Hong Kong landlord launches ‘space capsule’ homes for rent

Entrepreneur ‘overwhelmed’ with response to the Japanese-style bed spaces, which tenants can rent for up to HK$4,500 a month, and plans to open 1,000 more in a year

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Landlord Sandy Wong in one of his capsules in a Sai Ying Pun apartment. Photos: Edward Wong

Published: 12:00pm, 6 Nov 2016Updated: 11:24pm, 6 Nov 2016

A single-sized bed space with key-card access, air-conditioning and dreamy blue lighting – this is a five-star upgrade from the city’s notorious coffin homes for rent.

Over the span of three months, entrepreneur Sandy Wong has rented out 51 “space capsule” pods in six apartments across the city, with ambitious plans to rent out 1,000 more units in a year.

The pods, a modern twist on the capsule hotel concept which originated in Japan, are leased out for between HK$2,800 and HK$4,500 for a minimum one-month stay, with lodgers sharing a kitchen, bathroom and common area.

The capsules come with mattress, bedding, three lights and charging outlets.

The capsule homes, manufactured in Guangzhou, are around two metres long and 1.1 metres high, or about 25 sq ft. They come equipped with a mattress, pillow, bedding, three different lights, outlets for charging devices and a mini fire extinguisher.

A 700 sq ft apartment can fit a maximum of 10 pods.

Wong, keen to take advantage of the city’s lucrative property market, noticed a gap that had yet to be filled. “So many people in Hong Kong are living in cubicle homes or partitioned flats, but the conditions are really bad. There’s no proper ventilation, the places are infested with bugs and they smell,” Wong told the Post.