Many of us in Hong Kong are now working from home . For our children, playgrounds and the lobby of the housing complex we live in are out of bounds. Classes, summer activities and camps have been cancelled. Some of those classes are being conducted via Zoom. Our flat is the only place we can be at the moment. It is therefore surprising and disappointing that we have to endure the noise from renovation of three flats in our building, two of which are empty. There are apparently eight workers in one of the flats. Although we gave our building management office feedback about this, they don’t seem to think it is reasonable to request that noisy work be put on hold. They also told me the government has not banned construction. Can the authorities please look into this urgently? As long as civil servants and the private sector are working from home as much as possible and home-schooling looks likely, would it be possible to ban noisy work in residential estates? How can the government recommend residents stay home as much as possible without banning noisy renovation work? Hoda Harharah, Tai Tam How manager’s remuneration kills homeowners’ dreams I am sure anyone who has bought a home in Hong Kong remembers the personal sacrifice involved. Either we saved up and paid for our home ourselves or our parents bought it for us. In return, we get a precious little space. The same goes, we assume, for the services rendered after we move in. But then we encounter “ manager’s remuneration ”. What do we get when we pay for that? The manager’s remuneration is calculated as a percentage of the total expenses incurred in the upkeep of the whole residential estate. The more money that gets spent, the more that goes to “management remuneration”. The management company is naturally happy to let homeowners spend. Is it fair that the homeowners pay for everything and have the money watched over by the property developer, who both builds the estate and subsequently manages it? Is it possible to get rid of the management company when it holds stakes in the estate, like the car parks and shopping malls? Do we really have a choice? In response to my query, the Competition Commission said it does not see a case for complaint here. Picture a young woman without much leisure time through years of schooling in Hong Kong. For as long as she can remember, she has been pressured to pursue high grades in her studies. Now a professional earning a decent salary, she buys a home, entirely out of her own savings. She cannot believe how much she has to spend, but like a good girl, she pays up. Then she encounters manager’s remuneration. It’s no wonder public housing is attractive to young people. But if our young woman was eligible for public housing, what would be left for people who are not as well off? Lau Kin Wai, Tai Po