22 landlords fined $42K for violating tenant protection laws

Two joint landlords committed five offences relating to unauthorised payments.

Twenty-two landlords of subdivided units (SDUs), who violated Part IVA of the Landlord and Tenant Ordinance, pleaded guilty and were fined a total of $42k at the Eastern Magistrates' Courts, the government said.

The offences of these 22 landlords include failing to submit a Notice of Tenancy (Form AR2) within 60 days of the tenancy start date, failing to provide written accounts and copies of bills for utility reimbursements, failing to issue rent receipts, and demanding payments beyond what is permitted under the Ordinance, such as excessive rent for a second-term tenancy. Two joint landlords committed five offences related to unauthorised payments and were each fined $4,500.

The RVD earlier discovered that the landlords failed to comply with the relevant requirements under the Ordinance. Upon an in-depth investigation and evidence collection, the RVD prosecuted against the landlords.

Since the ordinance came into force, the Rating and Valuation Department (RVD) has successfully prosecuted 552 cases involving a total of 473 SDU landlords, with fines ranging from $400 to $34,800, amounting to a total of around $1.3m.