New law required to cover building repairs in Hong Kong
A parting gift from the retiring chief of the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) deserves to be fully explored as a possible way to defuse structural defects that have been compared to 'bombs' lurking in many of Hong Kong's ageing buildings.
In an official blog post on his final day as managing director, Wai Chi-sing announced the body was researching legislation to require landlords to form periodic maintenance plans for their blocks and ensure sufficient funds for such work. On June 14, Wai wrote that the URA would also look into creating a new statutory body to supervise building restorations and maintenance.
For years, there have been calls for authorities to improve maintenance and inspections. The Buildings Department was criticised in a 2020 Audit Commission report for slow progress in checking old buildings. The pandemic only made things worse and the risks have grown ever more unacceptable.
One recent example was in February, when a 79-year-old man was injured by concrete falling from a block of flats in the Causeway Bay shopping district. Building owners failed to follow up on a mandatory building and window inspection notice from 2020. Threats of fines and jail time alone are apparently not enough.
Wai's proposal stresses the importance of preventive maintenance by owners, as well as for the authority to act as a 'facilitator'. The move wants landlords to create 'periodic maintenance and repair plans'. New laws or amended regulations would also require them to come up with arrangements for budgeting and contributions to maintenance funds to 'encourage landlords to more actively fulfil their responsibilities'.
As Donald Choi Wun-hing becomes head of the URA, the authority faces major challenges. The Buildings Department estimates the number of private buildings aged 50 years or older will rise from 8,700 in 2020 to about 13,900 by 2030. In recent years, building owners have all too often been unaware or unwilling to take advantage of the URA's voluntary assistance schemes. A new approach could lead to laws that are effective by focusing less on punishment and more on requiring owners to participate and plan in a way that ensures buildings remain safe.
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