Safety checks initiative is news to most owners

Compulsory safety checks on buildings more than 30 years old will be launched this summer - but many of those who will be affected by the checks have never heard of the scheme, a survey found.

Under a mandatory inspection scheme, approved by the Legislative Council last year, owners of older buildings will have to carry out safety inspections every 10 years. Windows on most buildings will have to be checked every five years.

According to a survey by Kowloon West New Dynamic, a group of independent councillors from Sham Shui Po, Yau Tsim Mong and Kowloon City, 71 per cent of homeowners in their areas have never heard of the scheme, while 52 per cent feel it will cause problems for them.

The 853 flat owners interviewed said they were concerned about implementation of the scheme, the difficulty of calling meetings of building representatives and a lack of cash for conducting repairs.

Many run-down buildings do not have an owners' committee and getting in touch with owners of some flats may prove difficult, Yau Tsim Mong district councillor Wong Shu-ming said, as many have left Hong Kong or died.

'If [owners of] such buildings fail to establish an owners' committee, and they are selected to do a mandatory inspection, will flat owners have to bear criminal liability?' Wong asked. She says owners who are willing to pay for improvements must not be penalised along with owners in the same buildings who are not.

The Buildings Department will issue notices of buildings selected for inspection, requiring the owners to inspect common areas, external walls and windows within a specified time. If repairs are needed, owners must appoint contractors and inspectors to supervise them.