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A woman was fined $8,000 at Kowloon City Magistrates' Court today (September 10) for contravening the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance.
The court heard that the officers of the Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA), Home Affairs Department, inspected a suspected unlicensed guesthouse in Mong Kok Road, Mong Kok, in March. Apart from several guesthouse signboards found at external fa?ade, main entrance, staircase of the building and near the entrance to the premises, OLA officers also found seven rooms with accommodation facilities and two guests on the premises. The two guests admitted that rooms in the premises were rented on daily and hourly basis respectively. The woman they met on the spot was the manager of the guesthouse.
According to OLA's record, the premises did not have a valid certificate of exemption or a licence on the inspection day, which contravened Section 5(1) of the ordinance.
A department spokesman said it was a criminal offence to operate unlicensed guesthouses and enforcement action would continue to be taken against them to ensure the safety of lodgers. He also appealed to the public to report unlicensed guesthouses to the OLA on 2881 7498.
Ends/Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Issued at HKT 16:00
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