Elderly landlords in Hong Kong are facing significant financial burdens due to costly renovations required for subdivided flats. Some may be forced to remove rental units from the market if they cannot afford the upgrades.

Some elderly landlords in Hong Kong have said they cannot afford renovations costing as much as HK$400,000 (US$51,060) to ensure their subdivided flats comply with new regulations and they may be forced to take units that rent for HK$3,000 a month off the market. At a media session on Friday, four landlords owning subdivided flats in Sham Shui Po and Yau Ma Tei said they had registered for the government’s grace period under the Basic Housing Unit Ordinance but were struggling to meet the new...