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A man was fined $4,000 at The Eastern Magistrates' Courts today (January 4) for contravening the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance.
The court heard that in October last year, the officers of the Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA), Home Affairs Department, inspected a licensed guesthouse in King's Road, North Point. An OLA officer, posing as a lodger, successfully rented a room on a daily basis in a premises other than the premises indicated in the licence.
According to the OLA's record, the room did not have a valid certificate of exemption or a licence on the inspection day. The male operator was charged for operating a guesthouse other than the premises indicated in the licence, which contravened Section 21(3)(b) of Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance.
A department spokesman stressed that it was a criminal offence to operate or manage an unlicensed guesthouse and enforcement action would continue to be taken against illegal guesthouse operations to ensure the safety of lodgers.
He appealed to the public to dial the OLA hotline (2881 7498), send e-mail (hadlaenq@had.gov.hk) or download a report form from the website (www.hadla.gov.hk) to report suspected illegal guesthouses.
Ends/Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Issued at HKT 16:31
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