The insider said a task force set up to tackle the problem of subdivided homes had discussed reviewing the ordinance during a meeting in mid-June.
“The review can plug the loopholes of the regulation by preventing landlords from abusing the law, while trying to minimise the number of subdivided flats of poor quality,” the source said.
The website for the Office of the Licensing Authority, a body under the department, showed the city only had six such licensed flats as of June 28.
The latest data shows at least 220,000 residents are living in about 110,000 subdivided flats, mostly located in dilapidated buildings in districts such as Kwun Tong and Sham Shui Po.
Such living spaces typically result from separating properties into tiny cubicles, potentially increasing the risk of hygiene and fire safety hazards.
Some landlords even offer bed spaces known as “cage homes” or “coffin homes”, referring to tiny boxlike quarters stacked from floor to ceiling and partitioned by thin wooden boards or mesh wire.
Many of those living in subdivided flats are in the queue for a public rental home. The average waiting time stood at 5.7 years, as of the last quarter.
Sze Lai-shan, deputy director of the Society for Community Organisation, a non-governmental advocacy group, observed that some landlords just opted for slightly fewer than 12 beds per flat to avoid applying for a licence.
“The ordinance is incomplete and must be modified. We propose making a few amendments, including regulating the living environment, hygiene and size,” she said.
Sze said the law also failed to specify the maximum number of beds allowed, which could create extremely crowded living environments, and called for legislation that kept up with the times.
“Among all subdivided flats, the living conditions at cage homes are usually the worst, which means the government should replace them in an orderly fashion,” she said.
Lawmaker Vincent Cheng Wing-shun of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong also supported a review of the ordinance.
“The ordinance has been in place for more than 10 years and it is time to review it,” he said.
Last October, authorities pledged to eradicate poor quality subdivided housing and set up a task force that was given 10 months to submit proposals to combat the problem.
The cross-departmental task force is chaired by Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong Wai-lun and seeks to define a minimum standard for subdivided flats, while also tackling properties that are considered subpar.
The team brings together officials from government branches overseeing housing, development, home and youth affairs, as well as environmental issues and welfare.
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A glimpse inside Hong Kong’s notorious subdivided homes
A glimpse inside Hong Kong’s notorious subdivided homes
Housing minister Winnie Ho Wing-yin said in June that the task force was considering setting a minimum size for subdivided homes at between 75 and 108 sq ft, a move which could eliminate more than 10,000 substandard flats.
In a reply to the Post, the Housing Bureau said that the task force had taken into account the regulation of various premises under existing legislation, including the Bedspace Apartments Ordinance.
The task force was carefully considering the scope of regulation of the future subdivided flats regulatory regime and its legal compatibility, it added.
The Home Affairs Department said the task force had also taken into account the regulation of various premises under existing laws.
The department added that the group would also refer to building and fire safety regulations and sanitation requirements outlined in various laws.
