• About Us
    • Fact Checking Policy
    • Ownership & funding information
    • Volunteer
  • Subscribe
  • Letter submission
    • Submissions Policy
  • Contact Us
The Online Citizen Asia
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Singapore
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
    • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Politics
    • Civil Society
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
No Result
View All Result
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Singapore
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
    • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Politics
    • Civil Society
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
No Result
View All Result
The Online Citizen Asia
No Result
View All Result

Poultry-rearing controversy: HDB has rights to impose rules as "landlords", according to NParks, confirming HDB "owners" are tenants?

by The Online Citizen
30/07/2019
in Housing
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0

The Housing and Development Board (HDB) has the right to impose rules against HDB owners who rear poultry in their flats without prior written consent, said National Parks Board (NParks).

NParks told TODAY in response to queries regarding the case of one of Singapore’s leading chicken rearers Eric Woo that HDB owners “are also subject to rules of their landlord, which may or may not allow the keeping of poultry within their managed areas”.

Mr Woo, a 48-year-old private science tutor, was forced to relocate five of his chickens after HDB officers informed him that poultry rearing in HDB flats, even for hobbyist purposes, is not permitted. The officers had reportedly received a tip-off regarding Mr Woo’s activities, according to TODAY.

However, Mr Woo told TODAY that he has “looked high, low, sideways”, and still did “not find the HDB regulation that states non-commercial poultry keeping is not allowed”, adding that two of his friends who had received the same warning came to a similar conclusion.

While Mr Woo said he had noted that NParks stated on its website’s “Information on Bird Flu” page poultry-keeping is illegal in HDB flats, he also cited the Animals and Birds Act, which states that individuals may keep up to 10 birds “in any premises”.

“Since when does NParks have jurisdiction over HDB?” He questioned.

Responding to Mr Woo’s claims regarding not being able to find explicit rules that prohibit the keeping of poultry in HDB flats, HDB told today that it has “a 10-page memorandum of lease document that every homeowner has to sign under the Land Titles Act, which has a clause stating that a lessee cannot keep any animal, bird, fish or insect without HDB’s written consent”.

However, HDB has in recent years allowed the keeping of small pets, such as small dogs, fishes and rabbits in HDB flats.

Nonetheless, NParks’ confirmation that HDB is the “landlord” while HDB “owners” are in fact tenants who are subjected to the rules of their landlord, supports what licensed real estate agent with International Property Advisor Pte Ltd and co-founder of HugProperty.com, Mr Ku Swee Yong, said back in 2018 about the notions and preconceptions regarding ownership of residential property in Singapore, particularly that of HDB flats.

Mr Ku had argued that it would be more beneficial for Singaporeans to “acknowledge that HDB flat buyers are lessees, not owners”, and that it would be more apt and accurate to change the usual terms to describe HDB flats – that is, from “buy”, “sell” and “owner”, to “lease”, “transfer lease” and “tenant”.

To illustrate his point, he said that many Singaporeans tend to base their residential property investment on the perception that their HDB flat is “an asset whose value must appreciate”.

He argued that such a move is “not necessarily the wisest decision with a rapidly ageing population, where an increasing number of deaths of baby boomers will add significant supply of old resale flats to the market”.

He suggested that the perception is further bolstered by the government’s act of perpetuating “this narrative of home ownership, when in fact those who pay for a new HDB flat are lessees for its 99-year term” through “websites and official publications”.

Following Mr Ku’s comments, Minister for National Development Mr Lawrence Wong rejected his claims that HDB flat buyers are not owners but are “tenants” in practice during his speech at the HDB’s Peak Forum for property experts at HDB Hub.

Minister Wong said that such a claim is “factually and legally wrong”, as the same principle of ownership throughout the stipulated period of lease applies to all buyers of leasehold residential property, regardless whether the property is private or public.

For just US$7.50 a month, sign up as a subscriber on The Online Citizen Asia (and enjoy ads-free experience on our site) to support our mission to transform TOC into an alternative mainstream press.
Tags: HDB flats

Related Posts

“党籍不会过期失效”  前进党称已就党籍终止知会卡拉
Opinion

Has HDB flats become “more affordable” by “selling” at a shorter lease of 50-years?

25/01/2023
Leong Mun Wai questions the viability of VERS in adjournment motion about AMK SERS
Housing

PSP Leong Mun Wai files motion on public housing for issue of HDB flats to be debated in Feb sitting

20/01/2023
Advertisement put up by MND and HDB shows BTO flats unaffordable by international standard
Housing

Advertisement put up by MND and HDB shows BTO flats unaffordable by international standard

17/01/2023
Land for HDB flats “raided” at great cost to people under Land Acquisition Act
Opinion

Land for HDB flats “raided” at great cost to people under Land Acquisition Act

12/01/2023
No clear answer from MND Minister as to why annual subsidies for HDB BTO flats cannot be provided
Housing

No clear answer from MND Minister as to why annual subsidies for HDB BTO flats cannot be provided

11/01/2023
Leong Mun Wai questions the viability of VERS in adjournment motion about AMK SERS
Singapore

Leong Mun Wai questions the viability of VERS in adjournment motion about AMK SERS

10/01/2023
Subscribe
Connect withD
Login
I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
Notify of
Connect withD
I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Latest posts

ASEAN governments must stop using ‘lawfare’ against critics, Southeast Asian MPs say

27/01/2023
Low Yen Ling says MTI and MAS don’t expect persistent inflation but they now say inflation projected to “stay elevated”

Low Yen Ling says MTI and MAS don’t expect persistent inflation but they now say inflation projected to “stay elevated”

27/01/2023
Malaysian court sentences man to 1,050 years’ jail, 24 strokes of the cane, for raping stepdaughter 105 times

Thai court jails activist for 28 years jail for royal defamation

26/01/2023
Earning only S$400 a month, delivery-rider turned hawker threw in the towel after two years of running a rojak stall

Earning only S$400 a month, delivery-rider turned hawker threw in the towel after two years of running a rojak stall

26/01/2023
KKH’s lack of continuous monitoring baby’s vital signs “was not ideal”, said State Coroner

KKH’s lack of continuous monitoring baby’s vital signs “was not ideal”, said State Coroner

26/01/2023
Dozens of COVID protesters still behind bars in China: HRW

Dozens of COVID protesters still behind bars in China: HRW

26/01/2023
8 dead, including 6 Chinese nationals, after ship sinks near Japan

8 dead, including 6 Chinese nationals, after ship sinks near Japan

26/01/2023
“党籍不会过期失效”  前进党称已就党籍终止知会卡拉

Nurse disabled permanently after vaccine injury and sacked by SGH; Did the hospital advise her to apply for VIFAP?

26/01/2023

Trending posts

Two Indian nationals paid about S$330 and S$730 respectively for forged certificates submitted in their S-Pass application

MOM found issuing EPs meant for foreign PMETs to PRC waitress and general worker

by Correspondent
26/01/2023
30

...

Ho Ching breaks silence over Temasek’s write down of its US$275 million investment in FTX, says it “can afford to be contrarian”

US regulator questions VCs’ due diligence work prior to investing in FTX; Ho Ching says Temasek can afford to be contrarian

by The Online Citizen
24/01/2023
28

...

Poultry-rearing controversy: HDB has rights to impose rules as "landlords", according to NParks, confirming HDB "owners" are tenants?

by The Online Citizen
30/07/2019
0

...

Indian rupee falls 60% since signing of CECA while Singapore becomes top investor in India

by Correspondent
25/01/2023
37

...

“党籍不会过期失效”  前进党称已就党籍终止知会卡拉

AGC asked to explain purposes of 68 private letters of inmates illegitimately forwarded to prosecutors

by The Online Citizen
21/01/2023
16

...

Temasek and GIC reportedly in talks with Adani Group accused of “brazen” market manipulation and accounting fraud

Temasek and GIC reportedly in talks with Adani Group accused of “brazen” market manipulation and accounting fraud

by The Online Citizen
26/01/2023
28

...

July 2019
M T W T F S S
1234567
891011121314
15161718192021
22232425262728
293031  
« Jun   Aug »
  • About Us
  • Subscribe
  • Letter submission
  • Contact Us

© 2006 - 2021 The Online Citizen

No Result
View All Result
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Civil Society
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
  • Politics
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
  • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Subscribers login

© 2006 - 2021 The Online Citizen

wpDiscuz