Hong Kong lawmakers back criminalising of subletting public rental flats
Hong Kong lawmakers have approved the government's proposal to criminalise the subletting of public rental flats or the use of such properties for business purposes, with the offence to carry a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a HK$500,000 (US$63,700) fine.
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Lawmakers on Wednesday voted on the Housing (Amendment) Bill, which introduces new offences under the Housing Ordinance to combat serious abuse of public flats.
Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho Wing-yin stressed that the amended law would not cover normal interactions with neighbours, such as tutoring, and tenants working from home.
'As long as you are not using the flat for delivering and storing goods, and strangers are not coming in and out frequently for payment and collection, new working models, such as working from home and dealing with matters online, are not considered serious abuse,' she said at the Legislative Council meeting.
'The amendment is to combat those who are no longer living in the public rental flat but are using the property for profit-making.'
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Ho added that the government would step up the promotion of the policy and strengthen training for officers enforcing it before the law took effect on March 31 next year.
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