How is it handled in HDB flats?
HDB flats follow HDB's own guidance, not the strata regime. HDB says flat owners are responsible for their floor and ceiling slabs, so upper and lower owners should arrange repairs together and split the cost. Leaks from the roof of the block or from common property are for the Town Council, which bears the full cost of repairs to an external wall or rooftop. Void-deck ceiling leaks are shared between the Town Council and the flat owner.
From the RRD Field Guide, checked against the sources cited in Water Seeping From the Unit Above: Inter-Floor Leaks in Singapore Condos, the Law, Testing and Who Pays. General information, not advice for your project.
The fuller picture
In a Singapore strata development, dampness on your ceiling is presumed, unless proven otherwise, to come from a defect in the unit or common property directly above (s 101(8) of the Building (Strata Management) Act). Both owners should investigate jointly, usually with a ponding test, and agree repairs and costs. If they cannot, either can apply to the Strata Titles Boards.
More questions on this topic
- Is the owner above automatically liable for a leak into my ceiling?
- Does the MCST have to fix a leak between two units?
- How much does it cost to apply to the Strata Titles Boards?
- What is a ponding test?
- Can I claim loss of rental income caused by the leak?
- My neighbour above refuses to let anyone in. What can I do?
- Will thermal imaging prove where the leak comes from?