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Hong Kong subdivided-flat registration slows after early-bird deadline

Only about 34,000 units were registered during the first six-month phase, despite an estimate of around 80,000 flats eligible to be accredited.

Reported · Written up by our desk · Residential

Registration of Hong Kong’s subdivided flats under new housing rules has lagged expectations after the early-bird application window ended, according to industry observers cited by SCMP Economy.

The government received applications totaling 42.5 per cent of what it expected for the initial six-month “early bird” registration phase under the Basic Housing Unit Ordinance, which began in March to phase out substandard subdivided flats.

Landlords who applied during the early period were eligible for a HK$3,000 (US$382) waiver in certification fees per subdivided flat for each of the first three years, but SCMP Economy reports that the discount did not spur earlier filings.

The government estimates about 80,000 subdivided flats across the city could be accredited, yet only about 34,000 units were registered in the first six months, and legislative housing panel deputy chairman Scott Leung Man-kwong attributed delays to complications verifying legal ownership, such as inherited properties.

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