4,200 transitional homes earmarked for displaced Hong Kong subdivided flat tenants

Around 4,200 transitional homes will be sufficient to meet the temporary housing needs of tenants displaced under new rules that could require 33,000 subpar subdivided flats to undergo major renovations, Hong Kong officials have said.

Undersecretary for Housing Victor Tai Sheung-shing told lawmakers on Monday that the government would set aside up to 20 per cent of its 21,000 transitional homes for tenants affected by coming subdivided flat regulations.

Under the regulations, only subdivided flats meeting official standards will be accredited as “basic housing units” and allowed to remain on the rental market.

The bill is expected to pass by the end of October and gives time for owners to register from next March, as well as fix their properties by the end of February 2030.

Tai said some tenants of the city’s 110,000 existing subdivided flats could look for basic housing units, as only 30 per cent of the current supply would have to undergo large-scale renovations to receive accreditation.

He added that some tenants could also be housed in the 189,000 public flats to be built in the coming five years.