Govt targets 80,000 certified Basic Housing Units by 2030: housing chief 

Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho Wing-yin expects about 80,000 Basic Housing Units (BHU) to be available in the market by 2030, urging landlords to register and have their units recognized as early as possible to enjoy the waiver of application fees.

Her remarks followed the government's aims to pass a bill setting minimum standards for subdivided flats under the BHU regulatory regime by October this year, allowing landlords to begin registering their flats starting in March 2026.

Speaking on a radio program on Sunday, Ho noted that there are currently 110,000 subdivided flats in the city, with about 25 percent failing to meet the standards. She added that some of these could be recognized as Basic Housing Units after minor renovations.

Ho called on landlords to register their units early, noting that the government has proposed a one-year registration period followed by a three-year grace period.

Under the scheme, certification fees will be fully waived during the first two years. A half-rate concession of HK$1,500 will be applied in the third year, while the full certification fee of HK$3,000 will be implemented only in the fourth year.

Meanwhile, Ho emphasized that the authorities had taken into account the opinions of both landlords and tenants when finalizing the standards for Basic Housing Units, ensuring a balanced approach.

Under the proposed requirements, each Basic Housing Unit must have a minimum internal floor area of eight square meters, at least one openable window for ventilation, and separate water and electricity meters.

Addressing concerns that subdivided flat tenants may face higher rents due to increased costs for landlords under the recognition system, Ho assured that a sufficient housing supply would be available after the grace period for BHU registration ends.

She also stated that the annual construction of public housing has been increasing, and the light public housing projects are expected to be fully completed by 2027. 

Additionally, a total of 21,000 transitional housing units have been provided for tenants.