Condo Renovation in Singapore: MCST Approval, By-Laws, Deposits and Prohibited Works

Renovating a condominium unit in Singapore means working inside a building you only partly own. Your lot is yours to use, but the structure that holds it up, the external walls that define how the building looks, the pipes that serve your neighbours and even the waterproof membrane on the roof belong to everyone through the management corporation (MCST). The law that balances those interests is the Building (Strata Management) Act 2004, known until 30 September 2025 as the Building Maintenance and Strata Management Act (BMSMA), together with the by-laws made under it.

That is why a condo renovation has an extra approval that landed and commercial projects do not: the MCST’s. It sits alongside, not instead of, the statutory approvals from the Building and Construction Authority (BCA), the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF). Most disputes come from treating one as a substitute for another, for example assuming that because a balcony enclosure is exempt from BCA plans, nobody else can object.

This guide explains what the Act and the prescribed by-laws actually say, what a typical MCST renovation application involves (with two real examples, clearly labelled as such), which works are prohibited or need more than MCST approval, the BCA and SCDF position inside a unit, waterproofing, common-property issues, and how disputes reach the Strata Titles Boards. It reflects the law as at 9 November 2026.

The law in one page

The Act was renamed in 2025

With effect from 1 October 2025, the BMSMA was renamed the Building (Strata Management) Act 2004, often abbreviated B(SM)A.¹ The section numbers relevant to renovation did not change, so older MCST forms and articles citing “BMSMA section 37” still point to the right provision. The regulations are now the Building (Strata Management) Regulations 2005.⁴

What counts as common property

The Act’s definition of common property is wider than many owners assume. Besides the parts of the land and building not comprised in any lot and used by two or more lots, it includes, whether or not they sit inside a lot, shared pipes, wires, cables and ducts, any structural element of the building, and the waterproof membrane attached to an external wall or a roof.¹ The Act’s examples include foundations, load-bearing walls, columns, beams and slabs, though for slabs it excludes any layer that is the underlayment or the flooring finishing; external walls, roofs and façades used by two or more lots; and central air-conditioning and sprinkler systems.¹ So when you hack a beam or core through a slab inside your own unit, you are working on common property.

The prescribed by-laws: what the Second Schedule actually says

Every strata development is governed by by-laws. For developments whose MCST was constituted on or after 1 April 2005, the by-laws prescribed by regulations apply automatically, and any by-law the MCST makes must not be inconsistent with them.² They are set out in the Second Schedule to the Building (Strata Management) Regulations 2005. There are 21, and none is headed “renovation”. The ones that bite on renovation are these:

Additional by-laws: where renovation rules live

Section 32 lets an MCST, by special resolution, make additional by-laws for controlling the use and enjoyment of the development, expressly including safety and security, floor coverings, behaviour, and “architectural and landscaping guidelines” to be observed by all owners.² BCA’s strata management guide explains that MCSTs may use these to require approval before works, to require PE endorsement for structural works, and to require proof of approvals from URA, SCDF and the Commissioner of Building Control.⁵ A by-law, or any amendment to one, has no effect until it is lodged with the Commissioner of Buildings, which the MCST must do within 45 days of the resolution.² The MCST must display its by-laws on a notice board and make them available.² Before you sign with a contractor, ask the managing agent for the current lodged by-laws and the renovation rules, and check which is which: a “house rule” that was never passed and lodged as a by-law is weaker than one that was.

Section 37: appearance, structure and floor area

Section 37 is the core statutory control on renovation.

• Floor area. An owner must not make an improvement that increases, or is likely to increase, the floor area of the land and building in the strata title plan, unless the MCST authorises it by 90% resolution. Planning Act requirements still apply on top.² URA’s guidance for strata homes asks for a letter from the MCST secretary or council chairperson confirming the 90% resolution with the planning application.⁷
• Appearance and structure. An owner must not make any other improvement that affects the appearance of any building in the development without MCST authorisation (or unless section 37A permits it). The MCST may authorise it only if satisfied that the improvement will not detract from the appearance of the buildings, or will be in keeping with them, and will not affect the structural integrity of any building.²
• Remedy. Where the MCST is satisfied that an improvement contravenes these rules, it may by written notice require the owner, whether or not the owner did the work, to carry out remedial works at the owner’s own cost within a reasonable time.² That last point matters to buyers: an unauthorised enclosure built by a previous owner becomes the current owner’s problem.

Section 37A: safety equipment you are entitled to install

Section 37A allows an owner to install safety equipment despite any by-law to the contrary: window grilles or screens, balustrades, railings and fences to prevent falls from outdoor-facing balconies, terraces, windows, doors and openings; devices restricting how far windows or doors open; insect and animal screens; intruder alarms; and locks.² The owner must repair any damage to common property and ensure the equipment is installed competently and looks in keeping with the building.² BCA’s guide puts the balance plainly: the MCST cannot prevent the installation but can introduce design guidelines for uniform appearance.⁵

What a typical MCST renovation application looks like

Each MCST sets its own process, deposit and hours, so the only reliable source is your own development’s by-laws and forms. To show what these look like in practice, the table below summarises two publicly available renovation forms from real Singapore developments. They are examples, not norms; other MCSTs set different figures.

Both forms reflect the prescribed by-laws (noise, obstruction, damage to common property) and add development-specific rules. Note how Example B builds in statutory requirements: PE endorsement for wall demolition, a fire-rated entrance door, and authority approvals before work starts.¹³

Documents an MCST typically asks for

Drawing on BCA’s guidance and the examples above, a complete renovation application usually includes:⁵¹²¹³

• the application form signed by the owner (and by the owner as well as the tenant, if a tenant applies);
• a description and schedule of works, with layout drawings showing walls removed or added;
• the contractor’s company details, the list of workers, and insurance (public liability and work injury compensation);
• PE-endorsed drawings and BCA approval for any structural works, and other authority approvals where needed;
• for electrical, sprinkler or alarm changes, clearance by the MCST’s engineer or the relevant licensed professional;
• the deposit and any administrative fee, and a signed undertaking or indemnity.

Works that are prohibited or need more than MCST approval

Structural walls, columns, beams and slabs

Load-bearing elements are common property and their alteration affects structural integrity, so section 37(4) applies, alongside prescribed by-law 5.¹²⁴ Statutorily, structural works need a PE (civil or structural) to submit structural plans to BCA and a permit before works start; complete plans without an Accredited Checker are processed in 7 working days.¹⁹ Doing structural work without approved plans or a permit is an offence carrying a fine of up to S$200,000, two years’ imprisonment, or both, and it applies to anyone who “permits or authorises” the works.¹⁷ Many MCSTs go further and prohibit hacking structural elements outright, as Example B does.¹³ Non-load-bearing walls are different: creating openings in them or demolishing them is an insignificant building work under the First Schedule, items 1(o) and 1(p), though the MCST still needs to approve.⁸ How to tell the difference, and how post-tensioned slabs change the picture, is covered in our guide to hacking walls, slabs and household shelters.

The household shelter

The household shelter (HS) has strengthened walls, floor, ceiling and door designed for civil defence. SCDF’s rules list what owners may and may not do.⁹

Source: SCDF, “Permitted and not permitted works for household shelters”.⁹ Hacking a shelter wall to enlarge a room is not a matter the MCST can approve.

Façade, windows and the building’s appearance

Anything visible from outside, such as window frames, glass colour, external grilles, awnings, balcony fittings and AC condenser positions, affects appearance and needs MCST authorisation under section 37(3).² Replacing windows and doors is an insignificant work for BCA purposes,⁸ but the MCST can and usually does prescribe the design. Safety grilles are the one category the MCST cannot refuse outright, under section 37A, though they must follow its design guidelines.²

Enclosing balconies: three regimes, one answer

This is the most misunderstood rule in condo renovation.

• BCA: The First Schedule lists “the enclosing of any sides of a balcony, yard or terrace with windows and glass panels in residential buildings” as an insignificant building work, so no BCA plan is needed (item 1(n)).⁸
• URA: URA’s guidelines state that balconies shall not be enclosed with walls or glass panels. Screens such as vertical fins or louvres are allowed only if they can be fully drawn open or retracted and allow natural ventilation even when fully closed; owners of existing developments must follow their MCST’s design guidelines. Blinds are treated as furnishing, and safety grilles are not balcony screens.⁶
• MCST: Enclosure changes the building’s appearance, so it needs MCST authorisation under section 37(3) and (4) and must follow any design guidelines the MCST has made.²⁵

The BCA exemption does not override the other two. A contractor who says “no approval needed” is describing only one of the three.

Air-conditioning ledges

Air-conditioning works themselves are BCA-insignificant (item 12).⁸ Enclosing or roofing an AC ledge is a different matter: it changes the façade and needs MCST authorisation under section 37(3).² Ledges also matter for fire safety in taller blocks: the Fire Code lets balconies and AC ledges count as part of the horizontal projection used for façade fire separation in residential buildings over 24 m in habitable height, where they protrude at least 600 mm and have at least 1-hour fire-rated construction.¹¹ Check your MCST’s design guidelines for condenser positions and screens before the air-conditioning contractor fixes anything to the ledge.

Covers over private enclosed spaces and roof terraces

Open-sided covers over private enclosed spaces (PES), private roof terraces and balconies do not need URA planning permission, but they need MCST consent and must meet BCA and SCDF requirements where applicable.⁷ For PES in newer developments, URA expects developers to install part of the cover and homeowners to choose the rest from approved designs, with MCST clearance; PES fencing must not exceed 1.3 m.⁶ BCA’s strata guide recommends that an awning over a PES be certified by a QP or PE for structural adequacy and checked for any increase in gross floor area.⁵

BCA and SCDF inside a unit

BCA: what needs no plans

For a condo interior, the First Schedule items that matter most are: openings in or demolition of non-load-bearing walls (1(o), 1(p)); replacing windows and doors (2); replacing a window-integrated safety barrier in a residential building to the standardised design (2A); replacing floor and wall finishes (3); lightweight false ceilings (4); partitions of lightweight material (6, outside landed houses); raised floors and topping up balconies with lightweight materials (7); air-conditioning works (12); and small service openings in slabs, excluding flat slabs, cantilevers and prestressed elements, no more than 150 mm and at least 450 mm from other openings (15).⁸ BCA reminds owners that insignificant works still need any other approvals and must comply with MCST by-laws.²⁰

SCDF: the residential exemption and its edges

The Fire Safety (Exemption) Order exempts alterations or additions in existing residential flats, maisonettes and townhouses from SCDF plan approval, provided they do not increase floor area and do not affect the common areas, the doors that give entry to or exit from the unit, the walls separating the unit from the common areas, or the roofing.¹⁰ Those four exclusions were refined with effect from 24 November 2023.¹⁰

Two items in particular take a job outside the exemption:

• The main entrance door and corridor wall. The Fire Code requires each residential unit to be compartmented from adjoining units and other parts of the building by construction of at least 1-hour fire resistance, with the unit’s exit access door rated at least ½ hour (unless an exception in the Code applies).¹¹ Replacing the entrance door with a non-rated design, or cutting into the corridor wall, affects that compartment.
• Sprinklers and detectors. Where a unit has sprinklers, altering them needs MCST consent under prescribed by-law 21, and prescribed by-law 18 forbids doing anything that affects fire safety devices.⁴ The MCST will usually require its own engineer’s clearance, as Example B does.¹³

For those items, ask a Qualified Person whether SCDF plan approval or a minor A&A lodgement applies; our guide to SCDF fire safety approvals explains both routes.

Waterproofing in wet areas

Wet-area failures are the most common cause of disputes between neighbours in strata buildings, and they usually trace back to renovation.

Who owns what. The Act lists the waterproof membrane attached to an external wall or roof as common property, and treats slabs as structural common property but excludes the underlayment and flooring finishes.¹ A bathroom’s screed, membrane and tiles inside a unit are generally treated as part of the owner’s finishes; confirm with your MCST or lawyer if your development’s strata plan or by-laws say otherwise. Prescribed by-law 15 requires owners to maintain their lot, including sanitary fittings and water pipes, so as not to annoy other owners.⁴

Who bears the burden of proof. In Strata Titles Board proceedings about a defect in a lot that sits above another lot, the Act presumes, unless proven otherwise, that the defect lies in the lot above if there is evidence of dampness, moisture or water penetration on the ceiling below or on finishes attached to it.³ Hacking a bathroom floor and re-tiling it without a properly detailed membrane exposes the owner to that presumption for years afterwards. The guide on water seepage between condo floors covers testing and claims.

Doing it properly. BCA publishes a good-practice guide, “Good Industry Practices: Waterproofing for Internal Wet Areas”, covering design, materials, preparation, installation, protection and defect rectification.¹⁶ Contractually, specify the membrane system, its upturns at walls and around floor traps and pipe penetrations, protection before screeding, and a water-ponding test before tiling, with the duration and acceptance criteria written into the contract. A 24-hour ponding test is a common contract specification (illustrative; the duration is a matter for your specification, not a statutory figure).

Common-property issues during works

Most friction between renovating owners and MCSTs is about common property rather than the unit itself.

• Corridors and lifts. Materials must be kept inside the unit; obstruction of common property is allowed only temporarily (prescribed by-law 3).⁴ MCSTs commonly require lift padding and limit how long a lift can be held.¹²¹³
• Drilling into common property. Fixing anything to an external wall, corridor wall or ceiling that forms part of the common property needs prior written approval (by-law 5), and that approval does not authorise additions to common property.⁴ Where the works permanently use common property, such as anchor points for a covering on an external wall, BCA’s guide says MCST approval is needed and the MCST can grant rights through an exclusive use by-law.⁵ Under section 33, such by-laws need an ordinary resolution for up to one year, a special resolution for over one and up to three years, and a 90% resolution beyond three years.²
• Debris and utilities. Debris cannot be left on common property (by-law 9), and tapping common water or power without consent is commonly prohibited or charged for.⁴¹²
• Noise. By-law 1 is the statutory baseline; the MCST’s renovation hours are the practical limit. For the separate NEA construction-noise rules, see construction noise and working hours.

Disputes: the MCST, the Strata Titles Boards and the courts

Talk first, then the STB

The Strata Titles Boards (STB) hear most strata disputes. Section 101 of the Act lets a Board make orders to settle disputes about defects in a lot or common property, an owner’s liability for the cost of works done by the MCST, and the MCST’s exercise of, or failure to exercise, its powers and duties.³ Two rules matter for renovation:

• Deemed refusal. Where an owner asks the MCST to exercise a discretion and it neither acts nor replies within 2 months, it is deemed to have decided not to act, which opens the way to an application.³
• Unreasonable refusal. Section 111 allows a Board to order the MCST to consent where it has unreasonably refused consent to alterations to common property, or unreasonably refused to authorise an improvement affecting appearance under section 37(4).³

There are limits: the Board cannot override the MCST on matters that the Act or by-laws reserve for a special, 90%, unanimous or comprehensive resolution.³ So a refused GFA-increasing enclosure, which needs a 90% resolution, is not something the Board can simply order.

Process and fees

STB proceedings run through application, mandatory mediation, a hearing if mediation fails, and post-hearing orders that bind the parties and can be enforced through the State Courts.¹⁵ The application fee is S$500; the first two mediation attendances are free and later ones cost S$150 a day; hearings cost S$300 a day; and the Boards cannot refund fees.¹⁴ The STB suggests approaching the other party first and offers a pre-filing check of applications.¹⁵ Separately, any owner or the MCST can apply to court to enforce by-laws or recover damages for loss caused by a breach.² For a comparison of the routes, see resolving renovation disputes.

BCA consulted from 9 March to 8 April 2026 on proposed amendments to the Act, including a possible mechanism to refer prolonged disputes to the STB; these were proposals at the time of the consultation and should be checked for status before you rely on them.¹⁸

A realistic sequence for a condo renovation

For a first pass at which approvals your works need, use the Approval Navigator; for wider context on approvals in non-residential buildings, see the master A&A approvals guide; and for terms, see the glossary.