Hong Kong lawmakers have passed new legislation to regulate the city’s notorious subdivided flats, with enforcement efforts set to begin in 2027 and landlords able to register their properties from as early as next March.

Following the second and third readings, the Legislative Council on Friday morning approved the Basic Housing Units Bill, which requires all subdivided flats to meet new standards for “basic housing units”.

These include a minimum size of 86 sq ft, a ceiling height of 2.3 metres (7.5 feet), proper windows and at least one toilet per unit.

Landlords will be able to register their subdivided flats with authorities starting in March next year and will benefit from a 36-month grace period, from March 2027 to February 2030, to bring their properties into compliance with the minimum official requirements.

Before this, existing subdivided flat landlords will have one year, from March 2026 to February 2027, to register their properties for rectification. Authorities will waive the HK$745 (US$96) registration fee to encourage landlords to sign up.

Lawmakers, who started the debate on Thursday, expressed support for the legislation, noting that it could improve living standards for lower-income families, but urged the government to minimise the risk of landlords passing conversion costs onto tenants.