Before the National Day holidays, the Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA) of the Home Affairs Department has stepped up enforcement actions against unlicensed guesthouses and conducted an operation at Yau Tsim Mong District from September 24 to 26, inspecting premises which were suspected of operating unlicensed guesthouses, to ensure the safety of the lodgers as well as the general public.
A spokesman for the OLA said, "During the operation, the OLA carried out surprise inspections on seven premises which were suspected of operating an unlicensed guesthouse. The OLA will follow up on these cases and initiate prosecution on cases with sufficient evidence after completion of the investigation."
The spokesman stressed, "Operating unlicensed hotels/guesthouses is a criminal offence and such an offence leads to a criminal record upon conviction. According to the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance, an offender is liable to three years' imprisonment and a maximum fine of $500,000. A fine of $20,000 for each day can also be imposed during which the offence continues. A six-month closure order may also be issued for an hotel/guesthouse involved in a repeated offence."
Apart from conducting special operations during festive seasons, the OLA also steps up efforts to combat unlicensed guesthouses via online platforms. The OLA has strengthened its intelligence collection by forming a dedicated team to browse webpages, mobile applications, social media, discussion forums, etc, to search for information and intelligence on suspected unlicensed hotels/guesthouses. The OLA's law enforcement officers will initiate follow-up investigations when information on unlicensed hotels/guesthouses advertised via online platforms is found. The OLA also conducts publicity work on Internet search engines outside Hong Kong to enable tourists' access to the information provided by the OLA in the course of planning their trips to Hong Kong.
Tourists and members of the public can make use of the search functions on the OLA's website to check whether the hotel/guesthouse concerned is licensed or not. Any suspected unlicensed hotel/guesthouse should be reported to the OLA by the hotline (Tel: 2881 7498), by email (hadlaenq@had.gov.hk), by fax (2504 5805), or through the mobile application "Hong Kong Licensed Hotels and Guesthouses".
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