The Chinese-language newspaper Ming Pao reported on 5 July 2026 on the fire safety issues of three three-nil buildings (buildings without owners’ corporations, residents’ organisations, or property management companies) in Wan Chai and Sham Shui Po, which are also relevant to the five-storey buildings in Sai Kung town. These articles are translated into English for the non-Chinese-speaking readers of the Sai Kung Buzz to raise awareness of fire safety in our community.
70% of 60 “Three-Nil” buildings inspected breached Fire Safety Rules with no alarms or hose reels
IoT Alarm Installation Requires “Sufficient Owners’ Authorisation”; Lawmaker Suggests Allowing Applications from Individual Units
There are more than 3,000 “three-nil buildings” (buildings without owners’ corporations, residents’ organisations, or property management companies) across Hong Kong. Ming Pao reporters conducted site inspections at 60 three-nil buildings aged 60 years or older in Sham Shui Po and Wan Chai. Over 70% of them were found to be completely lacking both fire alarms and fire hose reels, failing to meet statutory requirements. Two of these buildings had experienced fires within the past five years.
In recent years, the Fire Services Department (FSD) has introduced measures targeting old buildings, including the “Internet of Things (IoT) Fire Detection System”, which allows buildings to install wireless fire detectors and sounders as a low-cost alternative to traditional fire-fighting installations. However, applications require authorisation from either an Owners’ Corporation (OC) or a “sufficient number” of property owners. Furthermore, early last year, the FSD and the Buildings Department (BD) stepped in to undertake fire safety works on behalf of ten selected buildings, but none of these projects has been completed to date.
The Hong Kong Owners Club noted that it is notoriously difficult to assemble ownership shares in old three-nil buildings to participate in the “IoT scheme”. It urged the authorities to specify the exact proportion of ownership shares required. A Legislative Council member described the new measures as lacking the necessary power to handle three-nil buildings, suggesting instead that the scheme be relaxed to allow individual flats to apply independently.
73% of inspected buildings lack essential equipment
According to Legislative Council documents from February this year, as of December 2024, there were 3,067 three-nil buildings across Hong Kong, with Sham Shui Po and Wan Chai accounting for 369 and 182 buildings respectively. Based on the list provided by the Home Affairs Department, Ming Pao inspected 60 buildings over 60 years old in these two districts. The investigation revealed that 46 buildings lacked fire alarms and 45 lacked fire hose reels. A total of 44 buildings lacked both, representing 73% of the sampled properties.
The 44 buildings lacking fire protection systems were predominantly single-block old buildings. Those in Sham Shui Po mostly consisted of subdivided flats, with only six buildings having fire extinguishers installed on floors or at the main entrance. Properties in Wan Chai were mainly commercial-residential mixed buildings. FSD records show that at least two of the inspected buildings had fires within the past five years. Among them, 54-56 Un Chau Street recorded two fire incidents. A 69-year-old tenant living in a subdivided flat there told Ming Pao that during last year’s fire, no one knocked on his door to alert him. He only realised there was a fire when he opened his door and saw water flooding the corridor.
A wooden staircase has been placed on the stairs of the unlicensed building at No. 128-130 Yuanzhou Street. A notice from the Fire Services Department’s Public Safety Division states that obstructing fire exits is a criminal offense, punishable by a maximum fine of HK$100,000. (Photo by Zeng Xianzong)
FSD: Buildings struggling to gather ownership shares may join under Deed of Mutual Covenant; Landlords Association bewildered
Under the law, older buildings constructed in or before 1987 must be equipped with fire hydrants, hose reels, fire alarm systems, and emergency lighting. Failure to comply results in the issuance of a “Fire Safety Direction” (Direction) and fines. The FSD launched the “IoT Fire Detection System” this year as a low-cost alternative for buildings of six storeys or fewer. With the authorisation of an OC or a sufficient number of owners, buildings can install fire detectors, sounders, and fire extinguishers instead of conventional systems.
When asked how the department would handle cases in which three-nil building owners fail to reach a consensus or are unreachable, the FSD replied that it understands that some buildings face practical difficulties. Consequently, the department will accept applications from target buildings that are facing difficulties securing 100% owners’ authorisation, provided the application complies with the building’s Deed of Mutual Covenant (DMC). As of June, the FSD had received 35 letters of intent for the IoT system.
Government-led default works on 10 buildings face delays
A pilot scheme launched by the FSD and BD last year selected 10 buildings for the government to carry out fire safety works first (with costs recovered later). To date, none have been completed. The FSD stated that engineering contracts have been awarded for all 10 buildings; the first is expected to be completed shortly, while the remaining projects are slated for completion by the second quarter of next year. The FSD stressed that if a building fails to apply for the IoT system and is not selected for default works, owners must still improve their fire safety installations in accordance with the Directions.
The IoT letter of intent specifies that buildings without an OC must obtain authorisation from a “sufficient number” of owners, meaning either the percentage of ownership shares specified in the DMC or unanimous consent from all owners.
Shea Hing-wan, president of the Hong Kong Owners Club, pointed out that the DMCs of most old buildings are rudimentary and rarely contain explicit provisions regarding fire safety works in common areas. Without such clauses, unanimous consent from all ownership shares is legally required. Even where provisions exist, a high threshold is usually demanded. He expressed bewilderment over how the FSD’s policy of “complying with the DMC without needing all ownership shares” would work in practice. He urged the government to legally define a specific ownership threshold for three-nil buildings to expedite fire safety works, while also helping establish communication channels among untraceable owners.
Lawmaker proposes allowing individual flats to join
Kowloon West LegCo Member Vincent Leung Man-kwong stated that old three-nil buildings have poor fire safety equipment, narrow escape routes, and a high concentration of subdivided flats, drastically increasing fire risks. However, many landlords neglect management after renting out their units, making it difficult to reach a consensus on the IoT scheme. Given the vast number of such buildings across Hong Kong, relying on government default works is unlikely to keep pace with demand. Furthermore, recovering costs from buildings without an OC is incredibly difficult, leading him to describe the current measures as insufficient to resolve the underlying issues. He recommended expanding the IoT scheme to allow individual households to apply directly without tying it to the building’s overall ownership shares, and providing subsidies for elderly households or those receiving Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA).
Former Director of Fire Services Lam Chun-man recalled that during his tenure, he pushed for legislation requiring older buildings to upgrade their fire installations to modern standards. However, with tens of thousands of old buildings in Hong Kong, it is impossible for the FSD to inspect them all at once, nor can fire services installations contractors cope with the sudden volume of work. Consequently, Directions must be issued in phases based on building age and risk. He added that “tenants’ lives belong to themselves,” and advised residents with safety concerns to purchase their own fire extinguishers and smoke detectors rather than relying entirely on the government.
I only realised a fire was being fought when I stepped out in the morning” — subdivided-flat tenant in Three-Nil Building: “The poor have no choice”
A building with no property management, no security, and no property registration (pictured) at 54-56 Un Chau Street, Sham Shui Po, has caught fire twice in the past five years. The fire broke out in a subdivided flat in the early morning of last year. When this newspaper visited the building last month, the exterior walls were still blackened by smoke. (Photo by Tsang Hin-chung)
A Ming Pao investigation has revealed that over 40 old buildings in Wan Chai and Sham Shui Po lack both fire alarms and hose reels, with two having caught fire in the past five years. Following a fire in January last year at 54–56 Un Chau Street in Sham Shui Po, Mr Ng, a 69-year-old second-floor tenant, recalled: “There are no alarms and no escape plans in this building. When I stepped out in the morning and saw everything flooded, I knew they were fighting a fire. No one knocked on doors to tell you!”
The retired Mr Ng lives alone in a 100-sq-ft subdivided flat (one of four units carved from a single flat) for a monthly rent of over HK$4,000. He noted that most residents in the building are older people or ethnic minorities living in subdivided units, and landlords rarely manage the property. He said he was “mentally prepared” for the fire risks: “Your financial situation limits your choices. Moving to a better place would probably cost HK$7000~8000.He noted that the rent here is acceptable to me, but the risk is definitely higher. I have no choice.”
Safety Association urges installation of smoke detectors
Ming Pao reporters visited the building with Cheung Ching-fung, chairman of the Hong Kong Survival and Disaster Preparedness Council (HKSDPC). The building’s external walls remain smoke-blackened, and the fire-damaged sixth-floor unit is in complete disarray with a pungent smell of burning. The escape staircases across multiple floors were pitch-black, fire-rated doors were left wide open, and the fire extinguishers on the stairs had expired past their annual inspection dates.
Cheung observed that while fluorescent tubes were installed in the stairwells, there was no electricity. The lack of lighting poses a severe hazard to residents during an evacuation and represents a major fire safety breach. He added that a licensed guest house on the first floor likely increases foot traffic, and guests unfamiliar with the building’s layout could face chaos during an evacuation due to the lack of fire alarms. He advised residents to install standalone smoke detectors in their units to buy critical evacuation time, and to clear rubbish bins from the main staircase to prevent blockages.
Yung Chun-tang, chairman of the Association of Registered Fire Service Installation Contractors (FSICA) of Hong Kong, emphasised that fire doors must be kept closed at all times and escape routes kept clear. If a fire cannot be extinguished immediately, timing one’s escape is paramount. He encouraged building owners to form Owners’ Corporations and engage fire service contractors for annual inspections and repairs to ensure equipment remains functional. He reminded owners and property management companies that recent amendments to the Fire Services Ordinance carry heavier criminal liabilities for failing to conduct annual inspections.
FSD distributes fire extinguishers to 5,840 households
In April 2024, the FSD launched its Disaster Management Programme, distributing fire extinguishers, fire blankets, and standalone fire detectors to residents of old buildings in need. The department stated that as of the end of May this year, 5,840 households had received these items.
In Sham Shui Po, reporters also visited eight three-nil buildings over 60 years old along Pei Ho Street. Six lacked alarms and hose reels, and three had stairwells littered with cigarette butts and miscellaneous debris. The FSD told Ming Pao that Fire Safety Directions have been issued to the relevant buildings.
The first floor of the “Three-Nil Building” at Nos. 54-56 Yuanzhou Street is a hotel, while the remaining floors are mostly subdivided flats. Fire extinguishers are placed on the main staircase, but there are no hose reels or alarm bells. (Photo by Zeng Xianzong)
10 Fire Hazard Abatement Notices issued to Wan Chai Three-Nil Buildings
In Wan Chai, out of 12 three-nil buildings aged 60 years or older on Lockhart Road, 10 lacked alarms and hose reels. Some of these buildings house commercial businesses such as party rooms and beauty salons.
At 529–531 Lockhart Road, a 71-year-old building, notices are posted explicitly stating that it lacks lighting, fire alarms, and sprinkler systems, and appealing to residents not to leave rubbish in the stairwells. The FSD stated that there was one minor electrical fire in the building over the past five years. Over the past year, ten Fire Hazard Abatement Notices (FHAN) were issued, all of which have been complied with. Fire Safety Directions have also been issued for the property.
At 12-14 Yiu Wa Street in Causeway Bay, a notice from last August and a quotation from a fire service contractor were displayed, stating that 11 owners had agreed to commence fire safety works. It requested the remaining owner to reply as soon as possible, noting that if no response were received, the other owners would advance the funds and recover the costs later. A Fire Safety Direction issued by the FSD was stuck to the building’s entrance, stating compliance was required by 21st May this year. However, reporters saw no active fire safety works on site.
The Home Affairs Department responded that it has tried to contact the owners of the aforementioned buildings to encourage the formation of OCs. Furthermore, non-governmental organisations commissioned by the department have contacted 216 target buildings, 33 of which have now engaged property management companies to implement “Joint Property Management”.
Original Articles from Ming Pao
https://news.mingpao.com/p1783187574173
https://news.mingpao.com/p1783186556319
Sam Fan’s technical publications and his previous articles on fire safety in Sai Kung Town are available on his website: https://samkwfan.wixsite.com/samkwfan.
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