Authorities have directed the developer of the One Stanley luxury housing estate in Hong Kong to extend inspections to eight additional properties amid concerns over substandard construction work. The move follows earlier findings of irregularities in house No. 35, including the use of insufficient steel reinforcement in parts of the building.
The Buildings Department identified multiple deviations from approved structural plans at the seaside development, which comprises 32 detached houses and 11 low-rise blocks with a total of 50 flats. Among the properties now subject to inspection are detached houses numbered 5, 8, 16, 17, 19, 32, 33, and 36, as well as the common area of a flat in Block 9.
Sales documents updated by K&K Property, the estate’s developer, reveal that the department found missing wire mesh on a concrete cover of a ground floor beam in house No. 35, as well as discrepancies in steel reinforcement of several slabs. The developer was instructed to carry out thorough checks on the affected units.
Three of the houses under new inspection—Nos. 5, 16, and 17—have been tied up in provisional purchase agreements, with no buyers so far requesting to terminate contracts. House No. 5 was reportedly purchased in January by Tsitara Holdings, whose director is Tseimun Nyamtaihsir, president and CEO of Mongolyn Alt, Mongolia’s largest coal exporter. The property is intended to serve as a retirement residence for the group’s founders. House No. 16 was sold to Supreme Harmony for HK$116.8 million in June, while house No. 17 changed hands in August for HK$118 million.
The concerns came to light after an October 2 report detailed an on-site inspection of No. 35, finding that steel bars used in some areas were insufficient by as much as 75 percent compared with the approved structural design. The homeowner, who purchased the four-bedroom, 3,000-square-foot detached house in 2024 at HK$115.8 million, had lodged a complaint with the Buildings Department earlier in the year, expressing dissatisfaction with the authority’s initial response.
Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn Hon-ho confirmed on Thursday that investigations into house No. 35 remain ongoing. She acknowledged that issues sometimes emerge only after an occupation permit has been granted, explaining that some defects may not be visible at the time of inspection. Linn emphasized that the government would make investigation outcomes public and take legal action against any offenders.
The One Stanley case adds to a broader series of construction quality concerns in Hong Kong. Recent months have seen problems with concrete samples from public housing developments in Tung Chung and defects in the lift systems at Queen Mary Hospital’s new clinical block, delaying its commissioning.
In response to the One Stanley inspection orders, K Wise, a subsidiary of K&K Property, announced it would provide a six-year structural warranty to buyers and arrange for free independent inspections. The developer and the property owners also agreed to jointly commission an independent surveyor to assess the situation comprehensively.
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has refrained from commenting on specific cases but expressed concern about the adherence of professionals to construction standards and the overall quality and safety of building projects across the city.