
Hong Kong's Electrical and Mechanical Services Department has identified 74 additional Taizoom Elevator units missing fire-safety door frame components, bringing the total number of affected properties to 152 across residential and commercial sectors.
AI-generated summary
The Electrical and Mechanical Services Department is conducting citywide inspections of all lifts maintained by Taizoom Elevator due to missing fire-safety components.
Hong Kong authorities have said lifts at 74 more private buildings installed by Taizoom Elevator are missing crucial door frame components, taking the total of affected properties to 152.
The Electrical and Mechanical Services Department provided the updated figures on Sunday night as citywide inspections of all lifts handled by Taizoom were carried out.
The door frame components help protect lift occupants against flames and smoke in the event of a fire, an expert earlier explained.
According to the department, 150 of the affected premises are private residential or commercial buildings, while the remaining two are public housing estates under the Tenants Purchase Scheme.

Tokyo's new rule requiring property buyers to declare nationality is raising investor concerns, according to analysts, who also note Japan's shift from ultra-loose monetary policy to interest rate normalization is reducing demand for real estate assets, with the country recording $27.2 billion in property investment in the first half of the year, second only to mainland China in Asia-Pacific.

Since the central bank implemented the seventh wave of selective credit controls in 2024, the mortgage burden rate in Taiwan and the six major cities has dropped from 44.30% to 41.46%, a decrease of 2.84 percentage points. Taipei City saw the largest decrease of 4.41 percentage points, but the mortgage burden rate across Taiwan is still at a low level, with more than 50% in the two northern regions. The threshold for home purchase has not dropped significantly. Young people and first-time homebuyers still face the dilemma of high down payments and strict loan review.

From 2015 to September 2026, Taipei City’s net population emigration has accumulated to approximately 294,000 people, which is equivalent to the total population of Chiayi City. Da'an District has the largest emigration population, accounting for 13.5% of the city's emigration. High housing prices and old houses are the main reasons. Outmigration of the population has driven up housing prices in New Taipei, Taoyuan and other places.

The proportion of the population aged 65 and above in Taipei City reaches 24.76%, the highest in the country, and the proportion of old houses over 30 years old reaches 74.47%, creating a situation of "old people trapped in old houses". Industry players pointed out policy blind spots and suggested integrating resources across domains, using mechanisms such as housing pensions and nursing home trusts to convert the net value of old houses into cash flow, and provide leasing and escrow services to create an age-friendly living environment.

According to data from the Ministry of the Interior, the average age of houses in 19 of the 22 counties and cities across the country exceeds 30 years. Among them, the average age of houses in Yunlin, Chiayi, and Penghu exceeds 40 years, entering the super-elderly housing stage. Experts point out that the lack of an update mechanism for old housing in urban areas and the insufficient supply of new housing have led to a stagnation in the housing market, and the problem of elderly people trapped in old housing will become increasingly common.

As of December last year, the number of mortgage borrowers over the age of 65 in Taiwan reached 61,600, a record high since records began in 2009, an increase of 6,900 over the same period last year, an increase of more than 12%. Experts point out that this trend reflects the impact of a super-aged society and delayed retirement. The purpose of loans has also expanded from home purchases to asset allocation and wealth inheritance. However, banks still maintain a cautious lending attitude.