URA News Release: Changes to the Housing Developers Rules‏

[hopeful]

18 April 2012
Changes to the Housing Developers Rules
The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) has implemented changes to the Housing Developers Rules (HDR) today. The changes will enhance transparency in the real estate industry and enable home-buyers to make better informed decisions when buying a home. Some of these key changes include:
1. Mandatory information to intending home-buyers
Developers will have to provide more information on the housing project and property to home-buyers before the issue of the Option-to-Purchase. The information to be provided would include a drawn-to-scale location plan and site plan of the project, unit floor plan and a breakdown of a unit’s floor area by the various spaces such as bedrooms, balconies and bay windows.
2. Track record of developers
Developers will have to provide information on at least one completed project they had built to home-buyers before the issue of the Option-to-Purchase.
3. Home-buyers’ consent for changes to a housing unit
Developers will have to obtain the home-buyer’s consent for changes in a unit that would affect the home-buyer, e.g. changes to the layout of the unit.
4. Extend controls on advertisements to those on websites
Existing controls on advertisements in newspapers and sales brochures will be extended to advertisements on websites. Similar to advertisements in newspapers and sales brochures, advertisements on websites must not contain any false or misleading information.
URA had taken into consideration feedback from various stakeholders including developers, lawyers, architects, consumers and professional associations when finalising the changes to the HDR.
The Real Estate Developers Association of Singapore (REDAS) welcomes the changes to the HDR. Its president Mr Wong Heang Fine said: “URA had worked closely with members of the real estate industry and other key stakeholders when reviewing the changes to the HDR. REDAS supports these changes which will help potential buyers make more informed choices when purchasing their ideal homes. As a body representative of a large community of property developers, REDAS is committed to continually promote good practices and professionalism among developers to deliver better and higher quality homes for all.”
The changes to the HDR will be gazetted today and will take effect on 18 May 2012. Details of the changes can be found at Annex A.
In addition to the changes to the HDR, URA is also finalising changes to the Housing Developers (Control & Licensing) Act. The changes include requirements on setting up showflats to depict the actual units accurately and the publication of transacted prices on a weekly basis. URA will make the necessary legislative amendments to support the changes, which will be implemented in the second half of 2012.


whatevea happened to pricelist 2 days before launch?

[Poloclub]

They should perhaps insist that developers must have a showflat of the smallest unit size. e.g. 1 bedroom

[ralfale]

Well, the coming up Yishun ec one canbera already have misleading info in advertising. They showing people canoeing in a canal next to the ec. That canal is narrow and dirty nobody will step in! How to canoe?!

[roly8]

Well, the coming up Yishun ec one canbera already have misleading info in advertising. They showing people canoeing in a canal next to the ec. That canal is narrow and dirty nobody will step in! How to canoe?!

never know that .. LOL

[Leeds]

SINGAPORE - Singapore said on Wednesday it will tighten rules to ensure developers reflect the size and layout of apartments more accurately as part of new measures to protect buyers who are less familiar with the property market.
From May 18, developers of uncompleted apartments must give drawn-to-scale location plans to buyers and "provide breakdown of a unit's floor area by the various spaces such as bedrooms, balconies and bay windows", the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) said in a statement.
Other requirements include getting the consent of buyers before making changes such as adjustments to the layout.
URA is also finalising changes to existing laws to ensure showflats depict the actual units accurately.
Private home sales in Singapore hit a new record in the first quarter of 2012 despite government efforts to cool the market and analysts are concerned authorities may take new steps to dampen sentiment.
The new measures may focus on small "shoebox" units that are popular with investors looking for higher returns, CIMB said in a report on Wednesday. Banks in Singapore now pay as little as 0.05 per cent per year on deposits.
Common tactics by developers to make apartments look bigger include using furniture that is smaller than usual and not including some of the walls in showrooms.
Developers in Singapore also include ledges for air-conditioners and other unusable space when stating the size of the unit in their marketing material. - REUTERS

[bargain hunter]

http://www.ura.gov.sg/pr/text/2012/pr12-40.html

[bargain hunter]

indicating the size of balconies and a/c ledges would be good. then pple can see that the balconies are bigger than the living area and a/c ledges bigger than the 2nd bedroom of a mickey mouse unit hahahaha

[speculator]

indicating the size of balconies and a/c ledges would be good. then pple can see that the balconies are bigger than the living area and a/c ledges bigger than the 2nd bedroom of a mickey mouse unit hahahaha

Capitaland seem to have advance knowledge of this announcement.

Last Saturday at Sky Habitat launch you can already see that they displayed a few large price chart in the show flat. Each unit also has indication for size of air con ledge, PES, balcony etc.

No wonder.... Now I understand why Capitaland is so "kind" to provide full price list and these information

I am wondering if the rule still applies for those who bought before the rule came into effect

[desirenlure]

They should have this legislation long time ago. In addition to all your good comments, they should impose that showflats should be bare because ID can be misleading.

[august]

Capitaland seem to have advance knowledge of this announcement.

Last Saturday at Sky Habitat launch you can already see that they displayed a few large price chart in the show flat. Each unit also has indication for size of air con ledge, PES, balcony etc.

No wonder.... Now I understand why Capitaland is so "kind" to provide full price list and these information

I am wondering if the rule still applies for those who bought before the rule came into effect

haha this time they consulted REDAS mah

[teddybear]

Yes good suggestion!
In addition what about price list?
If they want to show ID, they can build another showflat with ID, they can remove all walls to make the units big and nobody will care....

They should have this legislation long time ago. In addition to all your good comments, they should impose that showflats should be bare because ID can be misleading.

[bargain hunter]

the URA release said showflat rules in H2 2012. yyyyaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwnnnnnnnnnnnnn from 2011 become late 2012.


"In addition to the changes to the HDR, URA is also finalising changes to the Housing Developers (Control & Licensing) Act. The changes include requirements on setting up showflats to depict the actual units accurately and the publication of transacted prices on a weekly basis. URA will make the necessary legislative amendments to support the changes, which will be implemented in the second half of 2012."

They should have this legislation long time ago. In addition to all your good comments, they should impose that showflats should be bare because ID can be misleading.

[Wild Falcon]

Applicable to "artist impression" or not? Every time artist impression is the condo surrounded by sea or nature and nothing else one.

[Naruto]

Yes good suggestion!
In addition what about price list?
If they want to show ID, they can build another showflat with ID, they can remove all walls to make the units big and nobody will care....

And the customize funitures!!

[flxcat]

They should have this legislation long time ago. In addition to all your good comments, they should impose that showflats should be bare because ID can be misleading.

Developer used to print out the sales price and give as part of the brochure in the 90s. Not legistrated tho

[westman]

And the customize funitures!!

That the worst act in my opinion.
I have visited one showroom and when viewing the master bedroom, I noticed the room still have good empty spaces after putting in queen size bed.

However, on close inspection, I concluded that the pillows, bed frame, matress were custom made with some scaling down ( by a few inches) so as to make the bed looks big thus tricking me to feel the room is big too.

WTF!

[carbuncle]

That the worst act in my opinion.
I have visited one showroom and when viewing the master bedroom, I noticed the room still have good empty spaces after putting in queen size bed.

However, on close inspection, I concluded that the pillows, bed frame, matress were custom made with some scaling down ( by a few inches) so as to make the bed looks big thus tricking me to feel the room is big too.

WTF!

You brought measuring tape!!!!!

[azeoprop]

All showflat should be the original bare unit without ID with wires dangling down from the ceiling...what u see what u get.

[Naruto]

That the worst act in my opinion.
I have visited one showroom and when viewing the master bedroom, I noticed the room still have good empty spaces after putting in queen size bed.

However, on close inspection, I concluded that the pillows, bed frame, matress were custom made with some scaling down ( by a few inches) so as to make the bed looks big thus tricking me to feel the room is big too.

WTF!

Yea lol, went to view one new EC project in the west.
Agent said bigger 3 rooms units sold out, only left compact units.
Doesn't have showflat for compact units..So show us the
bigger 3 rooms showflat.. see untill blur blur.."main door not here but there, toilet door not there but here and etc."" by then
told agent sorry...nvm, forget it...

[westman]

You brought measuring tape!!!!!

Yup. Will bring if I'm very keen with the project!

[ysyap]

It's long overdue...

[land118]

It's long overdue...

Ya, simple things take so long to implement..., many sleeping somewhere...

[ysyap]

One more loop hole to mend... the bidding process for land parcels... Lol...

[bargain hunter]

also, why can't the URA say that maximum how many % of a unit can be balcony and a/c ledge?

One more loop hole to mend... the bidding process for land parcels... Lol...

[land118]

also, why can't the URA say that maximum how many % of a unit can be balcony and a/c ledge?

Think URA may need BCA to calculate and recommend..., perhaps some inter government bureaucracies causing a stumbling block?

[ysyap]

also, why can't the URA say that maximum how many % of a unit can be balcony and a/c ledge?

or make it mandatory that every project must have a healthy mix of units with balconies and those without...

[amk]

also, why can't the URA say that maximum how many % of a unit can be balcony and a/c ledge?

No need. Just remove all GFA "allowances", make every single inch count into GFA.

[Allthepies]

Really need government intervention on this? Really so many naive singaporeans got cheated by show flat? Wat government really need to intervene is the amount of space on aircon ledge, planters in weird places blah lah blah

[zzz1]

Well, the coming up Yishun ec one canbera already have misleading info in advertising. They showing people canoeing in a canal next to the ec. That canal is narrow and dirty nobody will step in! How to canoe?!

there is no longkang near the ec to begin with...

[evergreen]

there is no longkang near the ec to begin with...

The artist predicts floods in the future