Owner renting 2 HDB with single Meter for PUB

[user99]

Hi, my owner is renting 2 HDB units side by side which has a common Meter for both the units. Is that Legal for the owner to do? Although the 2 units have different unit numbers, there is a door connecting both living rooms but locked. Seems fussy but not sure if this is legal?

[sundaymorningstaple]

Yep. Legal. These are known as Jumbo Flats and were actually two adjoining 3 room flats. with two entrances and an inner connecting door. A lot of them were redesigned and the common wall knocked out and one large flat created. (There is one in my extended family out in Marsiling. There were also some built Jumbo's as well, but that was discontinued years ago. I wanted on of them but my wife wasn't keep on living in Marsiling!

[zzm9980]

I see a lot of these where I live, especially from the locations with the nice views. You can tell because often the owner has enclosed the common hallway, putting windows up. That part makes almost no sense to me. Why would you buy two sea-facing flats in an area that charges for that premium, just to close it all up? I'd want to knock out a wall and make an even bigger open area...

What do they do about plumbing and such in these cases? Can you knock out the kitchen and bathroom make one large one? Or are you stuck with a large awkward kitchen with two tiny bathrooms on either side?

[the lynx]

What do they do about plumbing and such in these cases? Can you knock out the kitchen and bathroom make one large one? Or are you stuck with a large awkward kitchen with two tiny bathrooms on either side?

I'm not sure if your question refers to jumbo units but for regular HDB units, any change done to water supply system (like adding a tap or terminating a tap or even moving the tap location) needs to have prior approval from PUB. So if you want to renovate bathrooms or kitchens that involve the taps, you need to apply to PUB first.

And any extensive knocking work on the walls of a HDB unit also needs to have approval from HDB.

I know of that because I helped my newly-married friends with such renovations last year. Boy, that couple was crazy (one is an architect, the other is a kindergarten teacher-cum-ballet dancer-painter). Knocked out half of the walls in their resale HDB unit at Bishan and repositioned the tap system so that they can have the layout they want.

[sundaymorningstaple]

HDB is pretty good about granting permission to change things like that as long as the plans have been drawn up and submitted by a Radac contractor. The only problem with wet areas are it's pretty hard to get approval to move a bath due to the waterproofing built into the flooring/walls.

[zzm9980]

HDB is pretty good about granting permission to change things like that as long as the plans have been drawn up and submitted by a Radac contractor. The only problem with wet areas are it's pretty hard to get approval to move a bath due to the waterproofing built into the flooring/walls.

Thats what I assumed. The bathroom plumbing in my flat looks rather permanent. It doesn't make sense to me, the 3rooms where I live are $400-450k, the 5rooms are 700-800k. Unless you want to warehouse people your extended four gen family, the 5room should be a much nicer overall experience. And if you did want to warehouse, why would you pay the premium for the area? Yet, I'd say in the 3room flats near me, about 4-5% are combined units.

[sweetgazebo]

Hi SMS,

would it then be legal if the owner bought 2 units, took down the meter for one of the 2 units and have 1 meter serving the 2 units and then renting out the smaller of the 2 units out as 'room rental' at the rate of $1600 / month?

Yep. Legal. These are known as Jumbo Flats and were actually two adjoining 3 room flats. with two entrances and an inner connecting door. A lot of them were redesigned and the common wall knocked out and one large flat created. (There is one in my extended family out in Marsiling. There were also some built Jumbo's as well, but that was discontinued years ago. I wanted on of them but my wife wasn't keep on living in Marsiling!

[sundaymorningstaple]

I doubt that anybody can buy two adjoining flat anymore due to the new laws regarding the owning of property here. But for the old flats that were purchases earlier, once they were "converted" to a Jumbo, only one meter is needed as there will only be a single address. As far as renting out the other portion. I would think the normal rules that apply to any HDB unit would apply.

[offshoreoildude]

[quote="sweetgazebo"]Hi SMS,

would it then be legal if the owner bought 2 units, took down the meter for one of the 2 units and have 1 meter serving the 2 units and then renting out the smaller of the 2 units out as 'room rental' at the rate of $1600 / month?

Yes I believe it is. I looked into doing this when I was a HDB owner many years ago. You're effectively renting out rooms in a jumbo flat.

[sundaymorningstaple]

perxactly.