Amendments to Building Maintenance and Strata Management Act for Better Maintenance and Planning towards Ageing Buildings
Ministry of National DevelopmentSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns potential amendments to the Building Maintenance and Strata Management Act regarding minimum sinking fund contributions and mandatory technical audits for ageing buildings. Ms Valerie Lee also asked about public education efforts to improve property owners' understanding of long-term capital planning and maintenance needs. Minister Chee Hong Tat stated that the Ministry of National Development and the Building and Construction Authority are reviewing the Act and considering stakeholder suggestions. He noted that several initiatives already exist to support owners, including Strata Management Guides and free online self-learning courses for development council members. Furthermore, the newly launched "Strata Insights" publication series provides guidance on critical issues such as lift modernisation and the importance of financial planning.
Transcript
51 Ms Valerie Lee asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether the Government will consider amending the Building Maintenance and Strata Management Act to set minimum recommended sinking fund contributions or mandatory technical audits when buildings reach a certain vintage; and (b) whether the Ministry will be conducting public education to allow property owners to understand their long-term capital planning needs.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: The Ministry of National Development (MND) refers Ms Lee to our response to Parliamentary Question No 93 for oral answer on the Order Paper for 22 September 2025 on the status of the review of the Building Maintenance and Strata Management Act. [Please refer to "Review of Building Maintenance and Strata Management Act 2004, and Addressing Maintenance Issues in Ageing Condominium Developments", Official Report, 22 September 2025, Vol 96, Issue 2, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.] MND and Building and Construction Authority (BCA) will consider the suggestions from stakeholders and will share more details of the review when ready.
BCA has various initiatives to inform owners of strata-titled properties of their responsibilities and help them manage their developments more effectively. These include the Strata Management Guides on best practices, free online self-learning courses for council members, and Strata Insights, a newly launched quarterly series of bite-sized publications that address current pressing issues such as lift modernisation and the importance of financial planning for long-term maintenance.