World News Engine: HDB acquires 39 flats from owners for infringing subletting rules

HDB acquires 39 flats from owners for infringing subletting rules

The HDB compulsorily acquired 39 flats from their owners last year as they had blatantly infringed the subletting rules.

One of the flats acquired was at Pinnacle@Duxton. The owner had sublet the entire flat without HDB's approval in the guise of subletting of rooms, shortly after the flat purchase in January last year.

During its night inspections in May and June 2010, HDB found that the owner was not staying at the flat. HDB's investigations revealed that the owner did not have any intention to stay in the flat and had bought it purely for monetary gains.

In another 56 cases, HDB warned
or fined the owners.

HDB said it stepped up its enforcement against unauthorised subletting last year. It carried out 7,000 flat inspections, up from 3,000 inspections in 2009.

About 1,800 inspections were the result of public feedback. This is almost double the number of public feedback received in 2009.

HDB said it takes a very serious view of any unauthorised subletting and will take stern actions against owners, including compulsory acquisition, even if it is the owner's first infringement.

This is especially for cases where the flat owners had bought the flat purely for monetary gains, with no intention of occupying it.

There have also been cases where flat owners try to circumvent HDB's rules by locking up one room and subletting the rest of the flat without physically staying in it. It said such cases will be treated as unauthorised subletting of the entire flat.

Flat owners who wish to sublet their entire flats must meet the Minimum Occupation Period (MOP) and obtain HDB's approval before they can do so.

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HDB acquires 39 flats from owners for infringing subletting rules

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