***************************************************
Three men and a company were fined from $3,000 to $10,000 at the Kowloon City Magistrates' Courts today (December 18) for contravening the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance (the Ordinance).
The courts heard that officers of the Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA), Home Affairs Department, inspected three suspected unlicensed guesthouses in Reclamation Street, Portland Street and Argyle Street in Mong Kok in January last year as well as in April and June this year. OLA officers posed as lodgers and successfully rented rooms in the three guesthouses on a daily or hourly basis.
According to the OLA's records, these guesthouses did not possess valid certificates of exemption or licences under the Ordinance on the days of inspection. Consequently the men and the company responsible for managing or operating these premises were charged with contravening section 5(1) of the Ordinance.
A department spokesman stressed that operating or managing an unlicensed guesthouse is a criminal offence and will lead to a criminal record. Upon conviction, the offender is liable to a maximum fine of $200,000 and two years' imprisonment.
He appealed to the public to report suspected illegal guesthouses to the OLA through the OLA hotline (2881 7498), by email (hadlaenq@had.gov.hk) or fax (fax number: 2504 5805) using the report form downloaded from the website (www.hadla.gov.hk).
Ends/Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Issued at HKT 17:35
NNNN
