Hong Kong started a countdown on Friday to eliminate “shoebox” flats, with a new law taking effect in March that will regulate cramped living quarters in one of the world’s least affordable cities. The city formally published a law on Friday that will set up a registration system for subdivided units starting on March 1, 2026, and will ban flats smaller than eight square metres (86 square feet). Authorities estimate that around one-third of Hong Kong’s current subdivided flats are substandard and need renovation. Landlords who register under the system will have until 2030 to ensure that their flats comply with the new rules. Hong Kong’s housing chief said last week that there will be no “significant increase” in rents in subdivided housing units, adding that the public housing supply will rise in the coming years.