HONG KONG, Aug. 26, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Hong Kong Institute of Housing (hereafter known as "HKIH") is highly aware that the Buildings Department (hereafter known as "BD") applied to the Judiciary for a closure order against a tenement building of 56 years old in To Kwa Wan on Kai Ming Street. BD intended to take action to vacate the residents from the building by Friday of next week and to dismount the building's unauthorized balconies. HKIH appeals to landlord and property owners taking serious views on building safety to prevent the reoccurrence of the tragic building collapse on Ma Tau Wai Road in 2010.
This August, BD has completed an inspection report on this aged building and concluded that the unauthorized structures of the cantilevered balconies were in a critically dangerous condition, so needed to be removed. BD informed the tenants yesterday to move out of the building with a closure warrant.
The problem of sub-divided units in the tenements has recently worsened which caused the building be listed as dangerous. HKIH is of the view that the landlords or property owners of such "three-nil" buildings should be made aware of the importance of proper management and maintenance of the buildings so to upkeep adequate safety level and reduce risks and hazards. The institute urges property owners to form into Owners Incorporations instantly and recommends them employing professional property managers to safe guard the properties, assets and even lives.
In the event that property owners need financial or technical support, they are advised to apply for the Integrated Building Maintenance Assistance Scheme currently offered by the Urban Renewal Authority. By providing professional advice, the scheme can help owners to form Owners Incorporations and provide them with subsidies to arrange necessary repair work for buildings and flats.
Ms Cora Yuen, the President of Hong Kong Institute of Housing, said, "Memory of the building collapse of To Kwa Wan 3 years ago is still fresh in all of the Hong Kong people's minds. Building safety is extremely important for tenants and civilians. We strongly advise property owners to pay more attention on proper management and maintenance for their buildings and properties. They are advised to form Owners Incorporations and employ professional property managers, and ultimately avoid the use of unauthorized structures or sub-divided units. We would support the government to inspect the 'three-nil' buildings at soonest possible to prevent problems and hazards caused by unauthorized sub-divided units."