Home Ownership Scheme flat owners are reminded that they are responsible for the proper maintenance of their properties.

Responding to a newspaper report today that owners may have neglected their building maintenance responsibility, the Housing Department said it is the responsibility of individual owners or their owners corporation to maintain their buildings properly. Where a building is left in a state of disrepair, enforcement action under the Buildings Ordinance will be initiated requiring the owners or the owners' corporation to make repairs.

The 10-year Structural Safety Guarantee provided by the Housing Authority provides additional assurance to owners on the structural safety and integrity of their buildings, and the guarantee is not intended to take over owners' maintenance responsibility.

The authority is responsible for all structural repairs, including those necessitated by spalling and cracking to any structural component of the building to uphold its structural stability and integrity as a whole structure within the guarantee period of 10 years from the date of completion.

This excludes defects not related to structural stability and integrity, such as water seepage through ceilings or windows, cracks in plaster, and repair works in the external areas and facilities, as well as those arising from structural alterations or improper usage of the building.