Hong Kong passes bill to ban substandard subdivided apartments
Legislation sets minimum size, exclusive bathroom and safety features for subdivided units as city advances housing reforms and public housing plans
Hong Kong lawmakers on Friday approved a bill mandating minimum standards for subdivided apartments, a housing form that has long defined life for hundreds of thousands in one of the world’s least affordable housing markets. The measure requires each unit to meet an eight-square-meter minimum, include an exclusive bathroom, at least one openable window, dedicated fire detectors and a toilet area separated by a door from the living space.
About 220,000 residents live in dwellings created by dividing regular apartments, including migrants, workers, students and young professionals. Approximately one-fourth of the city’s 110,000 existing subdivided homes are smaller than eight square meters (86 square feet), underscoring the scale of the housing challenge. The standard size of a parking space in the city is 10 square meters (110 square feet). The median monthly rent for a unit stood around 5,000 Hong Kong dollars (roughly $640). An estimated 33,000 units would require major renovations to meet the new standards, while others would need simpler improvements.
Legislators passed the bill by a show of hands after hours of debate. Under the plan, landlords will have a grace period to renovate substandard homes, and eventually only units that meet the new standards can be rented. Violations could carry a fine of up to HK$300,000 (about $38,500), up to three years in prison, and a daily fine for ongoing offenses. Officials also planned a registration scheme to roll out next March.
Low-income residents have expressed concerns about higher rents and the difficulty of relocating if their units fail to meet the bar. Housing Secretary Winnie Ho acknowledged the hardships and said the reform aims to end substandard living conditions. Some transitional apartments are planned for residents who become uprooted and meet eligibility requirements. The government also plans to build about 189,000 public housing units over the next five years. The policy will not cover smaller dormitory-like bed spaces, widely regarded as the city’s worst form of housing; the government says bed spaces are regulated under another law.
Beijing has long framed the issue as a driver of the 2019 anti-government protests and has sought a phased removal of subdivided spaces by 2049, a backdrop to Hong Kong’s reform efforts.
Experts say the plan is a step toward improving safety and living conditions, though outcomes will depend on enforcement and the pace of introducing compliant housing options.