HDB investigating BTO flats listed on the market after being left ‘vacant’ throughout minimal occupation interval

SINGAPORE – The Housing Board is investigating circumstances of Construct-To-Order flats listed for sale on property portals after they had been allegedly left vacant through the five-year minimal occupation interval (MOP).

Between 2017 and November 2022, 53 errant flat homeowners who didn’t reside of their HDB flats through the MOP had been taken to process, the HDB stated on Thursday in response to media queries.

Of those, 21 homeowners had their flats compulsorily acquired by the HDB, whereas the remainder had been issued with fines or warnings, it stated.

The HDB’s assertion comes a day after The Straits Instances reported that at the least three unrenovated BTO flats that seem to have by no means been lived in earlier than had been up on the market on property itemizing portals. Brokers described the models as a “clean canvas” and “by no means stayed in earlier than, model new”.

The HDB stated it’s conscious of “vacant” BTO flats being bought on the open market.

These embody “the circumstances talked about in current media stories, a few of which have already been beneath investigation on the time of media’s reporting”, stated the HDB, with out figuring out the circumstances.

The board stated it takes the violation of MOP guidelines significantly and won’t hesitate to take enforcement motion. It added that the longstanding coverage is supposed to bolster public housing as a house for the homeowners to reside in.

Flat homeowners should not allowed to promote or hire out the entire flat or put money into a non-public residential property through the MOP, which begins from the day of key assortment. The restriction applies to each flats purchased immediately from the HDB and the resale market.

Nationwide Improvement Minister Desmond Lee, in a Fb put up on Monday, stated homeowners can not purchase a BTO flat, not transfer into it for 5 years and promote it as “virtually model new” on the resale market.