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A woman and a company were convicted and fined $20,000 and $16,000 respectively at Kowloon City Magistrates' Court today (March 17) for operating unlicensed guesthouses and contravening the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance.
The court heard that in November last year and January this year, officers of the Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA), Home Affairs Department, inspected two suspected unlicensed guesthouses in Tsim Sha Tsui respectively. OLA officers, posing as lodgers, successfully rented guestrooms on these premises.
According to the OLA's records, the two guesthouses did not possess a valid certificate of exemption or a licence under the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance on the day of inspection. The woman and the company, being the operators of the unlicensed guesthouses, were charged with contravening section 5(1) of the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation 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 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 suspected unlicensed guesthouses to the OLA.
Ends/Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Issued at HKT 18:00
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