The number of aged buildings in Hong Kong are increasing over years. Buildings are mainly constructed of reinforced concrete with a design life of 50 years in general.
If owners do not act promptly to maintain and repair the buildings, the conditions of these buildings will rapidly deteriorate and endanger public safety.
Roles of the Buildings Department
- Enforces the Buildings Ordinance and provides professional services to the owners and occupants of private buildings in Hong Kong.
- Keeps copies of building plans / records and occupation permits for all private buildings (except for the pre-war buildings and exempted houses in the New Territories) for inspection by the public at the Building Information Centre.
- Provides loans to individual owners of private buildings to carry out maintenance and repair works voluntarily or in compliance with statutory orders.
- Handles complaints from members of the public.
See also: Owners' Responsibility
Enforcement Action
The Buildings Department acts on reports on defective or dangerous buildings, and take follow-up actions, for example issuing repair/investigation orders: