Certificate of Competence (Clubhouse License) Introduction
Under the Clubs (Safety of Premises) Ordinance (Cap. 376), “club” means any corporation or society formed for the purpose of providing social or recreational facilities to its members and which: (A) provides services to members (whether (whether it is for profit); (B) Own a club site that only members and their guests are entitled to use. “Club Premises” means the premises or any part thereof which are exclusively for the permanent or temporary use of the Club and its members.
In short, “Certificate of Eligibility for Clubs” (abbreviation in the industry: clubhouse card) refers to a group of friends (members) who need a place that can provide food, drink and entertainment. Therefore, when applying, you need to submit a list of members to the authorities, because it is not open to the public. The reason is that all the entrances will be marked with “Members Only”. Therefore, it is relatively loose to apply for food signs from the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department to meet the requirements of fire-fighting equipment, sanitary conditions, ventilation, etc., and the cost is also relatively high. slightly cheaper
What not to do:
Set up the clubhouse in a building where the deed of mutual covenant or the terms of the lease prohibit the premises from being used as the clubhouse and/or the related purposes of the clubhouse (copies of the deed of mutual covenant and the government lease can be obtained at the Land Registry upon payment of a fee);
locating the club premises where there is no adequate means of escape;
Set up the meeting place in an industrial building, since most industrial buildings have a high fire risk and are generally not suitable as a meeting place;
Set up the meeting place on the floors above the ground floor of the single-terrace building;
Locate the club at premises on or below the fourth floor of the basement;
Locating club premises in areas designated for emergency or access purposes, such as fire floors or public areas of buildings;
locate the club at premises with kitchen facilities directly below a registered school, child care center or residential care home;
Locate the club at the premises where there are UBWs;
commence any construction, renovation or fitting-out works before the Licensing Office staff visit the premises with you to conduct an initial inspection and advise on any improvement works that may be required;
commencing business before obtaining a certificate of compliance issued by the Licensing Office;
Ignore the requirements of other government departments, including the Buildings Department, Fire Services Department, Electrical and Mechanical Services Department and Environmental Protection Department (even if a certificate of compliance has been issued by the Licensing Authority).
Things to do:
The supporting documents for the establishment and operation of the club should be prepared, including the charter of the club, purpose of establishment, main business and activities, criteria and procedures for recruiting members;
Bear in mind that the club site must only provide services and facilities to members or the guests they bring in order to be issued a certificate of compliance;
employ qualified contractors to carry out the required improvement works;
employ a registered fire service installation contractor to carry out the required fire service installation works;
Keep all registered plans and documents issued by the Licensing Office safe for reference at all times. All content is subject to the final announcement of relevant government departments
