Can I just ask a handyman to fix a loose window?
Not for installation or replacement work, and not for rivet retrofitting. Window installation, which the Regulations define to include repairing, replacing and modifying, must be carried out by an Approved Window Contractor or a builder using a trained window installer. Using an unqualified person is itself an offence, and it also weakens a key defence: an owner can avoid liability under section 25H if they show they relied in good faith on a contractor or managing agent appointed to maintain the window.
From the RRD Field Guide, checked against the sources cited in Window Safety in Singapore: Owner Duties, Inspections, Rivets and Falling-Window Penalties. General information, not advice for your project.
The fuller picture
In Singapore the owner of a flat is legally responsible for keeping its windows securely fixed. BCA advises checking windows at least once every six months, and casement windows must use type 304 stainless steel rivets, not aluminium. Since 1 October 2025, a window that falls through poor maintenance can lead to a fine of up to S$20,000, 12 months' jail, or both.
More questions on this topic
- Who is responsible if a window falls from my condo unit?
- How often should I check my windows?
- Do I have to replace aluminium rivets in my casement windows?
- What is an Approved Window Contractor?
- What is the penalty if my window falls?
- Do landed houses fall under these window rules?
- Must a fallen window be reported to BCA?