+ GUIDE
The Defect Liability Period in Singapore, what you can claim, and how to use it.
The Defect Liability Period (DLP) is the one window in which the developer must fix your new home's defects for free. Here's how long it lasts, exactly what you can claim, the deadline that actually matters, and what to do, for HDB BTO and condo.
What the Defect Liability Period actually is
The Defect Liability Period is the window during which the developer (HDB's contractor for a BTO, or the private developer for a condo) is contractually obligated to rectify defects in workmanship and materials at no cost to you. After it closes, every issue becomes your expense.
It is not a warranty in the consumer-product sense. It is a contractual obligation written into HDB's standard handover process or the Sale & Purchase Agreement (SPA) you signed with the private developer. The way you raise defects, the time you have, and how disputes are resolved all live in those documents.
The DLP runs 12 months from key collection for both HDB and condo. The defects you report in this window get fixed free. The catch: what you document in the first 30 days, before renovation, decides how the rest plays out.
How long the DLP lasts
For HDB BTO flats, the DLP is 12 months from your key collection date. For private condos and ECs, it is typically 12 months from key collection, defined in your SPA. Always check the exact wording, because the developer sets the schedule.
Both also carry a structural warranty that outlasts the DLP: HDB's own building-defects framework for flats (ceiling and external-wall seepage covered for 5 years, spalling concrete for 10 years from key collection), and, for private developments, the developer’s continuing responsibility for latent structural defects under the SPA and Singapore’s limitation rules (up to 15 years from completion). That is your backup for serious issues, but it is harder to invoke than the DLP, so the DLP is the window you use first.
What you can claim
Any defect in workmanship or materials that falls short of the standard, at no charge. In practice, that means the things a CONQUAS-driven inspection looks for:
- Hollow or lippage tiles, cracked or chipped finishes, uneven grouting
- Paint runs, missed coverage, plaster and skim-coat defects
- Drainage gradient errors causing water to pool; leaks and seepage
- Electrical faults: reverse-polarity sockets, missing earth, failed RCD trip
- Doors and windows that don't seal, align, or lock
- Hairline cracks in walls, beams, and ceiling corners
- Household-shelter (bomb shelter) seal, hinge, and ventilation issues
What you generally cannot claim: fair wear from your own use, damage caused after you take possession, and anything that appears after renovation has begun (more on that below).
The window that actually matters
The DLP runs 12 months, but the first month is what counts. For HDB, the Defects Feedback channel is live from key collection itself (the QR code is in your Welcome Kit or on the notice in your kitchen; the BSC counter is the fallback). HDB recommends filing within the first week, and the practical deadline is 30 days, before renovation begins. Once you file, the BSC schedules a joint inspection with the contractor to confirm each item, and that inspection works from the list you submitted. A thorough first submission is what gets fixed.
For condos, the developer sets the window, often 14 to 30 days, sometimes via a structured pre-handover inspection. Read your SPA; the schedule in there is the binding one.
How to file your claim
- HDB: via the MyHDB (formerly Mobile@HDB) app (Defects Feedback) or the physical form at your project's Building Service Centre (BSC). The form, severity categories, and reference numbers are standardised across every BTO.
- Condo / EC: via the developer's defect form: sometimes a digital portal, sometimes an emailed PDF, sometimes plain email. Format varies by developer. Common-area defects go through the MCST once it forms, not direct to the developer.
The five mistakes that cost owners their claim
- Starting renovation first. Defects found after renovation begins are routinely blamed on your contractor, in both the HDB and condo systems. Inspect before any renovation.
- Relying on verbal complaints. Verbal reports have no force. Everything must be in writing, in the required format, with retained acknowledgments.
- Missing the submission window. Late items can sometimes still be added, but you lose the strength of having them confirmed at the first joint inspection.
- Thin documentation. Photographs with dates and a structured defect list are what a developer cannot easily contest. A vague list invites a vague response.
- Accepting "that's normal." The party doing the rectification has every incentive to minimise the scope. An independent defect list is harder to wave away.
What to do: the practical rule
Inspect in week one. File in the required format. Photograph everything. Don't start renovation until rectification has closed. That single discipline determines what actually gets fixed.
Knowing your rights is half the job; the harder half is finding the defects before the window closes, and producing a list the developer can't contest. You can do this yourself with our BTO checklist and toolkit. Where it's worth bringing in an independent inspector: the joint inspection works from the list you hand in, so a thorough, CONQUAS-driven defect register, filed in the developer's required format, is what the contractor then has to rectify.
This is a practical guide, not legal advice. Your SPA and HDB's official process are the binding documents. When in doubt, refer to them.
Know your rights. Now find the defects.
The DLP only helps if the defects are documented before it closes. Send us your unit and collection date. We'll produce a submission-ready defect register in the format your developer requires.
Book your inspection → Or spot the obvious ones yourself: free checklist app →