Every building owner has the responsibility for repairing and managing not only his or her property, but also the common parts of the building, to ensure building safety and health. These include:
- Pay his/her share of management fees and make contribution to the repair and management fund in accordance with the conditions set out in the Deed of Mutual Covenant (DMC);
- Make plans for regular inspection and repair of the building including the external walls, structural and non-structural elements, common parts and common facilities in the building as well as those inside his/her own property.
Importance of timely maintenance of the building exterior
Building dilapidation can result in the spalling of concrete or rendering from the soffit of balconies/canopies and the external walls of the building. This may lead to serious consequences and put pedestrian safety at risk. As with other parts of a building, the repair and maintenance of building exterior is also the responsibility of building owners. In case of any loss of life or damage to property resulting from the spalling of building exterior, building owners may be subject to civil and criminal liabilities.
Therefore, it is the building owners' interests and their obligation to arrange regular inspection and preventive maintenance to the building exterior. If any obvious dangers are found, the building owners should promptly appoint a registered contractor to remove the obvious dangers. In the event that the owners are unable to arrange for the works, BD will mobilise the government contractor to carry out the emergency works in default of the owners. Upon completion of the works, BD will recover from the owners the cost of works and supervision charges and may impose a surcharge of not exceeding 20% on the cost due under Section 33 of the Buildings Ordinance. For details, please see "The Buildings Department's Internal Guidelines on Imposition of a Surcharge on Works carried out in default of Owners (Defaulted Works) under the Buildings Ordinance (BO) - A Summary".
Common Types of Defects found on Buildings
Building owners should pay attention to the following aspects of building safety:
Financial Assistance
Individual owners may apply for loans to carry out maintenance and repair works.
For details, please refer to Building Safety Loan Scheme.