Housing Bureau receives 11,000 subdivided unit registration applications, unveils two model flats for owners

The Housing Bureau has received nearly 11,000 registration applications for subdivided units during the grace period in the first two and a half months since the new basic housing scheme was introduced on March 1, Under Secretary Victor Tai Sheung-shing said on Tuesday.

The bureau has also received four certification applications for subdivided units, which are being processed urgently. Tai said the response has been satisfactory.

To guide owners on how to upgrade existing subdivided units to meet the minimum standards, the bureau has converted two residential units recovered from the Kowloon City redevelopment project into model flats.

One model flat on Nga Tsin Long Road, divided into two units, was already in good condition with most standards met. Renovation work took three weeks at an average cost of about HK$25,000 per subdivided unit, including adding fire doors, separate fire detectors and official water and electricity meters. The work could be carried out while tenants remained in place.

The second model flat on Kai Tak Road, divided into three units, required more extensive alterations. One unit had less than the minimum 8 square metres of floor area, requiring wall removal and reconfiguration to increase space. The average renovation cost was about HK$50,000 per unit, with a four-week construction period during which the units could not be occupied.

Tai noted that about 70 percent of subdivided units in Hong Kong are already in decent condition and meet the 8-square-metre requirement without major alterations. Owners of more substandard units would need to invest more in renovation, but have a long transition period to calculate costs and returns.

The bureau will arrange for owner groups and organisations to visit the model flats in the coming months, but they will not be open to the general public.

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