Oral answer by MND on recourse and compensation for long-term water seepage in HDB flats

Feb 14, 2023

Question No: 4212

Question by: Ms Carrie Tan

To ask the Minister for National Development
(a) what recourse is provided for residents suffering from unsolvable long-term water seepage disamenities in their HDB flats; and
(b) whether the Ministry will consider some form of compensation or buy the flats back at market price from residents whose water seepage cases remain unresolved after a certain number of years and who may not be able to sell the flat to other buyers.

Answer:

          Water seepage in HDB flats could come from various sources such as from the external wall or from the flat above.  This is due to wear and tear of joints at the external walls or waterproofing of the ceilings or floors over time. 

2.       As external walls of HDB blocks are common property, Town Councils are responsible for investigating and repairing external wall leaks reported to them. For leaks in the ceiling or floor slabs between two flats, it is the responsibility of lower and upper floor flat owners to collectively resolve the situation.

3.       For challenging and complex cases, that usually involve multiple sources of leaks, Town Councils or residents may approach HDB for advice.

4.       As water seepage issues can be resolved once the sources of leaks have been identified and repair works are duly carried out, there are no plans for HDB to offer compensation or to buy back the flats.   

Issued by:    Ministry of National Development

Date         :   14 Feb 2023