Is the expected increase in property value the main concern for owner-occupants to carry out building rehabilitation works in Hong Kong?

Abstract

The building rehabilitation issue for the common areas of the multi-storey buildings had aroused public concern in the recent years in Hong Kong. While there were previous researches for examining the approaches for owners to carry out building rehabilitation works for the common areas, the underlying reasons for owner-occupants to engage in carry out rehabilitation works for the common areas was relatively unexplored. This paper started with the investigation of the level of understanding for the concept of common areas in multi-storey buildings by the owner-occupants, followed by examining whether the expected increase in property value was the main concern for owner-occupants to carry out building rehabilitation works by through the methodology of questionnaire survey and in-depth interview. The findings from the respondents revealed that the expected increase in property value was NOT the main concern for owner-occupants to carry out building rehabilitation works for the common areas while among various reasons, the statutory order from the government was actually the main driving force for owners to engage in building rehabilitation works for their buildings. This paper was expected to serve as a catalyst for further studies for the building rehabilitation issue of multi-storey buildings in Hong Kong in the future.