Hong Kong lawmakers approve bill to ban substandard subdivided apartments

Hong Kong lawmakers on Friday passed a bill to set minimum standards for subdivided apartments, a housing arrangement common in the city’s tight market. The measure would require a minimum living space and exclusive bathroom facilities, along with several safety protections. About 220,000 residents live in dwellings created by dividing regular apartments, including migrants, workers, students and young professionals.

The bill would set a minimum unit size of 8 square meters (86 square feet) and require at least one openable window, exclusive fire detectors and an enclosed toilet area with a door separating it from the rest of the unit. It would ban layouts that place a toilet bowl next to the cooking area or otherwise leave residents with shared or inadequate sanitary facilities. Housing Secretary Winnie Ho said it was painful to see people living in substandard conditions and that such sufferings should not occur in Hong Kong.

City statistics show that about one-fourth of the city’s 110,000 existing subdivided homes are smaller than 8 square meters. Officials estimate that about 33,000 units, or roughly 30% of the current subdivided stock, would require major renovations to meet the new standards, with the remainder needing simpler improvements. Violations could trigger penalties of as much as HK$300,000 (about $38,500) and up to three years in prison, plus a daily fine for ongoing offenses. The government said a registration scheme for subdivided units would roll out next March, to help track compliance.

Landlords would be given a grace period to renovate and could continue renting only units that meet the criteria once renovations are complete. Low-income residents have voiced concerns about potential rent increases and the challenge of finding new housing if their units fail to meet the bar, though Housing Secretary Winnie Ho said the policy should not drive significant rent jumps.

Beijing has framed housing conditions in Hong Kong as a driver of broader political concerns and has urged phasing out subdivided apartments by 2049 as part of long-term stability and development goals. The central government’s stance underscores a wider push to address housing affordability and safety in one of the world's most expensive urban markets.

Officials plan to intensify public housing construction, with about 189,000 units planned to be built over the next five years to help accommodate residents displaced by the new rules. The policy will not cover smaller dormitory-like “bed spaces,” which are regulated under another law.

The bill’s passage marks a concrete step in Hong Kong’s ongoing effort to reform housing conditions amid persistent affordability pressures, while balancing concerns from residents who could be displaced by the new standards. The city has long struggled with a shortage of usable living space, and the measure aims to formalize safety and privacy standards for a segment of the market that has historically operated with few regulatory guardrails.