A rental flat in Marine Terrace appears to be deteriorating due to age, with multiple units showing various degrees of cracks in ceilings and floors.
Some window frames have even become loose, making residents feel unsafe.
Marine Parade GRC MP Tan See Leng said repairs were sent after receiving notifications, and HDB conducts regular on-site inspections of units.
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Residents Face Safety Concerns from Structural Issues
In mid-February, a 62-year-old housewife, a resident of Block 52 rental flat in Marine Terrace, had just finished showering when she heard a strange noise above her head.
A lime plaster chunk about the size of a fist fell in front of her.
“If I had walked a bit faster, it might have hit my head. The thought still makes my scalp tingle,” she said.
She told reporters that her rental flat is 51 years old, with signs of aging visible throughout the unit.
About three years ago, the floor in her kitchen suddenly cracked during dinner time, frightening her family.
After she reported it to the Housing Development Board, they quickly sent people to retile the floor, minimizing the impact.
Last year, her window frame started to loosen, causing anxiety whenever she opened the window. She was worried the window might fall and injure passersby.
When Lianhe Zaobao visited different floors of the building on 25 Feb 2025, many residents reported worsening conditions in recent years. Cracks appear often, and aging facilities cause ongoing problems.
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Retired resident Abu Dar (68, name transliterated from Mandarin) moved in with his parents more than 20 years ago.
When he first moved in, he found the ceiling and walls full of cracks and reported it to the town council twice.
“Now I can only use wardrobes to hide larger wall cracks. I’ve paid people to fill ceiling gaps and fix aging facilities, spending over a thousand dollars,” he said.
Leni (42, cleaner, name transliterated from Mandarin), who lives on the sixth floor, said cracks appeared around the garbage chute three to four years ago.
Cockroaches even crawl into her home through these gaps at night. About a week ago, bathroom tiles suddenly cracked and bulged without any apparent cause, greatly disrupting the family.
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“Fortunately, HDB quickly sent people to inspect. We hope the problem can be fixed soon,” she said.
MP: HDB Regularly Inspects Rental Flats, Residents Can Report Issues Anytime
Marine Parade GRC MP Tan See Leng told Lianhe Zaobao that a resident reported ceiling peeling on 16 Feb 2025.
HDB tried to contact this resident immediately but only reached them on 21 Feb. Staff cleaned up lime fragments that day and repaired the damaged ceiling on 25 Feb.
Tan said HDB regularly inspects these rental flats and makes repairs immediately after receiving feedback from residents.
HDB also renovates the interior when rental units are vacant, including repairing or replacing damaged facilities.
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He added that residents with problems in their rental units can seek assistance anytime.
“We will report their problems to the authorities and carry out repairs quickly. We’ve been doing this all along and have achieved many results,” he said.
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