HAD steps up operations and publicity against unlicensed guesthouses during festive seasons (with photos)
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During the Christmas and New Year holidays in the past month, the OLA has inspected 329 premises in various districts throughout the territory and seven premises were suspected to have unlicensed guesthouse activities. The OLA will continue to combat unlicensed guesthouses during the upcoming Lunar New Year holidays by conducting decoy operations and surprise inspections day and night at tourist accommodation hotspots. The OLA will also launch large-scale inter-departmental joint operations.
A spokesman for the HAD said today (January 26), "Unlicensed guesthouses have potential building and fire safety risks and pose threats to lodgers and members of the public. Personal safety and properties may not be protected by insurance in the case of an accident. Operating an unlicensed guesthouse is a criminal offence and it can lead to imprisonment as well as a criminal record. Upon conviction, an offender is liable to a maximum fine of $200,000, two years' imprisonment and a fine of $20,000 for each day during which the offence continues."
Having regard to the increasing trend of unlicensed guesthouses advertising via the Internet and mobile applications, the OLA attaches great importance to enforcement actions against illegal activities of letting out unlicensed guesthouses through the Internet. In December last year, in a series of enforcement actions and public education activities, OLA officers posted advisory notices in targeted housing estates and residential buildings to alert visitors that there were no licensed guesthouses in those buildings. OLA Officers also distributed leaflets to appeal to tourists and residents to provide information about unlicensed guesthouses to the OLA.
The OLA has also strengthened its intelligence collection by forming a dedicated team to browse web pages, mobile applications, social media, discussion fora, blogs and so forth to monitor and track down suspected unlicensed guesthouse activities and take appropriate enforcement actions. The OLA has also posted messages on the Internet to appeal to tourists to patronise licensed guesthouses.
In 2017, the OLA carried out 14 416 inspections targeting unlicensed guesthouses and instituted 158 prosecutions. The total number of convictions was 129.
For publicity initiatives, the OLA will continue to urge tourists to patronise licensed guesthouses via different channels, such as broadcasting Announcements in the Public Interest on television, radio and public transportation, at immigration control points and on outdoor LED TV panels in tourist accommodation hotspots, as well as displaying posters and distributing leaflets at immigration control points. The OLA will also reinforce publicity on websites and mobile applications, as well as work closely with the Tourism Commission, the Hong Kong Tourism Board, the Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong and the Consumer Council to appeal to tourists to patronise licensed guesthouses. The full list of licensed hotels and guesthouses is available on the OLA's webpage and the mobile application "Hong Kong Licensed Hotels and Guesthouses".
Members of the public and tourists with information about suspected unlicensed guesthouses should make a report to the OLA by telephone (2881 7498), email (hadlaenq@had.gov.hk), or fax (2504 5805) using the report form downloaded from the OLA website (www.hadla.gov.hk), or through the mobile application "Hong Kong Licensed Hotels and Guesthouses".
Ends/Friday, January 26, 2018
Issued at HKT 12:05
Issued at HKT 12:05
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