HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT BOARD FLATS (Safety and maintenance of windows)

Column: 1035

HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT BOARD FLATS:

(Safety and maintenance of windows): 13.

Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan asked the Minister for National Development with

Column: 1036

the impending implementation of the Building Maintenance and Strata Management Act, whether HDB is or will be looking into ways to help and educate affected residents deal with the need to ensure that their windows do not fall off by getting contractors to check and, if necessary, change the windows.

The Minister of State for National Development (Mr Cedric Foo Chee Keng) (for the Minister for National Development): Sir, under their Lease Agreement with HDB, HDB flat owners are responsible for maintaining the windows in their flats in good condition. Like private sector homeowners, they need to comply with the Building Maintenance and Strata Management Actwhich requires them to maintain their windows properly and ensure that they are safe.

To informresidents on their responsibility, HDB has implemented a number of initiatives since the beginning of this year. These include:

(1) Distributing to every household a "HDB Residents' Handbook" to help residents carry out simple checking and maintenance of their windows;

(2) Sending out an advisory letter to all households on where to findapproved contractors to check and repair their windows if necessary;

(3) Placing advertisements in the major newspapers to reiterate the same message;

(4) Putting up posters on the notice boards of Town Councils and Residents' Committees to remind residents to check their windows; and

(5) Working closely with grassroots organisations to publicise the window legislation to residents throughex-

Column: 1037

hibitions, community events and at block parties.

VariousTown Councils have alsonegotiated special rates with approved contractors to lower the cost of retrofitting windows for the benefit of our residents.HDB will continue to educate residents on window safety and maintenance. However, I must stress that every resident must also play his or her part in ensuring that our high-rise living environment is safe and pleasant.

Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan: I understand that HDB is replacing windows of flats which are less than five years old from the date of taking or handing over and there is some sense of urgency among the other residents as regards replacement of the rivets. I would like to ask the Minister if the HDB can consider giving information regarding, say, the estimated cost of replacement of such windows, as well as the standards that will meet HDB's requirements so that they would not be unwittingly taken advantage of.

Mr Cedric Foo Chee Keng: Sir, there are two programmes as regards rivet replacement for aluminium casement windows of HDB flats. The first programme involves HDB-installed windows. Under this programme, HDB will conduct a goodwill rivet-replacement programme whereby residents will be informed beforehand that a particular contractor has been assigned by HDB to conduct the replacement and the cost will be shared between the resident and HDB. Our estimated cost foreach resident is in the range of $35 to $82, depending on the size of the flat and how many windows in the flat require rivetreplacement.

For privately-installed windows, ie, windows that are installed privately by the lessees themselves, HDB has worked with various Town Councils to negotiate bulk

Column: 1038

rates with nine bulk contractors, and these contractors are offering between $106 and $250 for each housing unit. However, residents are free to choose any BCA approved contractors in the market, if they feel that they can get a better deal.