URA to introduce 'preventive home maintenance' model
The Urban Renewal Authority (URA) on Sunday said it is planning to require homeowners of one of its housing projects in Hung Hom to devise regular maintenance plans for their building.  The authority’s managing director, Wai Chi-sing, wrote on his blog that under the proposed pilot programme, new clauses will be added to the deed that is binding on all flat owners of the “eResidence” starter home project, for them to make plans and set aside budget for “preventive maintenance” at the time when they move in.  “If one only begins to collect fund for maintenance work after wear and tear starts to appear in the building, home owners will face heavy financial pressure. This will make them reluctant to carry out renovation work,” he said, adding that it's the responsibility of property owners to keep their buildings in good shape.  The URA chief also said that the authority will issue a set of guidelines in the second half of this year to help homeowners formulate plans to fix problems in common areas once every ten years.  Wai added that, in the long run, he hopes to study the possibility of amending the Guidelines for Deeds of Mutual Covenant, and introducing regulation for homeowners to carry out building maintenance.