Subdivided flat

Last updated

The exterior appearance of subdivided flats Subdivided flats.jpg
The exterior appearance of subdivided flats

Subdivided flats (also called subdivided units) are flats divided into two or more separate units to house more people. The flats' original partition walls are usually removed, and new ones are erected. New toilets and kitchens are installed, and internal drains are added or altered. These updates can compromise the building's safety and hygiene. [1]

Contents

Hong Kong

It is estimated that 280,000 people[ when? ] live in subdivided flats or other similarly undesirable conditions, mostly located in old residential buildings. According to a study by the Society for Community Organization, people living in subdivided flats are mainly unemployed citizens, low-income families and new immigrants. The median living area per person of a subdivided flat was found to be 40 square feet for small suite and 30 square feet (2.8 sqm) for cubicle in 2009. [2]

Causes

Housing shortage

The insufficient supply of housing in Hong Kong is one of the important forces leading to subdivided units. According to the Grassroots Housing Rental Price Research Report 2011, released by the Society for Communication Organisation, the Hong Kong government's failure to accurately forecast future housing demand is the leading cause of the shortage. After the government reduced the building of public housing from three million units to half a million units per year in 2006, the demand for public housing increased sharply. The waiting list for public housing increased from 129,000 to 152,000 in 2010 (a 17.8% rise within one year). [3] As a result of the long wait, many people turned to subdivided flats, where the rentals are much cheaper than private housing.

Wealth disparity

The second factor leading to the increased practice of subdividing flats is the widening wealth gap. Hong Kong's Gini Coefficient, (measure of income inequality), increased to 0.539. [4] In the Subdivided Units Study Report 2009 produced by the Society of Communication Organisation, the median monthly income of residents living in subdivided units was $3200 HKD, below the city's median monthly income population. [5]

Soaring rental prices compound the problem. The data in the "Private Domestic - Average Rents by Class" report provided by the Rating and Valuation Department found that from 2008 to 2011, rents increased by 15.1%, [6] making it challenging for lower-income residents to afford.

Socioeconomic problems

Physical health

Subdivided flats were described as being "human-flesh steamers". The temperature inside is far hotter than it outdoors, because of poor ventilation. [7] Data from Society for Community Organisation found that the temperature in one flat in Sham Shui Po had reached 38.5 degrees Celsius, six degrees above the roadside figure. [8] Residents are often unable to afford the electricity to air condition, they struggle to survive in unventilated and windowless rooms. Improperly installed plumbing can lead to water seepage and unhygienic conditions. [9]

Social relationships

Residents in subdivided flats tend to have smaller social circles. Living in such poor conditions may lower their self-esteem. Residents tend to become less sociable and introverted. The overcrowded living environment leads family members to compete for space and is more likely to experience family conflicts. [10]

Safety

The process of adding non-structural partitions and openings in structural walls can adversely affect their structure, increasing the risk of collapse. [11] Buildings with subdivided flats are densely populated and feature narrow corridors, complicating escape from fire and other dangers. [12]

Case study

A three-alarm fire occurred in a tenement in June 2011 at 111 Ma Tau Wai Road, killing four people and an unborn child and injuring 19. Some tenants could not find a way out and survivors complained of locked emergency exits. A fire burned Fa Yuen Street in December 2011. Both tragedies revealed the lack of safety of such living arrangements. [13]

Solutions

The Hong Kong government launched an investigation in April 2011. [14] The Buildings Department made a large scale operation to inspect 150 target buildings every year for rectifying buildings with sub-divided flats. The Buildings Department deployed over 480 professionals and staff to investigate the sub-divided flats. The report showed the success of the investigations. 170 removal orders were issued in January 2012.

Under the Community Care Fund Relocation Allowance, [15] the government launched an assistance programme for occupants to move out of partitioned flats in industrial buildings. Individual tenants can get a $2,100 allowance; 4 tenants or more can receive a $6,100 allowance.

Apart from launching the investigations and providing relocation allowances, the government allows both owners and tenants to consult building professionals to rectify irregularities and report situations to the Buildings Department. [16]

In July 2021, the government announced a bill that would put rent-control limits on certain subdivided flats, [17] the bill was passed on 20 October 2021 [18] and has been incorporated as Part IVA of the Landlord and Tenant (Consolidation) Ordinance (Cap. 7), which took effect on 22 January 2022.

The Rating and Valuation Department is responsible for the implementation of the Ordinance, which include promoting public awareness of the regulatory regime; handling enquiries; providing free advisory and mediatory services to tenants and landlords on tenancy matters; and taking enforcement action as appropriate. [19] The Government has engaged non-governmental organisations to set up six district Service Teams, [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] [25] assisting Rating and Valuation Department to promote the new legislation to implement the tenancy control on subdivided flats at district level; raising public awareness of the new regulatory regime under the new legislation; and handling general enquiries, etc. The Government has also engaged a non-governmental organisation to establish and manage a Tenancy Control of Subdivided Units Information Portal [26] (website: www.sdu-info.org.hk) for sharing of information relevant to tenancy control on subdivided flats for publicity and education purpose.

United Kingdom

Town and Country Planning Act 1990 defines:

(a)the use as two or more separate dwellinghouses of any building previously used as a single dwellinghouse involves a material change in the use of the building and of each part of it which is so used;

— 

Residential conversion requires permission. [27]

In the early 1990s nearly third of London housing capacity was attributed to conversion of houses to smaller flats. [28]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Public housing</span> Residential properties owned by a government

Public housing is a form of housing tenure in which the property is usually owned by a government authority, either central or local. Although the common goal of public housing is to provide affordable housing, the details, terminology, definitions of poverty, and other criteria for allocation vary within different contexts. Within the OECD, social housing represents an average of 7% of national housing stock (2020), ranging from ~34% in the Netherlands to less than 1% in Colombia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lease</span> Contractual agreement in which an assets owner lets someone else use it in exchange for payment

A lease is a contractual arrangement calling for the user to pay the owner for the use of an asset. Property, buildings and vehicles are common assets that are leased. Industrial or business equipment are also leased. Basically a lease agreement is a contract between two parties: the lessor and the lessee. The lessor is the legal owner of the asset, while the lessee obtains the right to use the asset in return for regular rental payments. The lessee also agrees to abide by various conditions regarding their use of the property or equipment. For example, a person leasing a car may agree to the condition that the car will only be used for personal use.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Home Ownership Scheme</span> Public housing ownership programme in Hong Kong

The Home Ownership Scheme (HOS) is a subsidised-sale public housing programme managed by the Hong Kong Housing Authority. It was instituted in the late 1970s as part of the government policy for public housing with two aims – to encourage better-off tenants of rental flats to vacate those flats for re-allocation to families in greater housing need; and also to provide an opportunity for home ownership to families unable to afford to buy in the private sector.

Property management is the operation, control, maintenance, and oversight of real estate and physical property. This can include residential, commercial, and land real estate. Management indicates the need for real estate to be cared for and monitored, with accountability for and attention to its useful life and condition. This is much akin to the role of management in any business.

Subsidized housing is government sponsored economic assistance aimed towards alleviating housing costs and expenses for impoverished people with low to moderate incomes. In the United States, subsidized housing is often called "affordable housing". Forms of subsidies include direct housing subsidies, non-profit housing, public housing, rent supplements/vouchers, and some forms of co-operative and private sector housing. According to some sources, increasing access to housing may contribute to lower poverty rates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hong Kong Housing Society</span>

The Hong Kong Housing Society, or Housing Society for short, is the second largest public housing provider in Hong Kong. The Society housed around 130,000 residents as of 2020. The Housing Society has been a dedicated housing provider in constantly identifying the housing needs of different sectors of the community and developing housing options attuned to their needs. Since its inception, a total of over 73,000 units have been built under different housing schemes, including Rental Estate, Rural Public Housing, Urban Improvement Scheme, Flat-for-Sale Scheme, Sandwich Class Housing Scheme, Full Market Value Development, Urban Renewal Project, Senior Citizen Residences Scheme, The Tanner Hill and Subsidised Sale Flats project.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Public housing in Hong Kong</span> Housing programmes of the Hong Kong government

Public housing in Hong Kong is a set of mass housing programmes through which the Government of Hong Kong provides affordable housing for lower-income residents. It is a major component of housing in Hong Kong, with nearly half of the population now residing in some form of public housing. The public housing policy dates to 1954, after a fire in Shek Kip Mei destroyed thousands of shanty homes and prompted the government to begin constructing homes for the poor.

Rent control in Ontario refers to a system of rent regulation in Ontario, Canada which limits the amount by which the rent paid by tenants for rental accommodation can increase. It applies to any unit that was first occupied for residential purposes before November 15, 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Multifamily residential</span> Type of housing development that emphasizes density and proximity of many neighbors

Multifamily residential, also known as multidwelling unit (MDU)) is a classification of housing where multiple separate housing units for residential inhabitants are contained within one building or several buildings within one complex. Units can be next to each other (side-by-side units), or stacked on top of each other (top and bottom units). Common forms include apartment building and condominium, where typically the units are owned individually rather than leased from a single building owner. Many intentional communities incorporate multifamily residences, such as in cohousing projects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Housing in Hong Kong</span> Overview of housing in Hong Kong

Housing in Hong Kong varies by location and income. More than 7 million people live on about 1,108 km2 (427 mi2) of land in the region, making it one of the densest places in the world.

The following shows the public housing estates in Pok Fu Lam, Aberdeen, Wong Chuk Hang and Ap Lei Chau of Southern District, Hong Kong.

The Ellis Act is a 1985 California state law that allows landlords to evict residential tenants to "go out of the rental business" in spite of desires by local governments to compel them to continue providing rental housing.

My Home Purchase Plan is one of the public housing initiatives of Hong Kong. This plan enables eligible citizens to purchase homes by way of "rent-and-buy". The Plan aims to provide assistance to potential sandwich class home buyers who are able to repay mortgages in the long term but currently do not have enough savings for the down payment. This plan is introduced by the Chief Executive of Hong Kong in the Policy address of Hong Kong 2010. The implementation of plan, that is the first 5000 flats under the plan is expected to be ready for sell in 2014.

The history of rent control in England and Wales is a part of English land law concerning the development of rent regulation in England and Wales. Controlling the prices that landlords could make their tenants pay formed the main element of rent regulation, and was in place from 1915 until its abolition by the Housing Act 1988.

A property tax known as "rates" has been levied in Hong Kong since 1845. The tax applies to all domestic and commercial properties unless exempted, and is based upon the rental value of the property, re-assessed each year. Formerly part of the revenue went to the Urban Council and, from 1986, the Regional Council, but since 2000 the whole amount goes to the Hong Kong Government.

A bedspace apartment, also called cage home (籠屋), coffin cubicle, or coffin home(棺材房), is a type of residence that is only large enough for one bunk bed surrounded by a metal cage. This type of residence originated in Hong Kong, and primarily exists in older urban districts such as Sham Shui Po, Mong Kok, To Kwa Wan, and Tai Kok Tsui. In 2007, there were approximately 53,200 people living in cage homes in Hong Kong.

Rent regulation is a system of laws, administered by a court or a public authority, which aims to ensure the affordability of housing and tenancies on the rental market for dwellings. Generally, a system of rent regulation involves:

The Costa–Hawkins Rental Housing Act ("Costa–Hawkins") is a California state law, enacted in 1995, which places limits on municipal rent control ordinances. Costa–Hawkins preempts the field in two major ways. First, it prohibits cities from establishing rent control over certain kinds of residential units, e.g., single-family dwellings and condominiums, and newly constructed apartment units; these are deemed exempt. Second, it prohibits "vacancy control", also called "strict" rent control. The legislation was sponsored by Democratic Senator Jim Costa and Republican Assemblymember Phil Hawkins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Housing Act 1988</span> United Kingdom legislation

The Housing Act 1988 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom. It governs the law between landlords and tenants. The Act introduced the concepts of assured tenancy and assured shorthold tenancy. It also facilitated the transfer of council housing to not-for-profit housing associations, which was then carried out partly through the system of Large Scale Voluntary Transfer.

The current pet keeping policy in public housing estates in Hong Kong was introduced in 2003 by the Housing Department after the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). Its objective is to improve the hygiene of public housing estates. Under the policy, public housing tenants are allowed to keep small household pets such as cats and birds but are prohibited from keeping dogs at their premises except under special circumstances, subject to the approval granted by the Housing Authority. The policy has led to debates and calls for amendments.

References

  1. ↑ Buildings Department of HKSAR
  2. ↑ Subdivided Units Study Report 籠屋、板房及套房 租住問題研究報告, August, 2009
  3. ↑ Grassroots Housing Rental Price Research Report 2011年基層房屋租金研究報告, 14 August 2011
  4. ↑ Half-yearly Economic Report
  5. ↑ Subdivided Units Study Report 籠屋、板房及套房 租住問題研究報告, August, 2009
  6. ↑ Private Buildings Department of HKSAR
  7. ↑ Lo,A., No place for subdivided flats in our city,South China Morning Post,7 Aug 2012
  8. ↑ Lau, S.,Poor sweat it out in 'flesh steamers' , South China Morning Post, 6 August 2012
  9. ↑ Buildings Department of HKSAR
  10. ↑ Subdivided flats provoke family conflict,South China Morning Post,30 November 2012
  11. ↑ Frequently Asked Questions – Subdivision of a flat (Subdivided units), Building's Department of HKSAR
  12. ↑ On fire, KCL PASS,8 December 2011
  13. ↑ Fire safety problem of sub-divided units,Press Release of HKSAR,July 13, 2011
  14. ↑ CONTROLLING OFFICER’S REPLY TO INITIAL WRITTEN QUESTION
  15. ↑ Community Care Fund Assistance Programme
  16. ↑ How to report on irregularities of building works associated with subdivision of a flat
  17. ↑ "Rent control: the protections and pitfalls of Hong Kong's new property law". South China Morning Post. 7 July 2021. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
  18. ↑ "The Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region - Bills Committee on Landlord and Tenant (Consolidation) (Amendment) Bill 2021". The Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  19. ↑ "Landlord and Tenant (Consolidation) (Amendment) Ordinance 2021 to take effect on January 22, 2022". Press Releases of the HKSAR Government. 3 January 2022. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  20. ↑ "New Home Association Hong Kong Island Service Centre". Tenancy Control of "Sub-divided Units" Information Portal. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  21. ↑ "Y.T.M. Concern For Livelihood Association". Tenancy Control of "Sub-divided Units" Information Portal. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  22. ↑ "Hong Kong Single Parents Association". Tenancy Control of "Sub-divided Units" Information Portal. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  23. ↑ "New Home Association Kowloon West Service Centre". Tenancy Control of "Sub-divided Units" Information Portal. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  24. ↑ "New Territories Association of Societies (Community Services) Foundation". Tenancy Control of "Sub-divided Units" Information Portal. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  25. ↑ "Shatin Inhabitants Association". Tenancy Control of "Sub-divided Units" Information Portal. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  26. ↑ "About Web-based Information Portal (WIP)". Tenancy Control of Subdivided Units Information Portal. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  27. ↑ Barrett, Chris. "Flats and maisonettes". www.planningportal.co.uk. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
  28. ↑ Housing: Supplementary planning guidance Residential conversions, page 33, March 2016
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.