All private flats built in Hong Kong must be at least 280 sq ft in future under new government rule

All private homes to be built in Hong Kong will have to be at least 280 sq ft, the government has announced, unless in rare cases when developers face site constraints or dated leases that may not be subject to the new rule.

The minimum size requirement in the private sector will cover all government land sales, railway property projects, homes built by the Urban Renewal Authority and redevelopment projects by developers.

The restriction was first introduced in December, applying to a site for sale in Tuen Mun, amid criticism that some private flats were getting too small.

Secretary for Development Michael Wong Wai-lun told a press conference on Thursday about the government’s land sale programme, explaining the extension of the rule. “The reason is this – if you look at the supply of ‘nano flats’ in the market, the majority of them did not come from government land sales. The majority came from redevelopment. We think this proposal is reasonable.”

Nano flats are shoebox homes that can be smaller than 200 sq ft. They often do not come with a bedroom, bathroom with a window or a kitchen with a door. Some developers have said they have no choice but to build smaller so buyers can afford them, blaming the government for a tight land supply and high prices.

Wong said developers could be exempted from the 280 sq ft rule only if they faced site constraints, but added that he believed such cases would be rare.