Office of Licensing Authority of Home Affairs Department steps up enforcement actions against unlicensed hotels/guesthouses before National Day holidays
In view of the National Day holidays, the Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA) of the Home Affairs Department conducted operations against suspected unlicensed hotels/guesthouses in Central and Western District, Wan Chai District, Eastern District and Yau Tsim Mong District from September 24 to 30 to ensure the safety of tourists as well as the general public.
A spokesman for the OLA said, "During the operation, the OLA carried out surprise inspections on 71 premises based on intelligence received, of which five premises were suspected of operating unlicensed hotels/guesthouses. The OLA will initiate prosecution on cases with sufficient evidence after completion of the investigation."
In view of the recent emergence of new forms of short-term accommodation services in the community, the OLA has also stepped up its inspection efforts since March 2026. In particular, surprise inspections were carried out on 13 Internet computer services centres (commonly known as cyber cafes). Some of the cyber cafes were found to be suspected of providing overnight accommodation services. Evidence of suspected unlicensed guesthouse operations was collected, and the OLA will initiate prosecution against the relevant cases.
The spokesman stressed, "Operating unlicensed hotels/guesthouses is a criminal offence, and such an offence leads to a criminal record upon conviction. According to the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance, an offender is liable to three years' imprisonment and a maximum fine of $500,000. A fine of $20,000 for each day can also be imposed during which the offence continues. A six-month closure order may also be issued for a hotel/guesthouse involved in a repeated offence. Moreover, a licensed hotel/guesthouse which contravenes any licensing conditions (e.g. carrying out alteration and addition works without seeking prior approval) is liable to a maximum fine of $100,000 and two years' imprisonment. A fine of $10,000 for each day can also be imposed during which the offence continues."
To enhance deterrence against unlicensed hotels and guesthouses, the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance was amended in 2020 to empower the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Authority to apply to the court, upon the second conviction within 16 months of operating an unlicensed hotel/guesthouse or the new strict liability offence in respect of the same premises, to issue a closure order to close the premises for six months. As at October 1, the OLA has applied for five closure orders under the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance from the court, of which three closure orders have been issued by the court.
Apart from conducting special operations during festive seasons, the OLA also steps up efforts to combat unlicensed guesthouses via online platforms. The OLA has strengthened its intelligence collection by forming a dedicated team to browse webpages, mobile applications, social media, discussion forums, etc, to search for information and intelligence on suspected unlicensed guesthouses. The OLA's law enforcement officers will initiate follow-up investigations when information on unlicensed guesthouses advertised via online platforms is found. The OLA also conducts publicity work on Internet search engines outside Hong Kong to enable tourists' access to the information provided by the OLA in the course of planning their trips to Hong Kong.
Tourists and members of the public can make use of the search functions on the OLA's website (www.hadla.gov.hk) to check whether the hotel/guesthouse concerned is licensed or not. Any suspected unlicensed hotel/guesthouse should be reported to theOLA by the hotline (Tel: 2881 7498), by email (hadlaenq@had.gov.hk), by fax (2504 5805), or through the mobile application "Hong Kong Licensed Hotels and Guesthouses".
The Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA) of the Home Affairs Department conducted operations at tourist accommodation hotspots in Central and Western District, Wan Chai District, Eastern District and Yau Tsim Mong District from September 24 to 30 to inspect suspected unlicensed hotels/guesthouses. Photo shows an OLA enforcement officer searching for evidence in a suspected unlicensed guesthouse. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
