Some residents of subdivided flats in Sham Shui Po have been asked to vacate by their landlord ahead of a new regulation on such units, prompting the Housing Bureau to assist with their relocation.
The Basic Housing Units Ordinance will take effect on March 1, which requires the subdivided flats to meet new standards. That include minimum size requirements, fire safety measures, and the provision of separate toilets. Landlords must obtain official recognition of compliance before these units can be legally rented out.
The affected households in the Yee Wa Building on Un Chau Street have been asked to relocate in phases between March and December this year as the new landlord, who took ownership last November, plans to convert the building flats into Basic Housing Units.
The Housing Bureau has arranged for its District Service Teams to contact 90 subdivided flat households. Among them, 60 households need assistance applying for transitional housing, while the remaining 30 are either considering their options or have secured alternative accommodation.
Some tenants have expressed anxiety and uncertainty with the arrangement.
Lam, a resident, said they were notified by the sublandlord last November about the relocation. “When we heard the news, we didn’t know what to do. We couldn’t sleep and felt extremely anxious, because it takes a long time to get approved for transitional housing."
"We hope we can be given an extension—enough time to find a reasonably priced flat before moving, or just two more months,” she said.
Yuen, another tenant who has lived in the building for around three years, noted that he was renting on a month-to-month basis without a formal lease agreement. “I didn’t pay a deposit either; the landlord never asked for one,” he said, adding that he was asked to move out immediately.
The Housing Bureau estimated that more than 100 subdivided units are already vacant or have been vacated by tenants, accounting for about half of the building’s subdivided units. For tenants who have not yet been successfully contacted, the teams have left information leaflets for them to get in touch.
Meanwhile, the Rating and Valuation Department has contacted relevant parties related to the property, including representatives of the two new ownership companies and the sublandlord, requiring them to comply with regulations imposed under the relevant ordinances regarding subdivided unit leasing controls.
The department has also identified cases of late submission of Notice of Tenancy within the prescribed period and will follow up seriously on any violations of the ordinance based on the evidence collected.
