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A man was fined $2,000 and a woman fined $1,000 at Tuen Mun Magistrates' Court today (October 31) 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 Yuen Long Main Road, Yuen Long, in March. Apart from several guesthouse signboards found at on the external facade, main entrance of the building and near the entrance to the premises, OLA officers also found 17 rooms with accommodation facilities and two guests at the premises. The guests admitted that rooms in the premises were rented on a daily and hourly basis respectively. A man, who was the sole proprietor of the premises, admitted that the unlicensed guesthouse was run on the basis of daily or hourly rental of those guestrooms. The woman was a member of staff of the guesthouse and responsible for its daily operation.
According to OLA's record, the premises did not possess a valid certificate of exemption or a licence on the inspection day and this contravened Section 5(1) of the ordinance.
A department spokesman said it was a criminal offence to operate unlicensed guesthouses and that 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/Friday, October 31, 2008
Issued at HKT 16:01
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