A general view of residential buildings in West Kowloon District, Hong Kong on April 11, 2023. (ANDY CHONG / CHINA DAILY)
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government has ordered an apartment owner at The Capitol, an estate in Tseung Kwan O, to rectify an unauthorized modification to a structural wall in 15 days and to complete the repairs in 30 days, Director of Buildings Clarice Yu Po-mei said on Tuesday.
After inspecting the apartment concerned on Monday, Yu said a preliminary assessment showed that the overall structure of the building is not in peril.
Yu said the apartment owner, designer and builders may face legal consequences for making unauthorized changes, though she couldn’t reveal too much detail as the investigation is continuing
Yu said that the main wall, which has been demolished, accounted for 6 percent of the unit’s structural wall, and 1 percent of that of the whole floor.
READ MORE: City doubles down on tackling housing issues
The case came to the public’s attention after a netizen revealed that the newly modified flat, which turned the three-bedroom flat into a studio apartment, may have removed part of the structural wall, possibly endangering the entire building.
Yu said the HKSAR government will discuss possible repairs with a registered structural engineer, as well as the need for a temporary supporting structure erected on Monday to replace the wall that was demolished.
The owner needs to start the repairs within 15 days and complete the rectification within 30 days, she added.
Yu said the owner will need to make a detailed assessment of the structural changes and to submit a report explaining its influence on the building structure as well as details of those repairs. The government will speed up its handling of this case and approve any proposed remedies as well as monitor repairs in its follow-up, Yu said.
Tests will also be conducted after the repairs, and it may take a month for the test report to come out, she added.
Yu said the apartment owner, designer and builders may face legal consequences for making unauthorized changes, though she couldn’t reveal too much detail as the investigation is continuing.
READ MORE: Two essential things to solve HK's housing supply crisis
The Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors said it believed that this incident is the tip of the iceberg, suggesting that the public seek professional advice before carrying out similar modifications.
The institute also advised the public to hire professional building surveyors to confirm that no structural changes have been carried out, before buying second-hand properties.
Vincent Ho Kui-yip, a former president of the HKIS, warned that anyone carrying out unauthorized construction may face criminal charges.
Contact the writer at mikegu@chinadailyhk.com