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A man was fined $3,000 at the Tuen Mun Magistrates' Courts today (August 5) for operating an unlicensed guesthouse in Yuen Long. A woman also was fined $3,000 for managing the guesthouse. Another man was fined $4,000 for managing a unlicensed guesthouse in Yuen Long.
The court heard that in March this year, officers of the Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA), Home Affairs Department, inspected a suspected unlicensed guesthouse in Hong King Street, Yuen Long. OLA officers posed as lodgers and rented a room in the guesthouse on a daily basis. Later during the investigation, officers found eight rooms in the premises for rental.
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 on the day of inspection. The male operator and the female manager of the guesthouse were charged with contravening section 5(1) of the Ordinance.
In a separate inspection conducted in March this year on a suspected unlicensed guesthouse in the Yuen Long section of Castle Peak Road, OLA officers found five rooms in the premises for rental on an hourly and daily basis.
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 on the day of inspection. The male manager of the guesthouse was charged with contravening section 5(1) of the 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 unlicensed guesthouses 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 any illegal guesthouse operations to the OLA.
Ends/Friday, August 5, 2011
Issued at HKT 17:30
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