Maintenance priority setting for private residential buildings in Hong Kong

Buildings are being constructed at an alarming speed as a result of unlimited demands around the world. However, lack of initiatives from building owners in undertaking systematic and planned preventive maintenance for privately owned residential buildings has become a contributing factor to premature aging and dilapidation. Most building owners rely on building professionals to take up the responsibilities of maintenance works. Building maintenance becomes a major concern of most building professionals in Hong Kong. However, maintenance budgets do not always meet the ever-increasing needs. Priorities must be set for different aspects of maintenance works. Priority setting is normally based on the professional knowledge and experience of building professions such as property managers or building surveyors, whose attitude may affect the priority setting and the decision making. Maintenance priority setting refers to establishing priority for different maintenance aspects. This paper investigates the attitude toward maintenance priority setting from building owners and building professionals by examining (1) the opinions on professional knowledge and experience that affect maintenance decision making; (2) the overall standards of private residential buildings; (3) the responsibilities for proper upkeep of the buildings; and (4) reasons for building deteriorations. A questionnaire survey among building owners and building professionals was conducted. The building owners and building professionals generally agreed that buildings are of poor quality, although the building owners do not believe that the proper upkeep of the buildings is their responsibility. The owners' lack of awareness, lack of voluntary initiatives, and unwillingness to bear the maintenance cost are the three most common reasons for building deteriorations found from the survey results. The paper suggests improving awareness of building maintenance by providing seminars to owners and the public, and increasing the maintenance budget for residential buildings.