Property Management Services Authority’s
​​​​​​​“Handling Drainage Work” Code of Conduct to be Gazetted This Month

The Property Management Services Authority (PMSA) announced today that the “Handling Drainage Work” Code of Conduct to be issued pursuant to Section 5(1) of the Property Management Services Ordinance (Cap. 626) would be gazetted within this month. The respective Best Practice Guide has also been prepared. The Code and Guide provide practical guidance for licensed property management (PM) companies and practitioners on management of drainage facilities in properties, extreme weather contingency measures, executing relevant repair / investigation order, monitoring service contractors and keeping record, as well as proper notification and follow-up work.

Dr James Wong, Chairperson of the PMSA, said, “The frequency and intensity of extreme weather events caused by climate change have been increasing. Good management of drainage facilities can effectively enhance the flood resilience capacity of properties and buildings, and prevent/reduce impact and losses arising from unexpected emergencies caused by extreme weather conditions, e.g. flooding, flash floods, landslides, slope collapses, etc. Licensed PMCs and PMPs should act in accordance with the guidelines stipulated in the “Handling Drainage Work” Code of Conduct and the respective Best Practice Guide to ascertain drainage facilities which property owners are responsible to maintain, and remind and assist them to carry out drainage management work properly.”

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 “Guidelines on Flood Resilience” issued by the Drainage Services Department (DSD), and in consultation with PMSA Recognised Professional Bodies, the PM industry, owners’ organisations, and relevant Government departments including the Home Affairs Department and the Buildings Department, DSD, etc. The feedback obtained from the consultation has been appropriately reflected in the Code and Guide.

The above Code and Guide can be downloaded from the PMSA webpage: https://www.pmsa.org.hk/en/regulatory-framework/codes-of-conduct

Besides the aforementioned Code and Guide, the PMSA has already issued a total of 23 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”, “Handling Fire Safety Work” and “Slope Management Work”.

​​​​​​​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: