Toilet under bed = 30 sq ft unit for HK$2,200 a month

The bed in a 30 square foot housing unit in Kwun Tong is just above the toilet.

To get to the raised bed, you need to climb an aluminum ladder.

The unit, in a subdivided flat on Ngau Tau Kok Road, was advertised for rent at HK$2,200 a month, or HK$73 per sq ft.

That is more than double the average rent of HK$35 per sq ft at Park Metropolitan, a new luxury project nearby, Apple Daily reported Monday.

The ad was recently posted on a property website, but the real estate agent said the existing tenant is not moving out, and so the unit is not available.

The building is known to house many subdivided flats.

A tenant surnamed Pang who lives on the same floor as the advertised unit, said subdivided flats existed more than a decade ago in Kwun Tong, but the situation has become worse in recent years.

Pang said he was worried about the fire hazard in the crowded living conditions.

Lai Kin-kwok, convener of the Platform Concerning Subdivided Flats and Relevant Issues, said public housing is in short supply, driving demand for units in subdivided flats to an all-time high.

Some landlords are ridiculously churning out units that are undesirable, Lai said.

He estimated that rents for units in subdivided flats have gone up at least 10 percent from a year ago.

Lai said the government should consider building transitional housing units on the sites of former schools. These flats could house those waiting to be allocated public housing.

“It will be much better than having many subdivided flats,” he said.

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