References

Buildings Ordinance & Allied Regulations

The Mandatory Building Inspection Scheme (MBIS) and Mandatory Window Inspection Scheme (MWIS) were introduced with the enactment of relevant amendments to the Buildings Ordinance through the Buildings (Amendment) Ordinance 2011 in June 2011 and the subsidiary legislation including the Building (Inspection and Repair) Regulation in December 2011.

The legislation empowers the Building Authority (BA) to issue statutory notices to owners as necessary requiring them to carry out prescribed inspections and prescribed repairs of their buildings and windows.

The legislation also provides for matters relating to the appointment, control and duties of Registered Inspectors (RIs) and Qualified Persons (QPs) as well as the procedural requirements for such inspections and repairs of the buildings and windows respectively.

The Buildings Department (BD) commenced the registration for RIs on 30 December 2011 and full implementation of the MBIS and MWIS was commenced on 30 June 2012.

Code of Practice for the Mandatory Building Inspection Scheme (MBIS) and the Mandatory Window Inspection Scheme (MWIS) 2012 (2023 Edition)

The Building Department has published a Code of Practice on MBIS and MWIS (the 'CoP') to provide detailed guidelines on building and window inspection as well as the required repair works under the two schemes.

The CoP also specifies the technical standards and procedural requirement of RIs, QPs and RCs for the carrying out of inspection of buildings and windows and supervision of the repair works.

Practice Note for Mandatory Building and Window Inspection Schemes

The Practice Notes for the Mandatory Building and Window Inspection schemes (PNBIs) serve as a platform for the dissemination of information and good practice to the registered practitioners for the implementation of the Mandatory Building Inspection Scheme (MBIS) and Mandatory Window Inspection Scheme (MWIS).

The Building Authority will issue the PNBIs form time to time for the reference of registered inspectors (RI), qualified person (QP) and registered contractors (RCs) as well as other stakeholders as necessary.

Practice Notes for Authorized Persons, Registered Structural Engineers and Registered Geotechnical Engineers & Practice Notes for Registered Contractors

Apart from the PNBIs, The RIs, QPs, and RCs should also make reference to the relevant Practice Notes for the Authorized Persons, Registered Structural Engineers and Registered Geotechnical Engineers (PNAPs) and Practice Notes for Registered Contractors (PNRCs) issued by the Building Authority.

The more relevant PNAPs and PNRCs are listed in Appendix I of PNBI-1 (i.e. Practice Note for Mandatory Building and Window Inspection Schemes PNBI-1) for easy reference.

Please note that the list is not exhaustive and in order to meet specific requirements of individual cases, one may need to make reference to other PNAPs and PNRCs for guidance.