HDB shop owner warned by authorities for illegally partitioning unit into four rooms for rent in Yishun

SINGAPORE– An HDB shop owner in Yishun's public housing estate illegally partitioned the upper floor of their shophouse into four rooms and began renting them out without obtaining authorization from the authorities. As a result, the Housing and Development Board(HDB) issued a written warning to the shop owner for violating regulations. The unit, located at Block 731 in Yishun Street 72, was previously listed for public rental on the PropertyGuru website, but has since been taken down from listing.. However, despite this, other advertisements for the same unit can still be found on 99.co, although the ads indicate that the unit is no longer available. The online advertisements reveal that the unit was partitioned into four rooms, some of which had attached bathrooms and even a kitchen. The rent for each room ranged from $2,100 to $2,900, with a potential monthly rental income of up to $10,000 if all the rooms were rented out.

Shop owner required to obtain HDB's approval before renovating their unit

In response to queries from Lianhe Zaobao, the HDB stated that the unit in question was not an HDB housing unit but rather a living quarters located above a commercial shop. The shop owner violated the contract by renovating the unit without obtaining authorization from the authorities. As a result, the HDB issued a written warning to the shop owner and ordered them to submit an application for the necessary approvals. It noted that any unauthorized renovation works must be removed at the shop owner's own expense. The shop owner has taken down the advertisement and is waiting for the authorities to approve the application. According to HDB guidelines, the shop owner had to obtain HDB's approval before carrying out any Addition & Alteration (A&A) works, including the construction of non-structural partitions to create additional rooms. Additionally, the owner was required to seek HDB's approval before renting out the living quarters of the commercial unit.