At least HK$15,000 to certify subdivided units under new law, surveyors estimate

2026-03-13 - 08:26

Landlords may spend at least HK$15,000 to have up to four subdivided units certified under the new law stipulating minimum living standards for shoebox flats in Hong Kong, a surveyors’ association has said. A subdivided unit. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. Kenny Tse, chairperson of the Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors, spoke at a briefing on subdivided housing for landlords and real estate agents on Tuesday, more than a week after the year-long registration period for shoebox flats took effect. Undersecretary for Housing Victor Tai and members of the Sham Shui Po District Council also attended the briefing. The video of the briefing was posted on housing minister Winnie Ho’s Facebook page on Thursday. Tse said the HK$15,000 price tag would apply to certifying a flat split into three to four shoebox units, covering administrative and inspection fees. “We estimate that the price could see adjustments based on the market, and of course, it would also depend on how complicated each unit is,” he said in Cantonese. Speaking at the same event, Tai said that subdivided units would be certified if “basic requirements” are met. “The government’s stance is not to require luxurious renovations, but to ensure tenants’ basic safety and provide a reasonable living environment,” he said. Kenny Tse (left) of the Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors on March 10, 2026. Photo: Winnie Ho, via Facebook. Under the Basic Housing Units Ordinance, passed in September, subdivided units are required to meet government-set living standards. These include a floor space of at least 86 square feet, a ceiling height of 2.3 metres, as well as a window and an individual toilet. The law requires landlords to register their units if they want to continue leasing them legally. Owners whose flats are registered will get a three-year grace period until the end of February 2030 to make renovations and meet the law’s requirements. To renew registrations, inspections must be conducted every five years. About a third of the city’s 110,000 subdivided homes will require significant repairs before they can be certified as Basic Housing Units, according to the government. Landlords can already apply to certify their flats now. One certification application Earlier this month, a landlord estimated he would have to spend some HK$100,000 to inspect an entire flat and install water and electricity meters. In a document submitted to the Legislative Council, the Housing Bureau said that as of March 9, it had received 316 registration applications involving about 1,160 subdivided flats. So far, only one landlord has applied for certification from the government, the bureau said. A subdivided unit in Jordan run by Rent to Rent Innovation, on February 14, 2025. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. “As we continue to strengthen our publicity and education efforts, we expect to receive more registration and recognition applications, and will process them at full steam,” the document read. Information on registered subdivided units will be uploaded to a government website “as soon as practicable” to allow the public to identify registered units, it said.