Hong Kong fines four owners over HK$1.18m for ignoring demolition orders
Four owners of units illegally converted into mini-storage in a Kwun Tin industrial building were fined a total of over HK$1.18 million for failing to comply with demolition and repair orders. The Buildings Department warned it will continue strict enforcement against those who ignore statutory orde
Four owners of units in an industrial building at Hoi Pong Road, Kwun Tin, have been fined a total of more than HK$1.18 million for failing to comply with demolition and repair orders issued by the Buildings Department, the government announced on 7 October 2026.
The case involves six units that had been illegally converted into mini-storage spaces without prior approval from the Buildings Department. The alterations and additions obstructed escape routes and access for fire services and rescue personnel, violating the Building (Planning) Regulations. The department issued six demolition orders and six repair orders to the four owners under Sections 24(1) and 26 of the Buildings Ordinance.
The owners failed to comply with the statutory orders and were previously prosecuted and fined. As they still did not carry out the required works, the Buildings Department launched a second round of prosecution.
A Buildings Department spokesman said on 7 October: “Unauthorised alterations that obstruct escape routes and access for fire services and rescue personnel, or affect a building’s fire-resistant structure, can lead to serious consequences. Owners must comply with demolition and repair orders as soon as possible. For owners who have persistently failed to comply, the Buildings Department will continue to take stringent enforcement action, including filing further prosecutions, to safeguard building and public safety.”
Under the Buildings Ordinance, anyone who, without reasonable excuse, fails to comply with a demolition order commits a serious offence and is liable on conviction to a maximum fine of HK$200,000 and imprisonment for one year, plus an additional daily fine of up to HK$20,000 for each day the offence continues. Failure to comply with a repair order is also an offence, carrying a maximum fine at Level 5 (currently HK$50,000) and imprisonment for one year, plus an additional daily fine of up to HK$5,000.