What Every HDB Flat Owner Needs To Know About S&CC + Rebates
If you’ve ever lived in a condominium, you’re probably familiar with maintenance fees. Just like other properties, living in an HDB flat also comes with fees called Service and Conservancy Charges, also known as S&CC. Thankfully, these fees are lesser than what you would pay in a non-HDB unit.
More From OMY: Complete Guide to Buying Your First HDB BTO Flat in Singapore
With most Singaporeans living in HDB flats and units, understanding what these fees are and what they cover is crucial.
Ready to find out how much you should pay each month, as well as the rebates you can receive for your town council fee? Keep on reading.
Here at OMY Singapore, you will discover the following:
- What Are Service and Conservancy Charges?
- How Much Are Service and Conservancy Charges?
- How do I pay HDB Service and Conservancy Charges?
- What You Need to Know About S&CC Rebate
- What Happens to People Who Don’t Pay Their S&CCs?
- Can My Legal Fees/Penalty Be Waived?
- How to Check HDB Conservancy Charges?
- How to Check Outstanding Service And Conservancy Charges/How To Check Outstanding Town Council Bill?
- How Do I Open an S&CC Account?
- Is The Town Council Under HDB?
- How Do I Know My HDB Account Number?
- How Do I Pay My S&CC If I’m Transferring or Selling My Flat?
- Why Did I Receive a Notice?
What Are Service And Conservancy Charges?
Service & Conservancy Charges are collected monthly by the town council from all HDB unit owners, as well as food stalls, offices, and markets in the vicinity.
These funds are used to pay for the maintenance, management, and improvement of the property in the area governed by the collecting town council. The coverage of these fees includes:
- Cleaning works around the estate, such as washing and sweeping of the common areas
- Conservancy services like pest control
- Landscaping works, pruning, grass cutting, and other horticulture maintenance
- Electrical service maintenance, including lifts, lighting, and pumps
- Regular servicing testing of water tanks, water samples, and lifts
Unsurprisingly, around 20% of the annual expenditure of town councils goes to cleaning.
Aside from these maintenance expenses, 26% of the collected money from the town council fee also goes to a fund that is reserved for major repairs, as well as long-term cyclical replacements. This covers roofing systems, water supply systems, and many more.
Another 14% goes to the Lift Replacement Fund to upgrade lifts. Over the next decade, over 18,500 lifts are expected to be upgraded in HDB flats under the Lift Enhancement Programme. The upgraded lifts will feature emergency communication, as well as high-tech sensors.
How Much Are Service and Conservancy Charges?
Although you may be tempted to think that all HDB flats in the country pay the same town council conservancy charges, it’s not the case. Town council conservancy charges are different, and how much you will pay depends on the GRC you live in, as well as your location, flat type, and your eligibility for rebates.
Generally, there are two types of charges: reduced or subsidised rates, and normal or unsubsidised rates.
For reduced or subsidised rates which apply to units where:
- At least one tenant/owner/authorised occupier is Singaporean
- None of the tenants/owners/authorised occupiers own a private property beside the flat
- None of the tenants/owners/authorised occupiers own the flat as a corporate body
- None of the tenants/owners/authorised occupiers rent the flat as a corporate body
- The house is not vacant
Here are the reduced rates:
| Town Councils | 1-Room | 2-Room | 3-Room | 4-Room | 5-Room | Executive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aljunied-Hougang | $20.00 | $30.00 | $46.50 | $63.50 | $79.50 | – |
| Ang Mo Kio | $21.00 | $31.00 | $47.50 | $63.00 | $78.00 | – |
| Bishan-Toa Payoh | $22.00 | $33.50 | $48.00 | $64.00 | $79.00 | – |
| Chua Chu Kang | $20.50 | $31.00 | $47.00 | $63.50 | $79.50 | $99.50 |
| East Coast | $20.50 | $30.50 | $46.50 | $64.00 | – | – |
| Holland-Bukit Panjang | $20.50 | $30.50 | $46.00 | $63.50 | $79.50 | – |
| Jalan Besar | $20.50 | $29.50 | $45.00 | $61.50 | $77.00 | – |
| Jurong-Clementi | $19.50 | $29.50 | $47.50 | $63.00 | $78.50 | – |
| Marine Parade | $20.50 | $30.50 | $46.50 | $62.50 | $80.50 | – |
| Marsiling-Yew Tee | $20.50 | $31.00 | $46.00 | $62.00 | $78.50 | – |
| Nee Soon | $20.00 | $29.00 | $45.50 | $63.00 | $79.00 | $101.00 |
| Pasir Ris-Punggol | $20.50 | $30.50 | $44.50 | $62.00 | $78.00 | – |
| Sembawang | $20.00 | $29.00 | $45.50 | $63.00 | $79.00 | $101.00 |
| Sengkang | ||||||
| Tampines | $20.50 | $31.00 | $46.50 | $63.50 | $79.50 | – |
| Tanjong Pagar | $21.00 | $30.50 | $45.00 | $64.00 | – | – |
| West Coast | $21.00 | $30.00 | $46.00 | $63.00 | $79.00 | – |
Meanwhile, the normal or unsubsidised rates apply to units where:
- None of the tenants/owner/authorised occupiers is Singaporean
- At least one of the tenants/owners/authorised occupiers owns a private property besides the flat
- The tenants/owners/authorised occupiers own the flat as a corporate body
- The tenants/owners/authorised occupiers rent out the flat as a corporate body
- The house is left vacant
Here are the normal rates:
| Town Council | 1-Room | 2-Room | 3-Room | 4-Room | 5-Room | Executive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aljunied-Hougang | $58.00 | $60.00 | $66.50 | $79.00 | $89.00 | $102.00 |
| Ang Mo Kio | $55.50 | $59.00 | $67.00 | $72.50 | $88.00 | $100.00 |
| Bishan-Toa Payoh | $58.50 | $62.00 | $67.00 | $74.00 | $79.00 | $109.50 |
| Chua Chu Kang | $58.50 | $61.00 | $68.50 | $76.50 | $83.00 | $103.00 |
| East Coast | $56.50 | $58.50 | $64.50 | $73.50 | $80.50 | $103.50 |
| Holland-Bukit Panjang | $54.20 | $56.70 | $63.00 | $72.50 | $86.50 | $101.00 |
| Jalan Besar | $56.00 | $56.80 | $66.00 | $73.50 | $85.00 | $98.00 |
| Jurong-Clementi | $60.50 | $66.50 | $73.50 | $79.50 | $88.50 | $101.00 |
| Marine Parade | $59.50 | $63.00 | $68.50 | $75.50 | $88.00 | $102.50 |
| Marsiling-Yew Tee | $57.50 | $59.50 | $68.50 | $73.50 | $85.00 | $103.00 |
| Nee Soon | $58.00 | $61.00 | $71.00 | $76.00 | $86.00 | $103.00 |
| Pasir Ris-Punggol | $55.50 | $60.50 | $70.00 | $80.50 | $89.00 | $99.00 |
| Sembawang | $58.00 | $61.00 | $71.00 | $76.00 | $86.00 | $103.00 |
| Sengkang | ||||||
| Tampines | $58.00 | $62.00 | $68.50 | $75.50 | $86.40 | $102.00 |
| Tanjong Pagar | $54.70 | $56.70 | $62.00 | $73.00 | $80.00 | $108.50 |
| West Coast | $54.70 | $56.20 | $63.50 | $72.00 | $85.00 | $101.00 |
For all fees, you will notice that it increases based on the size of the flat. For example, 3 room conservancy charges are more expensive compared to a 1 to 2-room flat
How Do I Pay HDB Service And Conservancy Charges?
There are various ways you can settle your S&CC payment. Take a look at them below:
- Cash or NETS at any HDB branch office
- Cash, credit card, or NETS at your town council
- Money order or cheque mailed to your town council
- AXS/SAM machines
- Internet banking (UOB, Standard Chartered, OCBC, DBS)
- Post office
- Interbank GIRO
- Credit card (Mastercard and Visa)
Your town council monthly fee must be paid by the first day of the month. If you miss this, you need to pay a penalty fee that will accumulate until you pay your dues in full.
What You Need To Know About S&CC Rebate
From 2022, rebates will be part of the permanent GSTV scheme. This will allow eligible households (expected to be 950,000) to receive between 1.5 to 3.5 months’ worth of S&CC rebates.
| Rebates To Be Received | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HDB Flat Type | April 2022 | July 2022 | October 2022 | January 2023 | Total for FY2022 |
| 1- and 2-room | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0.5 | 3.5 |
| 3- and 4-room | 1 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 2.5 |
| 5-room | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 2.0 |
| Executive / Multi-Generation | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | – | 1.5 |
Source: MOF
The eligible households will only receive rebates for 2022 in April, July, October, and January 2023. Households with a member that owns or has any interest in a private property or have rented out the whole flat will not be eligible for the rebate.
Meanwhile, households can receive double their regular U-Save for 2022, which amounts to roughly 8 to 10 months’ worth of utility bills to average households living in 1 and 2-room flats, and approximately 4 to 6 months’ worth of utility bills for households living in 3 and 4 room flats.
| Rebates To Be Received | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 2022 | July 2022 | October 2022 | January 2023 | ||||||
| HSB Flat Type | Regular U-Save | HSP U-Save | Regular U-Save | HSP U-Save | Regular U-Save | HSP U-Save | Regular U-Save | Assurance Package (AP) for GST U-Save | Total GSTV – U-Save for FY2022 |
| 1- and 2-room | $95 | $95 | $95 | $95 | $95 | $95 | $95 | $95 | $760 |
| 3-room | $85 | $85 | $85 | $85 | $85 | $85 | $85 | $85 | $680 |
| 4-room | $75 | $75 | $75 | $75 | $75 | $75 | $75 | $75 | $600 |
| 5-room | $65 | $65 | $65 | $65 | $65 | $65 | $65 | $65 | $520 |
| Executive / Multi-Generation | $55 | $55 | $55 | $55 | $55 | $55 | $55 | $55 | $440 |
Source: MOF
Households whose members have more than one property are not eligible for rebates. All additional rebates are set to be credited to eligible households at the same time as the regular GSTV and U-Save for April 2022, July 2022, October 2022, and January 2023. Meanwhile, the AP U-Save will be provided starting from January 2023 to January 2026.
What Happens To People Who Don’t Pay Their S&CCs?
As mentioned above, there is a late charge penalty fee for those who fail to pay their SCC fees. This ranges from S$1 to $7, to 2% of the bill. Commercial properties can pay up to 10%, subject to a minimum of S$10, as mandated by most town councils such as Ang Mo Kio.
That said, there are town councils that allow a month-long grace period. During this time, the penalty fee will be waived if you pay within the month from the due date.
It’s worth noting that failing to pay charges and interest within 14 days of getting a written demand is considered an offence. Therefore, you can be fined (not exceeding S$1,000), or worse, you can be jailed.
There are also town councils that make an effort to recover units by submitting cases to the Small Claims Tribunal. This can result in the seizure and sale of your property.
Town Councils have been more understanding of people’s needs since the pandemic. This means that they are willing to help those who are dealing with financial difficulties. If you find yourself
unable to pay for your S&CC charges, do not hesitate to talk to your town council representative about your options. Some town councils offer instalment plans on a case-to-case basis, subject to the approval of the management.
Can My Legal Fees/Penalty Be Waived?
Most town councils do not waive fees. However, you can request for your penalty to be waived, although approval is on a case-by-case basis and is subject to the approval of the management.
How To Check HDB Conservancy Charges?
The easiest way to check your HDB conservancy charges is to check with your town council’s website. You may also email or call them. Most rates and the amount payable each month can also be checked through AXS/SAM machines.
How To Check Outstanding Service And Conservancy Charges/How To Check Outstanding Town Council Bill?
It is recommended to call or email your town council.
How Do I Open An S&CC Account?
For new HDB flat owners, their accounts will be set up automatically right after collecting the keys for their homes.
Is The Town Council Under HDB?
All town councils are autonomous entities that are created under the Town Councils Act. They are responsible for maintaining, managing, controlling, and improving all common properties of residential flats and commercial properties within their areas.
How Do I Know My HDB Account Number?
Your account number can be found at the top right corner of your HDB appointment letter that was given to you right after taking possession of your home.
How Do I Pay My S&CC If I’m Transferring Or Selling My Flat?
It is recommended to book an appointment with your town council and bring your appointment letter. The town council will collect your fees up to the appointment date (in the 2nd appointment letter) and endorse it upon full settlement.
You are meant to keep paying your S&CC until the ownership of your flat has been transferred, or until the termination of your flat takes place.
Why Did I Receive A Notice?
Generally, town councils do not send a reminder notice to those who have already paid their balance. Reminders are only sent out if payment is not received by town councils by the 10th of the following month.
A Word from OMY
Service and Conservancy Charges are integral in maintaining your neighbourhood, so it is your duty to pay conservancy charges on time. If not, you may face fines which can rack up easily. Now that you know how much you need to pay for S&CCs, you can finally plan for your expenses better.
