eight square metres, and have a toilet and window, in order to be designated as such. About a third of the city’s 108,200 subdivided units are expected to be below the minimum floorspace requirement, according to a 2021 Census report.
The registration period is expected to begin earliest at the end of 2025. The government last Thursday announced that landlords will be given a period of 12 to 18 months to register subdivided units.
After registering the units, Ho said she expected that landlords will have until some time in 2028 to bring the units up to the legal standard per inspections. The government will issue warnings to units that do not meet the requirements.
Government sources said last week that the proposed law will be tabled to the legislature towards the end of the year.
Potential jail terms
The government will consider imposing jail terms lasting at least two to three years for violations of the proposed legislation, Ho said, adding that authorities had taken reference from the existing Bedspace Apartments Ordinance.
As for whether the deadline for meeting the requirements could be extended, the housing chief said that would be considered on a case-by-case basis, taking into account whether there were factors “beyond the control” of the owners.
Housing activists, however, have called for the registration and renovation process to be sped up, provided authorities had sufficient resettlement measures for tenants who may lose their homes if they are found to fall short of requirements.
Ho also brushed aside concerns regarding potential rent hikes, saying that there would be enough public rental housing units and “Basic Housing Units” to accommodate residents. There was also a possibility of rents going down, she said.
The Kwai Chung Subdivided Units Kai Fong Association on Monday called for rent controls, citing concerns that landlords may seek to recover renovation costs by hiking rents.
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