The Home Affairs Department today launched a consultation on the Review on the Hotel & Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance to strengthen enforcement actions against unlicensed guesthouses and enhance the licensing regime.
It is proposed that any premises shall be deemed to be operating as an unlicensed guesthouse once the licensing authority has collected sufficient circumstantial evidence, such as advertisements, price lists and a guesthouse layout.
Another proposal allows government officers to apply to the court for warrants to empower them to enter premises for inspection and enforcement actions.
The consultation paper proposes increasing the maximum penalties for operating unlicensed guesthouses from two years imprisonment to three years, and from a $200,000 fine to $500,000.
On the licensing arrangements, the consultation paper suggests the provisions on the Deed of Mutual Covenant and the views of the residents should be considered. It proposed to empower the authority to refuse a licence application where the deed concerned contains explicit restrictive provisions against guesthouse operations.
The paper also sets out three proposals to take into account local residents' views in the licensing process, which are conducting local consultation through District Officers, setting up an independent panel to consider views and make suggestions, and setting up a new statutory body for licensing.
The consultation document is available at the department’s website.
People can forward views by August 28 by email.
