The Housing Board advises homeowners to follow the guidelines below so that renovation works can be carried out legally:
To carry out renovation works in an HDB flat, including those that do not require a renovation permit, flat owners are required to engage an HDB Registered Renovation Contractor (RRC). The list of HDB RRCs is available on the HDB InfoWEB at www.hdb.gov.sg .HDB flat owners can also obtain the list of HDB RRCs through their mobile phones.
Users can download the Mobile @ HDB app on their phones or access the services through http://mobile.hdb.gov.sg.
For renovation work such as demolition of walls, contractors must electronically submit the floor plan showing the proposed renovation works together with the application for renovation works on behalf of flat owners to HDB for approval.
More information is available on the HDB website.
Flat owners must ensure that the renovation works carried out by their contractors are in accordance with the approved renovation permits and guidelines. Flat owners are given information booklets such as a renovation guide and electrical guide for HDB flats when they collect their keys from HDB. This information is also available on the HDB InfoWEB under the section Living in HDB flats >Home Renovation >Knowing the Guidelines.
To minimise inconvenience to neighbours, noisy renovation work like demolition of walls, removing wall and floor finishes, cutting of tiles and drilling works must be done between 9am and 5pm daily on weekdays. Such works are not permitted on weekends or public holidays.
Contractors must also keep neighbours informed by giving them advance notice on the works that will be carried out, as well as display the notice of renovation work outside the flat until all the renovation work is completed. All HDB licensed contractors should be able to advise on what can or cannot be done with or without permission
Here's a list of renovation works that are not allowed in HDB flats:
• Hacking and removal of structural members such as reinforced concrete wall, columns, beams and staircases within maisonette flats
• Loading of the floor slab with a load greater than 150kg for every m sq of floor area Plastering of ceilings
• Partitioning the unit with combustible or toxic emission materials such as plywood or plastics
• Using concrete to raise the floor level beyond the allowable thickness of 50mm.
• Extending the floor area by covering over void deck areas
• Constructing a water tank in the bathroom unless it is a ready-made fibre-glass bathtub
• Repositioning or enlarging the opening of the rubbish bin chute
• Painting external parts of the building
• Installing fixtures outside the unit
• Installing casement windows where the unit's facade is facing common corridor
• Laying floor finishes outside the entrance door without a recess area or step
And here's why some of the renovations works are not allowed:
• They may overload the structure, which may in turn affect the structural integrity and safety of the building
• They will affect the external facade/form of the building or public safety
• They will create a public nuisance, pose a fire hazard or encroach on public areas
• They will infringe the lease agreement, relevant statutory regulations or requirements
For owners of condominiums and private apartments, they should get permission from the Management Committee Strata Title or Managing Office before proceeding with any renovations. The MCST or Managing Office will usually have a list of guidelines derived from the databases of the relevant authorities and advice from the project consultants.
Information is also available at the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and Building Construction Authority (BCA) websites.
This article was first published in The New Paper
