time to time to meet rising costs of maintenance and management. Except where the ratable value of the accommodation is below the minimum at which rates are charged, there is an additional element for rates which is collected with the rent. This amounts to about 17% of the ratable value in urban areas and 11% in the New Territories. A further charge is made for water, varying according to the size of the room, in those premises where individual meters have not been installed. Rents in Mark I and II blocks, which were worked out in 1954 and revised in 1965, are considerably lower, as might be expected in view of the simpler type of accommodation. In these blocks, only the largest rooms attract rates, and for the standard room of 120 square feet the all-in charge is $18 a month, made up of $15 rent and $3 for water. An additional charge of $1.00 per room is made for those Mark I and II blocks which have been rewired. During the year one of the Mark I blocks was converted to self-contained accommoda- tion and new rents were fixed on the basis of the original cost plus the cost of conversion amortized over the remaining life of the block. Individual water supplies were provided in all Mark III blocks and the rent of each room was increased by $0.50 to recover this cost. The monthly charge for the tenant of a standard room of 135 square feet plus a balcony in a Mark V block in the urban areas is $34-$27.50 for rent, and $6.50 for rates.
113. Shop and workshop rents in estates are determined by the size and location of the premises. There are four grades based on location, and shops enjoying the best trading situations adjoining main roads or hawker markets are charged more than those less advantageously placed. Shop units in the Mark I and II estates range in size from 120 to 310 sq. ft. The rents for these shops were recently increased in two stages, the first in November 1968 and the second in April 1969. The rent for a shop of 120 sq. ft. in the urban areas now varies from $45 to $124.50 depending on the grade; the rent includes an element for rates and water charges. As with domestic rooms, Mark III and IV estate shop rents are higher, a Grade A shop of 120 square feet in the urban area being charged $124.50 a month (including rates and water). Workshops are usually in the lowest grade as they are in loca- tions least suitable for retail trade.
114. Rents for units in resettlement factories are calculated on a cost basis, as with domestic rooms, but the capital cost includes the full upset price that would be set if the land were put up for sale by
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