Hong Kong to bar firms with integrity offences from building renovation lists

HONG KONG, TAI PO, 22 SEPTEMBER 2026 —

Hong Kong’s Development Secretary Bernadette Linn announced on Tuesday that building‑maintenance consultants and contractors prosecuted or convicted of integrity‑related offences in the past three years will be barred from the city’s new pre‑qualified lists for owners undertaking renovation projects.

Applications to join the new lists – which will cover inspection consultants, supervision consultants and building‑works contractors – will open on Wednesday and close on 23 October, with the lists to be finalised by the end of the year. Linn told the Legislative Council’s development panel that the lists will be reviewed every two years and that firms convicted of integrity‑related offences will be removed “immediately”.

The eligibility criteria span four areas: technical competence, integrity, financial capacity and past performance.

Under the new framework, companies, their directors, partners and specified employees who are currently under prosecution for integrity‑related offences or who have been convicted in the past three years are barred from joining the lists. Offences covered include bribery, corruption, anti‑competitive behaviour and crimes involving false instruments or forgery.

Background checks conducted by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) will serve as a “safety net”, Linn said, addressing concerns that firms under investigation could still be enrolled while cases are pending. “Some cases may have yet to reach the prosecution stage … the background checks serve as an effective safety net, allowing them to take action behind the scenes when they cannot speak publicly,” she explained.

To qualify, professionals and firms must have completed at least three inspection or repair projects under the mandatory building inspection scheme in the past five years, or an equivalent body of work. In the preceding year they must not have had their professional registration revoked nor been convicted of offences related to site safety, employment, buildings or fire safety.

The lists also incorporate a mechanism for suspending pre‑qualification status if a firm is prosecuted for an integrity offence or is involved in a major site‑safety incident. Conviction of an integrity offence will lead to removal, and firms will also be delisted if they submit false statements during enrolment or bidding, or if their professional or contractor registration is revoked.

Linn expressed confidence that a sufficient number of firms and professionals would meet the “stringent and pragmatic” standards, and she expects tenders that use the pre‑qualified lists to be launched as early as the first quarter of next year. The initiative was first outlined in last Wednesday’s policy address, which pledged to step up support for private owners conducting building‑maintenance work.

The new pre‑qualification regime is expected to reshape Hong Kong’s renovation market, where owners of older blocks have relied on government‑sponsored support services to manage costly repairs. By restricting participation to firms with clean integrity records, the government aims to restore public confidence and reduce the risk of future tragedies linked to substandard renovation work.

The lists will be the only source from which contractors can bid for renovation projects under the support service, effectively making compliance with the new integrity standards a prerequisite for accessing government‑backed renovation assistance.