Regulatory Changes for Private Residential Property
Summary
Enhanced Sales Documentation Requirements
What developers must now show in sales documents:
- Structural walls - These are load-bearing walls that cannot be removed or modified. Buyers need to know where these are located to understand renovation limitations
- Refuse chambers - The designated areas for trash collection/disposal within the development
Why this matters: Currently, buyers may purchase a unit without knowing exactly which walls are structural or where waste management areas are located. They might plan renovations or assume certain modifications are possible, only to discover later that structural walls restrict their options or that refuse chambers are near their unit.
Enhanced Sales Documentation Requirements
What developers must now show in sales documents:
- Structural walls - These are load-bearing walls that cannot be removed or modified. Buyers need to know where these are located to understand renovation limitations
- Refuse chambers - The designated areas for trash collection/disposal within the development
Why this matters: Currently, buyers may purchase a unit without knowing exactly which walls are structural or where waste management areas are located. They might plan renovations or assume certain modifications are possible, only to discover later that structural walls restrict their options or that refuse chambers are near their unit.
By requiring developers to clearly mark these features upfront in the sales plans, buyers can:
- Make better-informed purchase decisions from the start
- Understand renovation constraints before buying
- Avoid disputes with developers after purchase about what can or cannot be modified
- Know the exact layout and facilities placement in advance
This transparency reduces post-purchase conflicts between buyers and developers over misunderstood or unclear property features.
Developer Track Record Transparency:
- Developers must disclose their track records to prospective buyers
- Must include Construction Quality Assessment System (Conquas) banding of past projects
- Allows buyers to compare quality standards across developers and identify those with consistent quality delivery
Extended Defects Liability Period:
- Start date adjusted from the 15th day to the 35th day after progress payment notice is issued at Temporary Occupation Permit (TOP) stage
- Gives buyers more time (an extra 20 days) to inspect new homes and notify developers of defects
- Better aligns with the actual possession timeline, since developers have 21 days to deliver possession after collecting payment
- Also applies to when home buyers' maintenance charge liability begins
Key Benefit: Minister Chee Hong Tat noted these changes help buyers make more informed decisions while ensuring a level playing field for developers, ultimately raising industry standards.
These regulations aim to increase transparency and protect home buyers in Singapore's private residential market.