Exclusive | Hong Kong authorities ‘consider reviewing rental bed limit’ to crack down on cage homes

The source said a task force set up to tackle the subdivided housing problem discussed revising the ordinance at a meeting in mid-June.

“The review can fill gaps in the regulations by preventing landlords from abusing the law, while trying to minimize the number of subdivided apartments of poor quality,” the source said.

The website of the Office of the Licensing Authority, a body under the ministry, showed that the city had only six licensed apartments as of June 28.

Latest data shows that at least 220,000 residents live in about 110,000 subdivided apartments, mostly in dilapidated buildings in areas such as Kwun Tong and Sham Shui Po.

Such living spaces typically result from the separation of properties into tiny cabins, potentially increasing hygiene and fire safety risks.

Some owners even offer sleeping spaces called “cage houses” or “coffin houses,” referring to tiny box-like dwellings stacked from floor to ceiling and partitioned with thin wooden planks or wire mesh.

Many residents of collective housing are waiting for social housing. The average waiting time was 5.7 years in the last quarter.

Sze Lai-shan, deputy director of the Society for Community Organization, a non-governmental advocacy group, noted that some landlords were simply opting for just under 12 beds per apartment to avoid applying for a license.

“The order is incomplete and must be amended. We propose to make some amendments, in particular by regulating the living environment, hygiene and size,” she said.

Sze said the law also did not specify the maximum number of beds allowed, which could create extremely overcrowded living environments, and called for legislation fit for the times.

“Among all subdivided apartments, living conditions in cage houses are generally the worst, which means the government should replace them in an orderly manner,” she said.

Lawmaker Vincent Cheng Wing-shun of the Hong Kong Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress also supported a review of the ordinance.

“The ordinance has been in effect for more than 10 years and it is time to revise it,” he said.

Last October, authorities pledged to eradicate poor-quality subdivisions and set up a task force that was given 10 months to submit proposals to tackle the problem.

The inter-ministerial task force is chaired by Deputy Secretary for Finance Michael Wong Wai-lun and seeks to set a minimum standard for subdivided apartments, while also tackling properties deemed to be substandard.

The team brings together officials from government branches responsible for housing, development, home affairs and youth, as well as environmental issues and welfare.

Housing Minister Winnie Ho Wing-yin said in June that the task force was considering setting a minimum size for subdivided units between 75 and 108 square feet, a move that could eliminate more than 10,000 substandard apartments.

In a response to the Post, the Housing Office said the task force considered the regulation of various premises under existing law, including the Bedspace Apartment Ordinance.

The working group has carefully considered the regulatory scope of the future regulatory regime for subdivided apartments and its legal compatibility, he added.

The Interior Ministry said the task force also considered the regulation of various premises under existing laws.

The ministry added that the group would also refer to building and fire safety regulations as well as hygiene requirements outlined in various laws.