XN000022-1980-08-26 — Page 2

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 26, 1980

HELP FOR THOSE WITH TENANCY PROBLEMS

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RENT OFFICERS OF THE RATING AND VALUATION DEPARTMENT HAVE BEEN HARD PRESSED SINCE FEBRUARY THIS YEAR DUE TO THE ENACTMENT OF LEGISLATION EXTENDING RENT CONTROL TO ALL SITTING TENANCIES OF POST-WAR DOMESTIC PREMISES.

THEY RECEIVED SOME 18 500 APPLICATIONS FROM THE PUBLIC IN THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF THIS YEAR REQUESTING VARIOUS CERTIFICATES AND ENDORSEMENT OF DOCUMENTS. THIS WAS TWICE THE AMOUNT OF APPLICATIONS RECEIVED IN THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR.

THE APPLICATIONS WERE FROM TENANTS AND LANDLORDS REQUESTING FOR ISSUE OF CERTIFICATES OF RENT INCREASE (12 748), CERTIFICATES OF PRIMARY USER (693), REVIEW OF CERTIFICATES OF RENT INCREASE (177) AND FOR ENDORSEMENT OF NOTICES OF AGREED RENT INCREASE (3 220) AND NOTICES OF RENT OF FRESH LETTING (1 593).

COMMENTING ON THIS INCREASE IN BUSINESS, THE ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER IN CHARGE, MR WONG KWONG-SANG, SAID HANDLING OF THE APPLICATIONS WAS SOMETIMES TIME CONSUMING, INVOLVING EXTENSIVE CALCULATION, ASSESSMENT AND SITE INSPECTION BY RENT OFFICERS.

IN PARTICULAR, SOME OF THE APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED WERE OFTEN FOUND TO BE OUTSIDE THE PROVISIONS OF THE ORDINANCE.

CITING EXAMPLES, HE SAID MANY PEOPLE APPLYING FOR REVIEW OF A CERTIFICATE OF RENT INCREASE BY THE RENT TRIBUNAL DID SO,

IN THE CASE OF TENANTS, ON PERSONAL FINANCIAL GROUNDS OR SIMPLY TO AIR A PERSONAL GRIEVANCE, AND IN THE CASE OF LANDLORDS, FOR INGREASE IN RENT BEYOND THE 21 PER CENT CEILING LAID DOWN BY LEGISLATION.

MR WONG POINTED OUT THAT CALCULATION OF THE AMOUNT OF RENT INCREASE IS STIPULATED BY LEGISLATION, TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FAIR MARKET RENT AND THE ACTUAL RENT,

APART FROM DEALING WITH APPLICATIONS, RENT OFFICERS ALSO PROVIDE GUIDANCE AND ASSISTANCE TO THE PUBLIC ON PROBLEMS STEMMING FROM THE LANDLORD AND TENANT ORDINANCE.

IN THE FIRST HALF OF THIS YEAR, THEY ANSWERED OVER 17 000 ENQUIRIES ON VARIOUS TENANCY MATTERS, INCLUDING PERMITTED RENTS OF PRE-WAR DOMESTIC PREMISES, TENANCY AGREEMENTS, AND RECOVERY OF PREMISES.

AS THE PROVISIONS OF THE LEGISLATION ARE RATHER COMPLEX FOR THE PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND CLEARLY, EXPLANATIONS BY THE RENT OFFICERS CAN HELP BOTH LANDLORDS ́AND TENANTS TO UNDERSTAND THE IR RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS.

+ALTHOUGH THEY ARE NOT QUALIFIED TO GIVE LEGAL ADVICE, THEY ARE READY TO HELP SOLVE ANY OTHER LANDLORD-TENANT OR TENANT-SUB- TENANT PROBLEMS.

+VERY OFTEN THEY ACT AS MEDIATORS IN DISPUTES, SUCH AS OVER THE RIGHT TO USE COMMON SPACE, AND GIVE ADVICE TO TENANTS IN CASE LANDLORDS DELIBERATELY REFUSE TO COLLECT RENT.

/+MANY OF