Q2. Does the landlord violate any laws if he/she alters the meter to overcharge the utility fees for a sub-divided unit?
Whether the landlord has altered the meter or not, the landlord commits an offence if the landlord requires the tenant to pay for, or the landlord otherwise receives from the tenant the reimbursement of the charges for any of the specified utilities and services at a sum exceeding the apportioned amount for the subdivided unit as shown in the abovementioned account or the aggregate of the apportioned amounts exceeds the billed amounts. The landlord is liable on a first conviction to a fine at level 3 (currently HK$10,000), and on a second or subsequent conviction to a fine at level 4 (currently HK$25,000).
A landlord who fraudulently alters the meter to overcharge the utility fees for a sub-divided unit may commit further criminal offences.
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