Property Management Services Authority “Slope Management Work” Code of Conduct to be Gazetted and Take Effect Tomorrow

The Property Management Services Authority (PMSA) announced today that the Code of Conduct entitled “Slope Management Work” to be issued pursuant to Section 5(1) of the Property Management Services Ordinance (Cap. 626) would be gazetted and take effect tomorrow. The respective Best Practice Guide has also been prepared. The Code and Guide provide practical guidance for licensed property management companies (PMCs) and property management practitioners (PMPs) on the management responsibilities in respect of slopes related to properties, the management measures and maintenance requirements for man-made slopes and retaining walls, maintenance requirements in respect of natural terrain hazard mitigation measures, complying with dangerous hillside order / buried services investigation order, monitoring service contractors and keeping related record, as well as proper notification and follow-up work.

Dr James Wong, Chairperson of the PMSA, said, “With the hilly terrain in Hong Kong, natural terrain or private slopes can readily be found adjacent to many properties. With the continuous development of the city, adverse weather, aging slopes, etc., would increase the risk of slope collapse. Therefore, regular maintenance and repair works for slopes are required to ensure they are in good condition in order to safeguard public safety. The PMSA appeals for licensed PMCs and PMPs to act in accordance with the guidelines stipulated in the “Slope Management Work” Code of Conduct and respective Best Practice Guide, ascertaining slopes which the property owners concerned are responsible to maintain, and reminding and assisting these owners to properly carry out slope management work.”

Chairperson Wong added, “As we are currently in the rainy season, the PM industry should be vigilant about landslides, and communicate with owners’ organisations soonest possible in respect of carrying out slope inspection and maintenance works as well as adopting suitable mitigation measures thereby preventing the occurrence of concerned accidents. After rainstorms and typhoons, inspection of drainage channels and clearance of debris should also be carried out so as to minimise the possibility of slope accidents.”

The PMSA has formulated the Code of Conduct and the respective Best Practice Guide with reference to relevant legislation and codes, including the Buildings Ordinance (Cap. 123), the Occupiers Liability Ordinance (Cap. 314), the Building Management Ordinance (Cap. 344) and the “Geoguide 5 – Guide to Slope Maintenance” issued by the Geotechnical Engineering Office, and in consultation with the PM industry, recognised professional bodies, owners’ organisations, and relevant Government departments including the Home Affairs Department, the Civil Engineering and Development Department (CEDD) and the Buildings Department, etc., and has appropriately reflected the feedback obtained from the consultation in the Code and Guide.

In addition to formulating the above Code and Guide, the PMSA will also organise a Continuing Professional Development Seminar for the industry next month and invite representative from the CEDD as guest speaker to share with the industry on the subject of slope safety and maintenance.

Besides the aforementioned Code and Guide, the PMSA has already issued a total of 22 Codes of Conduct and relevant Best Practice Guides regarding various other PM aspects, including “General Code of Conduct”, “Complaint Handling Mechanism of Property Management Companies”, “Effective Control over Property Management Business by Property Management Companies”, “Handling Moneys Received on behalf of Clients by Property Management Companies”, “Obligations of Property Management Companies regarding the Ending of their Appointment”, “Prevention of Corruption”, “Prescribed Conditions on Licences”, “Protection on Personal Data”, “Handling Payment for or Arranging Payment to be Made by Clients”, “Provision of Prescribed Information and Financial Documents to Clients”, “Carrying out Procurement for Clients and Prevention of Bid-rigging”, “Handling Emergencies”, “Handling Scaffolding Works”, “Handling Suspended Working Platform Works”, “Handling Outsourced Property Management Services”, “Prevention of Corruption – Staff Recruitment and Management”, “Distribution and Display of Promotional Material”, “Tree Management Work”, “Obligations of Property Management Company under the Building Management Ordinance”, “Handling Building Works”, “Handling Instrument of Appointing a Proxy” and “Handling Fire Safety Work”.

The above Codes of Conduct and Best Practice Guides can be downloaded from the PMSA webpage:
https://www.pmsa.org.hk/en/regulatory-framework/codes-of-conduct

The PMSA will continue to issue other Codes of Conduct and Best Practice Guides timely, covering different PM areas in order to provide guidance to the industry, including but not limited to the following: