HAD appeals to property management companies and practitioners to promptly apply for licences (with photo)
******************************************************************************************
The Director of Home Affairs, Mrs Alice Cheung, attended the 2023 Property Management Year Commencement Ceremony organised by the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Property Managers last Saturday (January 7). On the occasion, she reminded the property management (PM) trade that the licensing regime under the Property Management Services Ordinance (Cap. 626) (PMSO) shall be fully implemented from August 1 this year. By then, all PM companies (PMCs) and PM practitioners (PMPs) must hold valid PM licences pursuant to the law in order to provide PM services. The Home Affairs Department (HAD) appealed to PMCs and PMPs who have not applied for licences to promptly submit their applications. Owners’ corporations/owners’ organisations should also urge the PMCs they engaged to submit licence applications as soon as practicable.
The implementation of the mandatory licensing regime under the PMSO and the prescription of professional requirements for PMCs and PMPs would enhance the quality of PM services and promote the development of the PM trade. As at the end of 2022, the Property Management Services Authority (PMSA) has issued nearly 300 PMC licences and over 10 000 PMP licences. The HAD expects that around 28 000 private buildings and over 3.6 million residents will be benefited after the full implementation of the licensing regime.
The PMSO provides that a PMC providing more than one category of PM services for a property (e.g. management of the environment of a property; repair, maintenance and improvement of a property; facility management relating to a property, etc) shall hold a licence. As for PMPs, those who assume a managerial or supervisory role in a PMC in relation to its PM services shall hold a PMP (Tier 1) licence or PMP (Tier 2) licence depending on their academic qualifications, work experiences and whether they possess the professional qualifications of the Recognised Professional Bodies of the PMSA. Frontline staff are not required to obtain PMP licences.
For details of the PM licensing regime, please visit the website of the PMSA (www.pmsa.org.hk) or contact the PMSA at 3696 1111.