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Housing Department reminds public rental housing tenants to keep estates clean and not burn wax
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     With the Mid-Autumn Festival around the corner, the Housing Department (HD) today (September 28) reminded tenants that burning wax in the common areas of public rental housing (PRH) estates may cause their households to be allotted penalty points without warning under the Estate Management Marking Scheme and to be fined $1,500 for littering.

     "Parents should not allow their children to burn wax as it is a hazardous act which may cause fires and severe burns," an HD spokesman said.

     Family members of children committing the misdeed would have their tenancy jeopardised. "Although wax burning and littering caused by tenants celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival has abated in the past few years, we will continue to step up our patrolling this year. If minors refuse to stop the misdeed despite verbal warning from our patrol staff, we will turn to their parents. The household will be subject to allotment of penalty points under the Marking Scheme. The tenancy will be terminated if 16 points or more have been allotted within two years," the spokesman emphasised.

     Apart from routine checks by estate offices, for three consecutive days from Wednesday to Friday (September 30 to October 2), staff from the department's Regional Patrol Teams and Mobile Operations Unit will be deployed to patrol PRH estates beyond midnight. Additional cleaning workers will also be deployed to clean up early in the morning following the festival day.

     Two fixed penalty notices for littering or wax burning in PRH estates were issued during the Mid-Autumn Festival last year. About 70 verbal warnings were given and two households were allotted penalty points.

     Messages urging tenants not to burn wax and to keep the estates clean have been publicised through posters and the Housing Channel.

     To minimise the risk of contracting and spreading COVID-19 in PRH estates, the spokesman urged tenants to maintain personal and environmental hygiene, dispose of litter properly and keep up social distancing. Tenants must comply with the Prevention and Control of Disease (Wearing of Mask) Regulation (Cap. 599I) and the Prevention and Control of Disease (Prohibition on Group Gathering) Regulation (Cap. 599G).

     The spokesman called for PRH tenants' support by reporting any misdeeds to estate offices or the Housing Authority Hotline on 2712 2712.
 
Ends/Monday, September 28, 2020
Issued at HKT 15:00
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