Building Management Professional Service Scheme to accept applications
The Building Management Professional Service Scheme will be launched tomorrow (April 1). Expert teams formed by property management professionals will provide owners with free professional advice and follow-up services on building management. Property owners who are interested in the scheme can submit applications from tomorrow onwards.
The Home Affairs Bureau will, in collaboration with the Hong Kong Housing Society and four professional associations of the property management industry, carry out this pilot scheme, which will last for 12 months. The scheme aims to set a good example for owners to understand the positive effects of continuous management and regular maintenance of their buildings, which will bring about improvement in their living conditions.
Target buildings will be divided into two categories. The first category will include clusters of buildings jointly selected by the participating organisations. The second category will consist of applications made by building owners. Around 900 units from the first category and 100 units from the second category will benefit from the scheme. Buildings covered by the scheme should meet the following criteria:
- residential or composite buildings aged 30 years or above;
- average rateable value of the residential units does not exceed $100,000;
- lack of maintenance or in dilapidated condition, requiring maintenance or repair works.
Property owners interested in the scheme should submit completed application forms to the Home Affairs Department (HAD) on or before May 31, 2010. No means tests on property owners will be required.
Building management professionals from the Hong Kong Institute of Housing, the Housing Managers Registration Board, the Asian Pacific Branch of the Chartered Institute of Housing, and the Hong Kong Association of Property Management Companies will form expert teams. Services provided by the expert teams include paying household visits to targeted buildings, contacting owners directly, and producing building management audit reports which offer suggestions on how to enhance management and maintenance conditions of buildings.
Expert teams will also facilitate the formations of owners' corporations (OCs), attend OC meetings to provide professional advice, assist OCs in applying for various loan and funding schemes, assist OCs in preparing tender documents on improvement or maintenance works, follow up on tender evaluation and works implementation, as well as provide training on building management to office bearers of OCs and owners.
For enquires or application forms, please call 2835 2500, visit the HAD's Building Management website (www.buildingmgt.gov.hk), or visit the Public Enquiry Service Centres of District Offices.
Ends/Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Issued at HKT 17:45