After buying an HDB resale flat, check your first Service and Conservancy Charges (S&CC) bill against your resale completion date and any adjustments in the transaction. Confirm the account with the Town Council serving the block. Ask which period you need to pay for and whether your chosen payment method is active.
Your mortgage, utilities, property tax and S&CC each have separate records. A GIRO arrangement for one bill does not establish how another will be paid. Check the first S&CC payment explicitly while your family is setting up the new home.
- Find the Town Council responsible for the new address.
- Keep your resale completion date and relevant payment statement.
- Check the period and balance on the first S&CC statement.
- Confirm when any new GIRO arrangement starts.
- Make a manual payment if instructed while GIRO is pending and check the receipt.
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Start with the new flat and its Town Council
Use the new block and street when contacting the Town Council. Ask for the official way to check your account, what reference to use and where to see the current rate for your flat. Procedures and payment options can differ by Town Council. If you are still receiving correspondence for another address, label the records by flat so you can tell which bill is being discussed.
HDB’s seller completion guidance tells sellers to settle the applicable charges and terminate payment arrangements relating to the sold flat. Read the HDB resale terms and the relevant statements for your case. The seller’s payment history and the new owner’s account setup are separate checks.
Back to contents · Next: Match the statement to the handover records
Match the statement to the handover records
Write down the legal completion date and the dates covered by any payment or adjustment statement. Then compare them with the first Town Council statement. If there is an approved Temporary Extension of Stay or another formal arrangement affecting the handover, ask the parties handling it how to read the records for that case. The date you start living in the flat may differ from the ownership or billing dates.
| Check | Record to open | What to ask if it differs |
|---|---|---|
| Property | Town Council bill or account screen | Does the account refer to the correct block and unit? |
| Billing period | First statement and resale completion records | Which days or months does this balance cover? |
| Adjustments | Completion or payment breakdown | Was a charge already apportioned or recorded elsewhere? |
| Payment method | GIRO confirmation or Town Council instructions | When does the first automatic deduction begin? |
| Payment received | Receipt and current balance | When should the account reflect the payment? |
If a balance appears to include an earlier period, ask the Town Council to explain the line items. Include the completion date and bill reference. Keep the initial enquiry short. Send the relevant supporting record through the official channel if requested, with unrelated personal information kept private.
Confirm the first deduction before relying on it
A submitted GIRO form and an active deduction are different milestones. Tampines Town Council’s FAQ gives an example of a council advising residents to use another payment method while awaiting GIRO commencement. Follow your own council’s instructions. Note the first scheduled deduction and any manual payment you already made to avoid paying a balance twice.
Back to contents · Next: Worked example after a mid-month completion
Worked example after a mid-month completion
A household completes its resale purchase midway through a month. Its first S&CC statement arrives before the household receives GIRO confirmation. It retrieves the completion statement and checks which period and address the new balance refers to. One adult contacts the Town Council and confirms whether a manual payment is needed.
After making the payment using an official method, the household saves the receipt with the new account number. At the next check, it confirms the payment has been credited and that GIRO will start on the date communicated by the council. It keeps the old flat’s final statement in a separate folder so the two accounts cannot be confused.
Back to contents · Next: Reconcile the second statement too
Reconcile the second statement too
Once the first payment is recorded, check the next statement or account update against your receipt. Look for the previous balance, the payment credit and the new amount due. If a recurring deduction is now active, compare the date communicated by the Town Council with the actual bank transaction. Keep any correction in writing.
If a rebate appears, ask the Town Council or check the relevant official notice for the period and eligibility. Record the credit separately from your payment. This makes it easier to understand why one month differs from another without assuming the usual charge has permanently changed.
Back to contents · Next: Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions
Will my old flat’s GIRO arrangement move with me?
Check the new account and the Town Council’s instructions. Confirm any setup for the new address separately and verify the start date.
What if the first statement has a charge I thought the seller paid?
Ask for a breakdown and compare it with the completion documents. Give the Town Council the exact period and account reference so it can check the entry.
Is S&CC part of my utilities bill?
Treat S&CC as a separate Town Council account. Check utilities and property tax through their respective records.
Back to contents · Next: Next steps and official sources
Next steps and official sources
Put the completion date, first bill period and first payment date in one note. Confirm the balance with the Town Council and keep the first receipt or deduction confirmation.