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To strengthen the public rental housing (PRH) and interim housing (IH) tenancy control, thus ensuring the proper utilization and rational allocation of scarce public housing resources, the Housing Department (HD) has implemented a simplified and efficient Biennial Inspection System (BIS) with effect from 1 November, 2008. Pursuant to Section 22 of the Housing Ordinance, the HD staff will conduct flat inspection biennially to verify the use and occupation conditions of the PRH and IH units. The concerned staff will make use of a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) under the Mobile Application System for Housing Management for recording information collected on-site.
Under the new arrangement, all PRH tenants/IH licensees are no longer required to complete the declaration forms for the purpose of declaring their occupancy position (OP). For preparation of flat inspection, estate staff will download all tenancy information to their PDA. In the course of flat visit, estate staff will check the OP of the concerned household against the record of HD and input the results of findings to the PDA. If there is any change of family particulars, such as birth, death, marriage or moving out of any family members, the tenant should inform the HA representative immediately and subsequently proceed with the necessary formalities for addition, deletion or application for grant of new tenancy, as appropriate. Besides, our staff will take the opportunity of flat visit for unveiling and tackling tenancy abuses so as to ensure the proper utilization and rational allocation of scarce public housing resources.
For PRH and IH blocks formally announced for redevelopment/clearance, BIS will be exempted.
Nevertheless, owners who have purchased their flats under any subsidized home ownership schemes by joining the Priority Scheme for Families with Elderly Members are still required to declare their OP biennially as required under the priority scheme until the death (or the deletion under special circumstances) of the elderly member or the lifting of the restriction against alienation upon lapse of the restriction period and full payment of premium to HA.
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