Urging owners to fulfil their responsibilities for proper maintenance of their properties, the Chief Executive announced in the 2025 Policy Address that a pilot scheme will be introduced in the first half of 2026 by the Joint Office to enhance inspection and testing procedures for handling water seepage problems in buildings.

Under the pilot scheme, the Joint Office will add the infrared test at Stage I of the investigation to expedite the identification of the sources of water seepage. If it is shown that the moisture content is higher than the specified level and the water seepage is suspected to be caused by the upper unit, a “Notification Letter” will be issued to the owner of upper unit to request carrying out inspection and repair work on his/her own within a specified timeframe.

If water seepage persists after the “Notification Letter” has expired, the Joint Office will conduct Stage II and Stage III investigations and recover the costs incurred from the owner. At the same time, the Joint Office will streamline the procedures by carrying out Stage II and Stage III investigations, which were originally to be conducted sequentially, in parallel for better efficiency.

The Joint Office will assess the effectiveness of the pilot scheme and continuously review tools applicable to water seepage investigation.