D. Subsidy in relation to the MBIS and MWIS
To help owners comply with the MBIS, the Government launched a Mandatory Building Inspection Subsidy Scheme to provide financial assistance to eligible owners. The essential features of this Scheme can be summarized as follows:
Eligibility
Owners of units in a private residential or composite (i.e. commercial and residential) building aged 30 years or above who have received an MBIS pre-notification letter or statutory notice are eligible under the Subsidy Scheme. One further criterion is that the average rateable value per residential unit in the building must not exceed $187,000 per annum for properties in the urban area (including Shatin, Kwai Tsing, Tsuen Wan) or $143,000 per annum for properties in the New Territories.
However, if the building has only one owner, this owner is not eligible under the Subsidy Scheme.
Buildings with or without an Owners’ Corporation
For buildings with an owners’ corporation, the corporation (or the management committee) has to pass a resolution to apply for the Subsidy and to authorize a committee member(s) to sign the relevant documents.
For buildings without an owners’ corporation, the owners of the units in the building have to hold a meeting to resolve to apply for the Subsidy and to authorize a representative(s) to sign the relevant documents.
Use of the Subsidy
The Subsidy is confined to expenses for the first inspection conducted by a Registered Inspector and must be used for the inspection of common areas.
The maximum amount of the Subsidy depends on the total number of units covered by each statutory notice:
Number of units
|
Subsidy amount
|
20 units or below
|
up to $25,000
|
21 – 49 units
|
up to $35,000
|
50 – 200 units
|
up to $60,000
|
201 units or above
|
up to $100,000
|
Subsidy for the MWIS?
It should be noted that the MBIS Subsidy is applicable only to buildings under the MBIS, not to those under the MWIS. However, if the owners receive pre-notification letters (or statutory notices) for both the MBIS and the MWIS at the same time, and employ the same person for Registered Inspector under the MBIS and for the Qualified Person under the MWIS, any remaining subsidy may be used for the inspection of windows in common areas under the MWIS.