<Copy from https://www.pmsa.org.hk/en/press-release-en/20220809/>
The Property Management Services Authority (PMSA) announced today the launch of the Licence Application Appointment Booking Scheme which allows property management companies (PMCs) to reserve a suitable timeslot within the period between September 2022 and May 2023 for submitting licence application, thus enabling PMCs which comply with the law to be licensed before the end of the transitional period of the property management (PM) industry licensing regime (i.e. July 31, 2023) in order for them to continue to provide PM services seamlessly after the transitional period. The PMSA has also issued letters on the same day to all PMCs in Hong Kong which have yet to begin the licence application procedures and make appeal to them for participation in the Licence Application Appointment Booking Scheme.
Under the Licence Application Appointment Booking Scheme, there are daily quotas for license application which will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis. The PMSA will strive to make arrangements subject to the preference of PMCs as far as possible. PMCs may make reservation through the PMSA’s PMC licence application hotline (3696 1157). PMSA staff will also actively reach out to PMCs with contact particulars and help them to make reservation under the Scheme.
If PMCs do not participate in the Scheme and choose to submit applications within the two months before the end of the transitional period of the licensing regime (i.e. June to July 2023), delay in licensing work may occur and the PMSA cannot guarantee the issue of licence before July 31, 2023. Such PMCs may thus not be licensed before the end of the transitional period thereby facing the risk of not being able to provide PM services seamlessly after the end of the transitional period.
Mr Tony TSE, Chairperson of the PMSA said, “Upon receipt of all the application documents and materials required, the PMSA normally takes 25 working days to finish processing a PMC’s licence application and the vetting procedures. However, if the PMC is of a larger scale and manages comparatively more properties, the vetting procedures of its licence application will be more complicated and hence will require a longer period of time to complete the verification work required. In case a large number of PMCs choose to submit licence application within a short period of time before the end of the transitional period, the PMSA might not be able to handle these applications in time and the processing time for licence applications would be affected. The processing work, as a result, might not be completed before the end of the transitional period. Therefore, the PMSA strongly appeals to PMCs which have yet to apply for licence that they should call immediately the PMSA’s PMC licence application hotline and make reservation to initiate the PMC licence application process.”
The PM industry licensing regime was implemented from August 1, 2020 with a three-year transitional period. From 1 August 2023 onwards, all PMCs providing more than one category of prescribed PM services for properties (subject to deeds of mutual covenant) and property management practitioners (PMPs) assuming a managerial or supervisory role in such PMCs providing PM services are required to be licensed in accordance with the law in order to continue to provide PM services. Failure to be licensed by the end of the transitional period will affect the provision of PM service and the PMC may contravene the law.
Since the implementation of the PM industry licensing regime, the PMSA has already received licence applications from nearly 300 PMCs, of which more than 110 have successfully been licensed. In addition, the PMSA has issued over 8,000 PMP licences.