The Housing Authority is inviting public views on plans to convert two vacant Home Ownership Scheme blocks into guesthouses.

The two vacant HOS blocks - King Hin Court in Ngau Chi Wan and Block A of Yau Mei Court in Yau Tong - have 744 units.

The authority approved a combination of possible disposal options for surplus HOS flats earlier this year. One of the possible options was the conversion of some of the vacant blocks into guesthouses.

There have been concerns raised recently on the adequacy of accommodation facilities to meet rising demand from visitors. An invitation of Expression of Interest will help gauge the market response and assess the concept's feasibility.

The authority said the four-week invitation period beginning today is not a pre-qualification exercise, but is to seek ideas from interested parties.

Whether the concept for such conversion materialises is yet to be examined by the authority. The tourism and hotel industries will be fully consulted before any decision is made.

Details of the two blocks can be viewed at the authority's website or obtained at the Housing Authority Headquarters, 33 Fat Kwong Street, Ho Man Tin, Kowloon; and Housing Authority Customer Service Centre, 3 Wang Tau Hom South Road, Kowloon.