Are new Hong Kong subdivided flat standards triggering a wave of evictions?
Basic Housing Units Ordinance takes effect on Sunday, with landlords required to make renovations to ensure properties meet new standards
Hongkonger Chan Sai-chiu considers the 60 sq ft subdivided flat he rents to be home, going out of his way to make the cramped space in Sham Shui Po’s ageing Yee Wa Building more liveable by repainting the walls and setting up his own kitchen.
The 72-year-old considers the flat’s HK$3,000 (US$383) rent to be a perfect fit for his tight budget, as he lives off about HK$5,000 from social security payments and receives a rental subsidy of HK$2,500.
The building also suits the retiree, who is chronically ill and struggles to walk, because it has lifts and is only 500 metres (1,640 feet) away from a local wet market.
But Chan was caught by surprise last December, just in the middle of his two-year contract, when landlords for the building gave more than 200 households three months to move out.
The decision was prompted by renovation plans to ensure the properties complied with the Basic Housing Units Ordinance, which takes effect on Sunday.
The new law stipulates that only “basic housing units”, referring to certified subdivided homes that meet the new minimum standards, can be leased on the market.
But authorities are allowing landlords to lease substandard properties while getting four years to make rectifications.