Over 2,000 Members of Property Management Industry 
Attended Property Management Services Authority’s 
Continuing Professional Development Seminar on
Mandatory Building and Window Inspection Schemes and 
Slope Management Work

Property management (PM) practitioners (PMPs) bear a heavy responsibility in their day-to-day work of safeguarding building safety as well as the personal safety and property of the public. The Property Management Services Authority (PMSA) organised today a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) seminar jointly with the Buildings Department, the Civil Engineering and Development Department and Yau Tsim Mong District Office for over 2,000 members of the PM industry, who attended physically and online, on the mandatory building and window inspection schemes as well as slope management work, both of which concern public safety, so as to prevent accidents and for the public to live and work in harmony.

Mr Raymond Wong, Senior Structural Engineer, Mandatory Building Inspection Division, Buildings Department, and Ms Irene Yu, Geotechnical Engineer, Geotechnical Engineering Office, Civil Engineering and Development Department, were invited as speakers for the seminar. Yau Tsim Mong District Office provided venue and technical support for the event.

Hong Kong is facing the problem of aging buildings which lack proper care and maintenance. To ensure buildings are maintained timely and appropriately, the Buildings Department has been implementing the "Mandatory Building Inspection Scheme" and "Mandatory Window Inspection Scheme" since 2012. Dr James Wong, Chairperson of the PMSA said, “According to the records of the Buildings Department, as of 2022, there are around 9,600 blocks of private buildings (excluding New Territories exempted houses and buildings of the Hong Kong Housing Authority) which are 50 years old or above, and by 2032 the figure is estimated to increase to 15,800. We have to address the issue of aging and dilapidated buildings. Fellow PM industry members may timely reflect to the owners’ organisation of a building subject to actual circumstances and propose to carry out appropriate maintenance and repair, and provide to the owners’ organisation information on the Buildings Department’s Mandatory Building and Window Inspection Schemes so as to help drive them to carry out building maintenance and repair work.”

​​​​​​​In addition, with the hilly terrain in Hong Kong, natural terrain or private slopes can readily be found adjacent to many properties. At the seminar, Dr James Wong also reminded the PM industry to assist owners in carrying out appropriate slope management work so as to safeguard public safety. He said, “As we are now in the rainy season, the PM industry should be alert and communicate with owners’ organisations timely for carrying out slope inspection and repair work and adopt appropriate mitigation measures. After rainstorm and typhoon, inspection of drains and clearance of blockages should be carried out to minimise the risk of slope accidents. The PMSA just formulated for the industry in the last month the “Slope Management Work” Code of Conduct and Best Practice Guide. Licensed PM companies and PMPs should act in accordance with the guidelines stipulated in the Code and Guide in order to ascertain those slopes whereby property owners are responsible for their maintenance and repair, and thereafter remind and assist owners in carrying out appropriate slope management work.”

The aforementioned seminar is an “Official” learning activity related to “Law and Regulations” in the “Core” content category under the PMSA CPD Scheme. PMP licence holders who attend the seminar can earn two recognised CPD hours and would be awarded electronic certificate of attendance.

​​​​​​​Following the ending of the three-year transitional period under the PM industry licensing regime, the PMSA has implemented the CPD Scheme on mandatory basis in stages. Mandatory participation in CPD activities is required for licensed PMPs in order to drive the PM industry to advance with time and raise its professional standard and status. Licensed PMPs (Tier 1) are required to participate in at least 12 hours of CPD activities/courses which meet the CPD requirement each year from 1 January 2024 onwards, and licensed PMPs (Tier 2) are required to participate in at least 6 hours of CPD activities/courses which meet the CPD requirement each year from 1 January 2025 onwards. The PMSA has, from 1 August 2023 onwards, imposed condition on all newly issued or renewed licences requiring the licensees concerned to meet the mandatory participation requirement in CPD. Non-compliance would affect future licence renewal.

For details, please visit the PMSA website: https://www.pmsa.org.hk/en/professional-development/continuing-professional-development-scheme.