Some elderly landlords in Hong Kong have said they cannot afford renovations costing as much as HK$400,000 (US$51,060) to ensure their subdivided flats comply with new regulations and they may be forced to take units that rent for HK$3,000 a month off the market.
At a media session on Friday, four landlords owning subdivided flats in Sham Shui Po and Yau Ma Tei said they had registered for the government’s grace period under the Basic Housing Unit Ordinance but were struggling to meet the new compliance requirements.
They presented a range of estimates from contractors – all much higher than the range of HK$25,000 to HK$51,000 per flat the Housing Bureau presented last week.
One landlord, an 81-year-old retired newspaper vendor, said she faced costs as high as HK$400,000 to upgrade her 800 sq ft flat, which was divided into four units.
When asked about the range cited by the bureau, Wing-tse said she wondered how it could be so low.
“I hope the government can assist me in finding a better quotation if they know these renovation contractors,” she said.
