Editorial | Bill finally regulating subdivided flats in Hong Kong calls for speedy passage

It is four years since Beijing’s top official overseeing Hong Kong affairs called on the city to get rid of its notorious subdivided flats by 2049. Xia Baolong happened to be on an inspection tour of the city when the government finally outlined proposed legislation next month to regulate them. That it has taken this long says something about the complexity of reconciling so many people’s needs for shelter with a decent standard of housing.

This is a step in the right direction of finally eradicating substandard housing infamous for its shoebox size, poor hygiene and safety hazards. Under the bill, expected to pass before the end of the current Legislative Council term in October, the authorities plan to enforce the new laws from 2027, plus a three-year grace period, with landlords able to register their subdivided flats for compliance with official standards as early as March next year.

The government is to be commended for taking a pragmatic approach to an emotive issue for both landlords and tenants.

Definition is important. Thanks to media-fuelled perceptions, subdivided flats are all overcrowded, unhygienic and unsafe homes. Defining characteristics include less than 80 sq ft of living space, and lack of a separate toilet and an external window.

But there are better-quality examples and a market demand for them, in common with some other countries, including Japan. It would not take much to bring them up to standard.

To make the regulation work, the authorities had allowed a grace period beyond 2027 of three years, a Housing Bureau spokesman said. There would be relief from accreditation fees for early registration.