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A woman, who managed a guesthouse in Mong Kok, was fined $3,000 today (September 12) for contravening Section 5(1) of the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance (HAGAO).
The Kowloon City Magistrates' Court heard that officers of the Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA), Home Affairs Department inspected a suspected unlicensed guesthouse on Dundas Street, Mong Kok in March this year. Several signboards bearing the name of the guesthouse were located at the external wall and common area of the building. The officers also found that the unit was divided into nine compartments for daily rental purpose.
The woman admitted that she had received a warning letter from the OLA in February in respect of her management of the unlicensed guesthouse.
Record of the OLA indicated that the premises did not possess a certificate of exemption or a license as required under Section 5(2) of the HAGAO on the day of inspection. The woman was subsequently charged with contravening the Ordinance.
A department spokesman stressed that unlicensed guesthouses would not be tolerated. He appealed to the public to report unlicensed guesthouses to the OLA at 2881 7498.
Ends/Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Issued at HKT 15:35
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