I Have a Problem, Should I Call HDB, Town Council, or the Police?

Clearing up any confusion.

Living in an HDB flat means you benefit from a network of support and services – but when there’s an issue, it’s not always clear who to reach out to for help. Should you call the Town Council? Or is it an issue for HDB to handle?

We get it – since both parties are involved in managing different (and sometimes, overlapping) aspects of your estate, it’s easy to get mixed up. To save you the wild goose chase, we’ve broken down their work scopes and addressed some common issues so you’ll know exactly who to turn to next time.

HDB and Town Council: their respective functions

As the public housing authority in Singapore, HDB is responsible for planning and developing new housing towns around the island.

But it doesn’t stop there – they’re also in charge of housing matters and general estate management. Functions include:

• Handling structural, design, and new equipment defects
• Managing resident issues related to leases and mortgage loans
• Enforcing housing regulations related to HDB flat misuse (e.g. illegal tenants)

In contrast, Town Councils are largely in charge of common areas shared by the residents within HDB estates. Such areas include the lift, void deck, rubbish chutes, and overall estate cleanliness and maintenance. If you’re unsure which Town Council you belong to, simply key in your postal code here to find out.

Think of it this way: while HDB is akin to the property developer and landlord, Town Councils are the estate manager that maintains and upkeeps the public areas of your estate.

Calling the police, on the other hand, is reserved for serious cases where a crime is involved, or when some investigation is needed (e.g. noise disturbances in the middle of the night).

Now, despite knowing what they do, it can be tough to figure out who should take the lead on certain issues, so we’ve identified a few common ones below:

Ceiling leaks: it depends on the root cause

No one likes to have water from unknown sources dripping into your nicely-renovated home. But before rushing to berate your neighbour above, take a moment to give your Town Council a call to let them know.

What they’ll do is to send their own plumbers down to take a look to assess the root cause – and the entity responsible for handling it will depend on what they find.

Also, for homeowners living on the top floor, any ceiling leaks will then automatically fall within the Town Council’s jurisdiction.

Spalling concrete: you (the homeowner)

Older homes are especially vulnerable to wear and tear like spalling concrete, which is when the concrete in your ceiling cracks or breaks.

As this is considered interior maintenance, repairs and the like should be the homeowner’s responsibility. It’s best to get a contractor to come down and fix the issue immediately – otherwise, it can compromise the structural integrity of the whole building.

Can HIP help fix spalling concrete?

For older flats, the Home Improvement Programme (HIP) is a government-funded initiative that aims to fix interior wear and tear – which, yes, includes spalling concrete.

While we'd strongly recommend you to tackle the issue immediately for safety reasons, you can wait for the HIP to take place if you know it's slated to happen. For any questions about the scope of works, or when the HIP will be carried out for your block, do reach out to HDB (and not your Town Council).

Cluttered or obstructed corridors: Town Council

Got a messy neighbour who leaves everything from gym equipment to cabinets (or perhaps even a sauna) outside their home? You can reach out to your Town Council for help in getting your neighbour to clean up, since the corridor outside your home is common property used by everyone living on the same floor.

Bulky items removal

If you’re, say, replacing some old furniture and need help removing them from your home, Town Councils do have a service to help residents with bulky items removal.

Note, however, that this isn’t a moving service. To avoid misuse, Town Councils impose a limit on how many bulky items they can help to remove per household – typically, this is limited to 3 items once a month, although it's always best to check with your specific Town Council to confirm.

Neighbours throwing things out of the window: NEA (or for serious cases, the police)

The phrase ‘out of sight, out of mind’ is one that some residents may take too literally when they toss their trash out of their windows. And we’re not just talking about common ‘rubbish’ like plastic wrappers and used cigarette buds – there have been cases of people throwing everything from toys to food to...used sanitary items.

In such cases, your best option is to call up the National Environmental Agency (NEA), since high-rise littering is under their purview. They can help to monitor the situation and, if need be, fine the guilty resident.

However, if you spot your neighbours throwing bulky items like pots or appliances, call the police immediately since lives are in actual danger.

How about other estate-related issues?

Of course, the four issues above don't even begin to cover all the issues that HDB residents face. Here are a few common issues, as well as who you should ask for help:

Got a question for us? Leave us a comment down below! 👇