Homeowners experiencing water seepage issues can expect more timely assistance thanks to new procedures introduced by the Joint Office (JO) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government on Thursday, which are designed to address concerns more efficiently while encouraging cooperation among neighbors.

A new notification system has been introduced to reduce delays, whereby if an upper-floor unit is suspected of causing a leak, the JO will notify the owner within approximately 14 working days of receiving the report.

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The notification requires the owner to complete necessary inspections and repairs within 28 calendar days, significantly speeding up the process by about 57 working days compared to the previous approach, which involved waiting for a full investigation to conclude before taking action.

In the initial investigation of a leakage, infrared thermography will be used along with electronic moisture meters to assess the seepage conditions and identify the source. The government said that continued non-compliance may lead to prosecution and court-issued nuisance orders. Owners of upper units who fail to fulfill their responsibilities could incur examination costs of at least HK$17,000 ($2,170).

To support property owners facing repair challenges, the government has introduced technical and financial assistance programs, including a new water seepage webpage that provides directories of certified professionals, contractors, and mediators, along with reference pricing for investigations and repairs.