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A man was convicted and fined $7,000 at the Kowloon City Magistratesˇ¦ Court today (May 28) for operating an unlicensed guesthouse in Mong Kok.
The court heard that officers of the Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA) of the Home Affairs Department inspected a suspected unlicensed guesthouse in Portland Street, Mong Kok, in November last year. The investigation team found signboards of the guesthouse outside the premises and a patron inside.
The man, who was the guesthouse operator, admitted that there were seven rooms in the premises for rent on an hourly or daily basis.
According to OLAˇ¦s record, the guesthouse did not possess a valid certificate or a licence under the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance on the day of inspection. The man 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 illegal guesthouse operations to ensure the safety of lodgers. He appealed to the public to report unlicensed guesthouses to the OLA at 2881 7498.
Ends/Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Issued at HKT 16:01
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