Commentary: Condo en bloc rules are changing, and neighbours will feel it first

A six-month deadline may end a collective-sale campaign sooner, but it will not necessarily make life easier for owners who do not want to sell. That is the central tension in Singapore’s new en bloc rules.

Parliament passed the Land Titles (Strata) (Amendment) Bill on September 8. It lowers the approval threshold for older estates from 80 percent to 70 percent for developments aged 40 to 59 years, and to 65 percent for those at least 60 years old. The stated aim is to support the renewal of ageing developments.

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prolonged pressure

The changes also introduce stronger safeguards for dissenting owners. At least 35 percent of owners, measured by share value or by the number of owners, must sign a request to call the meeting that forms a sale committee. That threshold rises from the current 20 percent or 25 percent. The signature-collection period, however, falls from 12 months to six. Failed bids will require a three-year wait before another attempt, rather than two years, and courts may award twice as much additional money to owners who object.

Law Minister Edwin Tong said the shorter period responds to complaints about prolonged pressure, including dissenting owners being named in social-media posts and messaging groups. But pressure has both duration and intensity. The new rule cuts the first while leaving the second unchanged, Kor argues. Tong cited data showing that larger developments typically collect most signatures within four months or during a concentrated one- to two-month period. That suggests six months may be workable, but it also underlines how intense the campaign can become.

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too short