An amendment bill was tabled at the Legislative Council on February 3 to provide a legislative framework for the implementation of mandatory building and window inspection schemes.

      Under the mandatory building inspection scheme, owners of buildings aged 30 years or above, except domestic buildings not exceeding three storeys, will be required to carry out inspections and, if necessary, repair works of the common parts, external walls and projections of the buildings once every 10 years.

      Around 2,000 private buildings involving around 70,000 units will be selected every year and their owners will be required to carry out the inspections and the repair works.

      Under the mandatory window inspection scheme, owners of buildings aged 10 years or above, except domestic buildings not exceeding three storeys, will need to carry out inspections and, if necessary, repair works of all windows of the buildings once every five years.

      The Buildings Department will select around 5,800 private buildings involving about 200,000 units every year and require their owners to carry out window inspections and related repair works.

      Depending on how long it takes for LegCo to scrutinize the bill and enact subsidiary legislation, the Government estimates the two schemes will be implemented in the fourth quarter of 2011 or early 2012 at the earliest.