Hong Kong's Basic Housing Units Ordinance takes effect on Sunday, requiring landlords to renovate properties to meet new standards. The law has already prompted evictions, with more than 200 households in Sham Shui Po's Yee Wa Building given notice to leave. Tenants like 72-year-old Chan Sai-chiu struggle to find affordable alternatives.
Hong Kong's Basic Housing Units Ordinance takes effect on March 2, stipulating that only certified basic housing units—subdivided flats meeting minimum standards—can be leased on the market. Landlords have four years to make rectifications and can continue leasing substandard properties during that period.
In Sham Shui Po's ageing Yee Wa Building, landlords notified more than 200 households last December to vacate within three months for renovations to comply with the ordinance. Seventy-two-year-old Chan Sai-chiu rents a 60 sq ft subdivided flat there for HK$3,000 a month. He lives on about HK$5,000 in social security payments and a HK$2,500 rental subsidy, and has made the cramped space more liveable by repainting the walls and setting up his own kitchen.
Chronically ill and struggling to walk, Chan finds the building suitable because it has lifts and is just 500 metres from a local wet market. The notice came midway through his two-year contract, catching him by surprise.
The ordinance aims to improve safety and living conditions in subdivided homes, but concerns are rising that it could exacerbate housing pressures for low-income residents. Community groups have called for more transitional housing support from the government.