The Subdivided Housing Rent Control Ordinance will come into effect tomorrow (22nd). Concerned organizations are concerned that the new rules are only in their name, and tenants cannot be effectively improved and helped. Today, they petitioned outside the Rating and Valuation Department, which is responsible for implementing the Ordinance, urging the Department to formulate a new law. Clear law enforcement guidelines, increase service manpower and time for handling tenancy dispute cases, and dialogue with groups or tenants to protect grassroots tenancy rights.
The concerned grassroots housing unit went to the Sham Shui Po Government Offices Valuation Department to petition today.
(provided by respondents)
Group petition calls for dialogue with EVA
Concerned about several members of the grassroots housing union, this morning (21st), they brought banners to the Rating and Valuation Department of the Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices in Sham Shui Po to petition, saying that the two earlier meetings with the Valuation Department were unsuccessful, and they appealed to the Valuation Department. The DH met with its associates and tenants to explain the ordinance to tenants and respond to questions about law enforcement, and produced a simplistic lazy bag leaflet to make it easier for tenants to understand.
The joint members said that the Subdivided Housing Tenancy Control Ordinance ("Landlords and Tenants (Consolidation) (Amendment) Ordinance 2021) will come into effect tomorrow (22nd). The joint and all tenants welcome the implementation of the new ordinance. The Rating and Valuation Department is responsible for enforcement, and the new team set up by the department will not only help the public understand the new ordinance and handle enquiries, but will also take appropriate enforcement actions.
According to a survey, about 209,700 people in Hong Kong live in subdivided flats, and the median per capita living area is only 56.5 square feet, which is lower than the standard 75 square feet for public housing.
(file picture)
It is difficult to rely solely on tenant reports and legal proceedings
The joint concern is that the Valuation Department is the main executive department, but in the information released so far, there is no account of its enforcement powers. The Small Claims Tribunal or the Lands Tribunal is for tenants to take legal action on their own. However, based on common past experience, relying on the Small Claims Tribunal or the Lands Tribunal without a corresponding independent department for tenancy disputes is difficult to effectively address rent disputes. It is suggested that the department should formulate clear enforcement guidelines, including service commitments, investigation procedures, etc., and undertake to proactively conduct inspections and prosecutions.
The regulations are still not enough to worry about becoming a toothless tiger
As for mediation and public education, the government relies on 6 teams of rental management community service teams established by non-governmental organizations entrusted by the government, and the on-duty rental officers in the 5 districts of the District Office are responsible for the management, but each team has only 2 staff in the former. , responsible for the work of 220,000 unsuitable households in 18 districts in Hong Kong; the latter only provides support for about half a day to one day a week, and some areas even require an appointment. The disguised elderly tenants "difficult to ask anyone." It is suggested that the department should increase the manpower and time of the tenancy service to handle enquiries and assistance cases from tenants.
The Joint Group believes that there are still many legal loopholes after the establishment of the new law, such as the lack of starting rent, the old lease agreement is not regulated, the complaint and enforcement mechanism is ambiguous, the standard tenancy agreement model provided by the Valuation Department has no legal effect, and there is no review mechanism, etc. It is hoped that the department will earnestly engage in dialogue with concerned groups and improve the regulations to achieve the effect of truly protecting the right to housing at the grassroots level.
Members of the subdivided housing platform in Hong Kong found that most of the market leases were bought in stationery shops, and the provisions were inconsistent and favored the interests of the owners.
(Provided by all Hong Kong-based subdivided housing platforms)
Subdivided housing rent control came into effect on the 22nd of this month Concerned groups, Appraisal and Appraisal Department implemented the replacement of soup without changing medicines. Special furniture for children in subdivided housing was launched in August. 2,000 grassroots benefited from Oxford, Germany, master students gave up high salaries and came to Hong Kong. Housing and social enterprises in housing estates transform classrooms into global villages
01 Community
