Leaflet gives more tips on building management and maintenance

Why do we have to carry out building maintenance and repair? If my building is going to carry out maintenance or remove unauthorised building works, where can I apply for loans or grants? These are some of the questions frequently asked by property owners.

In order to facilitate owners to understand their duties and the available loans or grants schemes for building maintenance, the Home Affairs Department (HAD) has published a new leaflet, "Property Owners and Private Building Maintenance", to give more information to homeowners on building management and maintenance.

A spokesman for the HAD said today (May 25), "Owners of private buildings have the responsibility to regularly inspect and maintain their buildings to avoid endangering the public. If accidents occur in the common parts of a building causing injury or death of a third party, the civil liability of the owners' corporation and owners could be heavy in financial terms.

"To better protect the interests of owners and third parties, owners' corporations should procure third party risks insurance in relation to the common parts of buildings."

The leaflet, in simple language, lists out several cases for reference -- maintenance works to be carried out by individual owners; maintenance works to be carried out by individual elderly owner-occupiers; owners' corporation initiated maintenance works; and owners' corporations received statutory order. Through these case studies, owners can understand more about the contents and differences of various building maintenance loans and grants schemes offered by the Buildings Department, the Hong Kong Housing Society and the Urban Renewal Authority.

The leaflet has been sent to owners' corporations, owners' committees as well as Mutual Aid Committees. Members of the public may obtain a copy of the leaflet from the Public Enquiry Service Centres of the 18 District Offices.

For enquiries on formation of owners' corporations or general building management matters, members of the public may contact HAD's District Building Management
Liaison Teams:

Ends/Sunday, May 25, 2008