Developers must continue to reveal to buyers how much living space in a building has been offset by adding balconies, sky gardens and other 'environment-friendly' features after a government U-turn.
The requirement had disappeared when the Buildings Department issued a new set of guidelines last month.
There was an outcry from environmental groups, but officials said that the need for such disclosures would be dealt with by a steering committee under the Transport and Housing Bureau which is reviewing practices governing the sales of flats.
The committee's review is not expected to be completed until the end of this year.
However, in a surprise turnaround yesterday, the Development Bureau said in a paper submitted for discussion by legislators that the requirement to reveal 'gross floor area concessions' would be kept in the new guidelines as an interim measure.
Asked if developers would be forced to disclose further information, for example, by breaking down the square footage of common facilities apportioned to an individual flat's living space, a bureau spokesman said no new measures were proposed at this stage.
Green Sense president Roy Tam Hoi-pong welcomed the government's change of heart.