HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT BOARD/BUILDING CONTROL DIVISION (Use of HDB fiats and private houses for business)

Mr Tan Cheng San asked the Minister for National Development and Communications (a) whether the Housing and Development Board allows tenants/owners to use their HDB flats as offices to conduct business and, if so, how many flats are being used for business purposes and what are the terms; and (b) if the HDB allows its flats to be used for business purposes, whether the Building Control Division will allow private houses to be used as offices for business and other purposes.

Dr Tan Eng Liang (for the Minister for National Development and Communications): Mr Speaker, Sir, tenants/owners of HDB flats are not allowed to use their flats for conducting business as the flats are solely designed and intended for residential use.

The question as to whether private houses will be allowed to be used as offices for business and other purposes depends on the following factors: -

(1) Master Plan zoning.

(2) Environmental character of the locality.

(3) Nature and scale of the proposed use.

(4) Compatibility of the use within the building block.

(5) Current policy affecting the use or the area, and

(6) Traffic problem.

The above factors are all taken into consideration when evaluating applications for change of use of residential houses. Generally, change of use from private dwelling house to office or other commercial purposes is disallowed.