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A female property agent was fined $8,000 at the Eastern Magistrates' Courts today (May 9) for managing an unlicensed guesthouse in Sai Wan Ho.
This is the first time that a property agent has been convicted of managing an unlicensed guesthouse. The Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA) of the Home Affairs Department will pass the conviction record to the Estate Agents Authority for disciplinary punishment.
The court heard that in October last year, the OLA officers posed as lodgers and successfully rented a room in a suspected unlicensed guesthouse in Shau Kei Wan Road, Sai Wan Ho, via a property agency. According to the OLA's records, the guesthouse did not possess a valid certificate of exemption or a licence under the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance (the ordinance) on the day of inspection. The female property agent managing the guesthouse was 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 9, 2012
Issued at HKT 18:45
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