Who pays for popped tiles in a condominium unit?
Floor tiles inside your unit are generally your responsibility as the subsidiary proprietor. BCA's summary of the 2018 strata law amendments states that slabs, excluding underlayment, are common property, and tiles and their bedding sit above the slab. If the cause is a common-property defect, such as a leaking common pipe or a structural problem with the slab, raise it with the MCST. Within 12 months of vacant possession, notify the developer under the defects clause of your sale and purchase agreement.
From the RRD Field Guide, checked against the sources cited in Popped, Hollow and Debonded Tiles in Singapore: Causes, Safety, Repair and Who Pays. General information, not advice for your project.
The fuller picture
Tiles pop or sound hollow when the bond between tile, adhesive and screed fails, usually from thermal movement without movement joints, poor adhesive coverage, an uncured substrate or age. Indoors, the unit owner generally pays after the developer's 12-month defects period. On façades, falling tiles are a public-safety risk handled through the MCST or owner and BCA's Periodic Façade Inspection.
More questions on this topic
- Why do floor tiles suddenly pop up with a loud crack?
- Is a hollow-sounding tile always a defect?
- Who pays for popped tiles in my HDB flat?
- Can the developer refuse to fix popped tiles after the defects liability period?
- Are popped façade tiles covered by the Periodic Façade Inspection?
- Can hollow tiles be fixed without removing them?
- How do I stop new tiles from popping?