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A woman was fined $3,000 today (December 13) at Eastern Magistrates' Courts for operating a bedspace apartment in Causeway Bay without a valid certificate of exemption or a valid licence.
The court heard that officers of the Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA), Home Affairs Department (HAD) and police officers conducted an inspection of a suspected unlicensed bedspace apartment on Jaffe Road, Causeway Bay in June this year. They found at the scene that three rooms providing a total of 12 bedspaces were occupied by monthly rental guests.
The woman admitted that she let out the bedspaces to lodgers on a monthly basis and was subsequently charged under the Bedspace Apartments Ordinance.
An HAD spokesman stressed that it was a criminal offence to operate or manage an unlicensed BSA.
The spokesman reiterated that unlicensed bedspace apartments would not be tolerated and enforcement action would be taken against them to ensure the safety of lodgers.
He appealed to the public to report illegal bedspace apartments to the OLA on 2881 7498.
Ends/Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Issued at HKT 15:56
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