HDB Inter-floor Leak Cases that Remain Unresolved for More than Four or Six Months Due to Uncooperative Parties

Dr Charlene Chen asked the Minister for National Development over the past three years, (a) how many HDB flat inter-floor leak cases exceeded four or six months due to uncooperative parties; and (b) what this indicates about the effectiveness of the current mediation-first approach.

The Housing and Development Board (HDB) receives an average of about 17,000 pieces of feedback on inter-floor leak each year. The vast majority of cases are resolved smoothly and amicably between flat owners, typically within two to four months. Resolving such cases requires multiple visits to diagnose the source of the leak and carry out repairs, which involves coordinating access between both parties.

HDB works with flat owners to resolve cases as quickly as possible. There are no fixed timelines as the time taken varies with the complexity of each case and the level of cooperation from the parties involved. As at end-March 2026, 10 cases have taken longer than four months to resolve as the upper-floor flat owners were not cooperative. HDB has already taken or plans to take legal action against these flat owners.

As a last resort, HDB may initiate civil proceedings against uncooperative upper-floor flat owners or conduct forced entry under section 28 of the Housing and Development Act, depending on the severity of the case. This approach seeks to strike a balance between encouraging cooperative resolution between neighbours and ensuring timely repairs.