Landlord Convicted for Overcharging Water Bills in Sham Shui Po Subdivided Flat

Owner convicted of overcharging subdivided unit tenant for water

The Water Supplies Department (WSD) announced that an owner of a subdivided flat on Ki Lung Street, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon, was convicted today (November 13) of overcharging her subdivided unit (SDU) tenants for water, in contravention of regulation 47 of the Waterworks Regulations. The owner pleaded guilty to 16 counts of offences at the Kowloon City Magistrates' Courts.

This is the 22nd similar conviction since the first conviction in June 2022, with associated fines ranging from $1,000 to $16,000. This is also the sixth conviction after the enactment of the Waterworks (Amendment) Ordinance 2024 (the amended WWO) on April 19, 2024.

A spokesman for the WSD said that the amended WWO has strengthened the power of the Water Authority in evidence collection and information disclosure during the investigation of suspected cases of overcharging for water. The Water Authority can request the landlords, their agents, etc, to provide the tenancy agreement, receipt or payment record for charges for water. Failure to comply with such a request can be an offence, and the offender is liable on conviction to a maximum fine of $10,000 and a further fine of up to $1,000 for each day the offence continues. It is anticipated that there will be more prosecution cases. The maximum penalty for overcharging SDU tenants for water has been raised to $25,000 to deter this illegal act. Moreover, providing false or misleading information to the Water Authority is also an offence with a maximum penalty of a $25,000 fine and six months' imprisonment.

The WSD spokesman strongly appealed to landlords to apply for the installation of separate water meters for their SDUs, which can greatly reduce the risk of contravening the amended WWO. The water fee deposit and the charge for providing a meter for each separate water meter installed under the Scheme for Installation of Separate Water Meters for Subdivided Units will be waived. Individual water bills will be provided for each water meter account. The first 12 cubic metres of water are free at four-month intervals. SDU tenants can contact the WSD to request separate water meters. Upon receiving such requests, the WSD will contact the landlords for the installation of separate meters. If the landlords refuse, the WSD may require them to provide information on the recovery of water charges from their tenants in suspected overcharging cases. Details of the scheme can be obtained from the WSD website (www.wsd.gov.hk/en/customer-services/application-for-water-supply/pilot-scheme-for-installation-of-separate-water-me/index.html).

The WSD encourages the public to report any illegal act of overcharging SDU tenants for water for follow-up and investigation by the department. The public can call the WSD Hotline 3468 4963 or WhatsApp 5665 5517 to apply for the installation of separate water meters for SDUs. The WhatsApp hotline also handles matters relating to water overcharging in SDUs. Alternatively, the public can call the WSD Customer Enquiry Hotline 2824 5000 to report water overcharge cases. After calling the hotline and choosing a language, they can press "7" for reporting to staff directly.

Tropical Cyclone Toraji situation report (1)

The Hong Kong Observatory issued No. 8 Northeast Gale or Storm Signal at 11.10pm yesterday (November 13).

The Home Affairs Department has so far opened 27 temporary shelters in various districts and 101 people have sought refuge at the shelters.

As at 2am today (November 14), the Government's 1823 Call Centre received one report of fallen trees. The Fire Services Department and the Leisure and Cultural Services Department have not received any reports of fallen trees. No report of landslide or flooding has been received so far.

According to the Hospital Authority, as at 2am today, no people have sought medical treatment at the Accident and Emergency Departments at public hospitals during the typhoon period.