SINGAPORE, Oct 6 — At one Woodlands Build-to-Order (BTO) project, residents have found defects in over 200 of the 888 units, including melting window panes and broken toilet seats.

But Indranee Rajah, the Second Minister for National Development, said the case of Woodlands Glen is an anomaly, with the Housing and Development Board (HDB) receiving an average of just 2.6 reports of defects from each BTO project, within the first year of homeowners moving in.

Indranee was responding today to a parliamentary question from Vikram Nair, Member of Parliament (MP) for Sembawang Group Representation Constituency (GRC), who had raised the case of Woodlands Glen, which was completed in 2017.

He then asked for the number of complaints made in the last three years for defects in BTO flats within five years of their completion.

He also asked if HDB would consider extending the Defects Liability Period (DLP) to up to five years, to ensure better workmanship from contractors.

Currently, all newly completed HDB flats are covered by a warranty within a one-year DLP, effective from the date of key collection.

In response, Indranee said most of the defects reported by residents are resolved within the first year, and so a one-year DLP is still sufficient for the majority of new flat owners.

About 90 per cent of feedback on defects were made during the first year at BTO flats completed over the past five years, she said, while the remaining 10 per cent were made in the second to fifth year, following the completion of the blocks.

On average, the number of reported defects per BTO project during the DLP period was around 2.6. This figure drops to 0.2 after the first year, 0.1 after the second year, and 0.05 after the third year, she added.

The vast majority of defects reported involve issues such as scratches or cracks on timber surfaces, walls, tiles and sanitary fittings, said Indranee.

She added that HDB also provides all new flat owners with a five-year warranty for external wall seepage or inter-floor seepage and a 10-year warranty for spalling concrete.

Still, for outliers such as the Woodlands Glen project, HDB will work closely with the contractor to rectify the defects, she said.

Indranee noted that HDB had met with the building contractor of Woodlands Glen, Precise Development Pte Ltd, after several residents had appealed to Mr Nair for help.

The contractor then agreed to replace the defects related to cracked toilet seat covers, bumpers and the window weather seal.

Gerald Giam, Workers’ Party MP for Aljunied GRC, asked what residents can do if they encounter defects after the DLP.

Indranee said in such cases, HDB will investigate the cause of the defects and decide on the best course of action, considering the nature of the defect, the cause of the defect and the nature of the follow-up action that should be taken.

"So I think the assurance we can give is… after the DLP, HDB will look into it and do its best to resolve it with the contractor,” she said.

"But obviously if it’s something that crops up 10 years later, then that’s a very different thing.” — TODAY