Update: HDB seizes four flats after owners illegally sublet units

[Benson Leow]

HDB seizes four flats after owners illegally sublet units
By Hoe Yeen Nie | Posted: 28 July 2010 1037 hrs

SINGAPORE: The Housing and Development Board (HDB) has seized four
flats that had been sublet without permission. Another six home-owners
have been fined between S$4,200 and S$14,400.

Last year, only two flats were seized by HDB.

Under its rules, owners can only sublet their flats after they have
stayed a minimum of 3 or 5 years, depending on the subsidies
received.

In the cases where the flats were seized, three of the homeowners did
not meet this requirement. One even sublet her unit to members of a
religious group, who stayed in it and used it as a meditation centre.

In the fourth case, the owner had used his 3-room flat as loan
collateral to a moneylender, who then rented it out.

The case came to light after the moneylender changed the locks,
forcing the flat owner to ask HDB for help.

HDB said it only takes back flats if - among other things - the owner
had no intention of staying in it.

HDB had conducted 2,600 checks between January and May, four times
more than the five months before that.

1,860 cases arose from HDB's routine inspections, while 740 cases were
based on feedback from members of the public.

Of these, 2,300 were found to be false alarms, while another 59 were
suspected to have flouted the law.

Authorities are also paying more attention to those who rent rooms in
HDB flats, after problems with loan shark harassment surfaced.

New rules introduced earlier this year require flat owners to register
these tenants within seven days.

Cases where flat owners lock up one room and sublet the rest of the
flat without physically staying in the unit will be treated as
unauthorised subletting if home owners do not meet the minimum
occupation period and did not seek HDB’s approval to sublet their
flats.

- CNA/vm/al