HDB Units Sold with Recess Areas before 2005 and Now Deemed Not Allowable and Plans to Retrofit Affected Units to Ensure Compliance with Current Safety Guidelines

Mr Leon Perera asked the Minister for National Development (a) what is the number of HDB units which owners have bought recess areas before 2005 that would not be deemed allowable under (i) current HDB guidelines and (ii) current safety guidelines prescribed by the SCDF; and (b) whether HDB plans to retrofit the affected units to ensure compliance with current safety guidelines.

Mr Desmond Lee: Under the Sale of Recess Area Scheme, flat owners can buy the space fronting their flat if the area meets HDB’s Scheme conditions at the point of sale, including compliance with prevailing fire safety regulations. HDB does not maintain a record of sold recess areas that may not meet current conditions of sale as updates to the conditions are not applied retrospectively. Flat owners would have met the Scheme conditions and prevailing fire safety regulations, at the point they purchased the recess area.

While the SCDF does not apply updates to fire safety regulations retrospectively, property owners who are undertaking fire safety works are required to ensure that they comply with the latest fire safety regulations. The approach is applied to HDB flat owners who own recessed areas – flat owners who wish to renovate their existing purchased recess areas will be required to comply with the latest prevailing fire safety regulations.