URA’s Three-pronged Approach to Encourage Preventive Maintenance among Property Owners
Not long after I took up my role at the URA, I already realised that the success or failure of addressing the increasingly acute issue of urban and building aging relies on effective rehabilitation. By implementing building rehabilitation effectively, we can extend the lifespan of buildings, thereby allowing more time and resources for our society to redevelop old and dilapidated buildings, improve the built environment, and accumulate resources for sustainable urban renewal in the long term.
Over the past period, the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) has consistently strengthened its role in “advocating” for and “facilitating” building rehabilitation. In addition to promoting and assisting property owners in organising repair and maintenance projects to enhance building conditions and safety, we have also developed a "Preventive Maintenance" strategy. This initiative helps owners establish regular inspection and maintenance plans for their buildings, ensuring they remain in good condition over time, effectively achieving "prevention in advance" and tackling the root causes of building.
To accomplish this objective, the URA team has adopted a three-pronged approach that encompasses financial assistance, technical support, and public education to promote the concept and practice of "Preventive Maintenance."
Self-funded Preventive Maintenance Scheme to Encourage Owner Participation
In terms of financial assistance, the URA launched a self-funded "Preventive Maintenance Subsidy Scheme" in April last year to support owners' corporations in appointing Authorised Person (AP) to prepare a Building Maintenance Manual (BMM), conduct routine maintenance and repairs, formulate a ten-year maintenance plan, and estimate associated project costs. The scheme also facilitates the establishment of special funds and regular contribution plans to finance these maintenance efforts.
Since the inception of the scheme, the URA has received eight applications involving over 6,000 residential units. The buildings covered range from single-block structures to large housing estates, with ages spanning from over 30 to nearly 60 years. These properties are located in the Central and Western District, Southern District, Eastern District, Kowloon City, and Tuen Mun.
Among these applications, a large estate in the Southern District and two private housing estates in Tuen Mun have received "Approval-in-Principle Letters," benefiting approximately 5,500 households. Two additional applications are currently under review, and we anticipate issuing more "Approval-in-Principle Letters" by the end of this month, enabling these estates to appoint AP to prepare BMM and ten-year maintenance plans for tendering.
Launch of the First Building Maintenance Manual Guidelines and Templates
In addition to offering subsidies to assist property owners in appointing AP for preventive building maintenance and repairs, the URA has taken a significant step by developing the first "Guidelines and Templates for Preparing a Maintenance Manual for Residential and Composite Buildings" (The Guidelines and Templates) applicable to general private buildings. The Guidelines and Templates outline the maintenance tasks and scopes of work for various common areas, detail the maintenance cycles and inspection methods for communal facilities, and provide budget form templates for streamlined planning.
The English version of the Guidelines and Templates was uploaded to the URA’s Building Rehabilitation Platform website in January this year. They are available for reference and use by property owners, owners' corporations, and APs, including registered inspectors and structural engineers.
The Guidelines and Templates Receive Support from Government and Professional Societies
To ensure widespread recognition and application of the Guidelines and Templates, the URA conducted large-scale workshops during the preparation process. These workshops invited over a hundred government departments, professional societies, and industry practitioners involved in building rehabilitation to participate and provide feedback. The URA team consolidated the collected feedback and put them into various sections for the standardisation of the Guidelines and Templates.
The comprehensive set of the Guidelines and Templates spans more than 200 pages, covering professional knowledge such as building rehabilitation terminology and maintenance methods for building structures and common facilities, which may be a bit complex for the average property owners. Therefore, the Guidelines and Templates primarily aim to assist professionals hired by property management companies in estates or buildings, enabling them to formulate preventive maintenance plans and assess financial requirements effectively.
Residence Bel-Air Pioneers in Preventive Maintenance
About two years ago, while preparing the Guidelines and Templates, the URA team collaborated with the owners' committee of Residence Bel-Air, a large private estate on Hong Kong Island, to trial preventive maintenance. Using the Guidelines and Templates as the basis, the URA team provided professional advice and technical support to the owners and the property management company, while optimising the draft Guidelines and Templates based on the insights gained during the trial. Last month, the owners' committee successfully appointed registered inspectors to compile a BMM tailored to their estate's specific needs, which includes plans for future maintenance work and budget estimates.
Mr. Allen Ha, the convenor of the Residence Bel-Air owners' committee's maintenance and repair sub-committee, sent an appreciation letter to thank the URA team for their professional support throughout the process. He expressed that the estate would continue to excel in preventive maintenance, setting a positive example for other private estates and buildings.
Raising Public Awareness of Building Maintenance and Repair
The case of Residence Bel-Air serves as an excellent example of private estate owners taking proactive steps in preventive maintenance. To build on this success and raise awareness among more property owners, ongoing publicity and educational efforts are essential.
To this end, the URA partnered with an electronic media organisation to launch a 15-episode television special titled "Building Rehabilitation and Preventive Maintenance" which aired over three weeks on TVB. Each two-minute episode simplified the complex information of building rehabilitation and preventive maintenance through dramatised presentations, educating the public on the importance of proper building maintenance and promoting a culture of "prevention is better than cure" within society.
Following the broadcast of the television special, the response was overwhelmingly positive. Audience appreciated the vivid performances of the actors that brought out the challenges and solutions in relation to homeownership, building maintenance, repairs, and management. The key messages were directly and effectively delivered to audience, enhancing their understanding of the concepts related to building rehabilitation and preventive maintenance. During the broadcast period, several property management companies from large private estates approached us, sharing that some residents had requested the episodes be replayed within their estates so as to enable more residents to gain a deeper understanding of building rehabilitation and preventive maintenance.
According to data from the television station, the 15 episodes aired during the prime time on TVB Jade were watched by millions of audience, achieving an average viewership rating of 19.3 points, which is close to the 20.5-point average of the current affairs programme broadcast in the same time slot.
Long-term Enhancement of Owners’ "Self-repair" Capability
Through the three-pronged approach mentioned above, the URA encourages and promotes the practice of "preventive maintenance" among property owners, which is a crucial step in advancing building rehabilitation and urban renewal efforts. As social resources are limited, it is unsustainable to rely solely on the Government and URA funding to motivate owners to undertake building repairs and maintenance. In the long term, beyond continuing to strengthen technical support and public education, it is essential to equip owners with the knowledge and skills necessary for "preventive maintenance" and empower them with the capacity and financial means to independently organise regular maintenance. Additionally, enhancing building maintenance regulations is vital to ensure that owners will take their responsibilities. This multi-pronged approach is key to achieving optimal results, ensuring both new and old buildings are properly maintained and remain in good condition.
As I have shared before, the work of urban renewal can be categorised into three cycles. Over the past few decades, due to the serious issue of building aging, our society has remained in the first cycle. If property owners strive to keep their buildings in good condition and conduct preventive maintenance, the lifespan of buildings can be extended, and resources then can be more effectively used for addressing severely dilapidated buildings in old districts and upgrading outdated infrastructure and built environments. This will undoubtedly accelerate the pace and enhance the effectiveness of urban renewal in these areas.