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A woman was fined $10,000 at the Kowloon City Magistrates' Court today (January 17) for managing an unlicensed guesthouse in Mong Kok.
The court heard that in August last year, officers of the Office of the Licensing Authority(OLA), Home Affairs Department(HAD), conducted an inspection of an unlicensed guesthouse on Canton Road, Mong Kok.
During the inspection, the officers found several signboards for the guesthouse affixed to an external wall and common area of the building where the guesthouse was located. Six rooms, each equipped with sleeping accommodation, were found in the unit. Several daily rental guests alleged that they had rented the rooms at a hourly rate.
The OLA's record showed that the premises did not have a certificate of exemption or a licence as required under the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance. The woman, who was the keeper of the unlicensed guesthouse, was subsequently charged with contravening Section 5(1) of the Ordinance.
An HAD spokesman stressed that it was a criminal offence to operate or manage an unlicensed guesthouse and enforcement action would be taken against them to ensure the safety of patrons of these establishments. The spokesman also appeals to the public to report unlicensed guesthouses to the OLA at 2881 7498.
Ends/Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Issued at HKT 11:33
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