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Following is a question by the Hon LEUNG Yiu-chung and a written reply by the Secretary for Housing, Planning and Lands, Mr Michael Suen, in the Legislative Council today (Dec 14):
Question:
The Housing Authority plans to launch the Total Maintenance Scheme in January next year to carry out inspections and repairs for more than 600 000 public rental housing ("PRH") flats. The Housing Department ("HD") will dispatch In-flat Inspection Ambassadors ("IIAs") to tenants' flats to carry out in-flat inspections. It has been reported that tenants will be required to shoulder the expenses for repairing the fixtures inside their flats which they damaged and they will incur seven penalty points under the Marking Scheme for Tenancy Enforcement in Public Housing Estates if they refuse IIAs entry to their flats for inspections. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) whether clear guidelines have been drawn up for distinguishing the damage to the fixtures inside PRH flats caused by the tenants from that due to natural wear and tear; if so, of the details of the guidelines and whether they will be made public;
(b) of the mechanism for resolving the disagreements between HD and tenants over the sharing of repair expenses, as well as the measures to assist those tenants who cannot afford such expenses;
(c) of the specific arrangements for IIAs・ entry to PRH flats for inspections; and how it will be ensured that no undue inconvenience is caused to the tenants; and
(d) whether tenants of PRH flats will be consulted on the penalty clause for refusing IIAs entry to their flats for inspections; if not, of the reasons for that?
Reply:
Madam President,
My reply to the four-part question is as follows:
(a) The sharing of responsibility over fixture damage inside public housing flats has been a well-established practice. The ：Total Maintenance Scheme； to be introduced in January 2006 will operate on the basis of this practice. Broadly speaking, the Housing Authority will shoulder the responsibility for repairing and maintaining the major provisions inside the flats, the water and power supply and drainage systems (including replacement of fresh water pipes, mending of leaking pipes and damaged wooden doors) as well as problems concerning building structure (such as concrete spalling). For damage caused by improper use or reasons other than natural wear-and-tear such as cracking of glass or breaking of kitchen fixtures, the responsibility for repairs rests with the tenants. To help tenants understand their responsibilities for maintenance and repairs, we have categorised the various types of fixtures and clearly set out the maintenance and repair responsibility for each item. The relevant guidelines are posted in the main lobby of all public housing estates for tenants・ information.
(b) The Total Maintenance Scheme aims at providing prompt and timely maintenance service through proactive and comprehensive inspection to ensure proper upkeep of the facilities of rental flats and the common areas in public housing estates. Should disagreements arise between the Housing Department and tenants over the responsibility of individual repair items, we will, in the interests of tenants・ safety and environmental hygiene, undertake the necessary repairs first and recover the costs afterwards. At the same time, we will assign senior technical officers to make professional judgment on the allocation of repair responsibility and discuss with the tenant concerned with a view to reaching a consensus.
For tenants who cannot afford the repair expenses, the Housing Authority will work out with them the most appropriate arrangements and assistance needed in the light of actual circumstances.
(c) Before the inspections, the In-flat Inspection Ambassadors will liaise with the tenants on the appropriate date and time for them to enter the flats to carry out the checks and maintenance.
(d) Refusing the entry of Housing Department staff or representative for repairs within the Housing Department・s purview is a misdeed item under the Marking Scheme for Tenancy Enforcement in Public Housing Estates implemented since August 2003. Offenders will be allotted seven points. On the other hand, refusing the entry of In-flat Inspection Ambassadors for inspections is not a misdeed attracting penalty points at present. Through timely identification of the maintenance requirements of public housing flats, the Total Maintenance Scheme will work to the mutual benefit of both the tenants and the Housing Authority. Thus, the vast majority of tenants should be willing to co-operate. Moreover, the Housing Department will seek to accommodate the circumstances of individual tenants as far as possible when drawing up the inspection arrangements. After implementation of the ：Total Maintenance Scheme； next year, we will, if necessary, review the various arrangements in the light of actual circumstances and operational experience.
Ends/Wednesday, December 14, 2005
Issued at HKT 11:52
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