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Two men were fined $8,000 and $3,000 respectively at the Kowloon City Magistrates' Courts today (May 23) for contravening the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance.
The court heard that in October last year, officers of the Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA), Home Affairs Department, inspected a licensed guesthouse in Nathan Road, Mong Kok. During the investigation, OLA officers posed as lodgers and rented a room on a daily basis on another premises situated in the same building with the assistance of the male operator of the licensed guesthouse.
According to the OLA's records, the premises did not possess a valid certificate of exemption or a licence under the Ordinance on the day of inspection. Therefore, the male operator of the guesthouse was charged with contravening section 21(3)(b) of the Ordinance for operating a guesthouse on a premises other than the one indicated in the licence.
In November last year, OLA officers inspected a suspected unlicensed guesthouse in Nam Cheong Street, Sham Shui Po. During the investigation, OLA officers posed as lodgers and rented a room on a daily basis.
According to the OLA's records, the guesthouse did not possess a valid certificate of exemption or a licence under the Ordinance on the day of inspection. The male manager of the guesthouse was therefore charged with contravening section 5(1) of the Ordinance.
A department spokesman stressed that it is a criminal offence to operate or manage an unlicensed guesthouse. Any person who is convicted of operating or managing an unlicensed guesthouse is liable to imprisonment. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a $200,000 fine and imprisonment for two years.
He appealed to the public to report suspected illegal guesthouses to the OLA through the OLA hotline (2881 7498), by email (hadlaenq@had.gov.hk) or fax (fax number: 2504 5805) using the report form downloaded from the website (www.hadla.gov.hk).
Ends/Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Issued at HKT 17:30
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