Before renovation starts in your HDB flat, ask your contractor to confirm the written notice required for neighbouring flats and when it will be served. HDB’s Renovation Portal terms say the contractor must personally serve notice to the specified neighbouring flats at least five days before work begins. Check the applicable conditions for your project.
Put the notice date on the same calendar as the permit, the work start and the noisy phases. Displaying a notice at the flat and serving written notice to neighbours are separate steps. Ask the contractor to confirm both where required.
- Confirm the scope and any approvals before fixing the start date.
- Check which nearby units must receive written notice.
- Ask the contractor to record when it served the notice.
- Mark the noisy work separately from the rest of the renovation.
- Recheck the notice and schedule if the start date changes.
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Check the permit and notice separately
Open HDB’s important renovation information and the Renovation Portal terms. Ask the contractor which conditions apply to your flat and the actual scope. The portal terms describe a written Notice of Renovation for flats within a radius of two units, and include a requirement to display the notice. Use the wording and any layout-specific instructions to determine which doors are covered.
Ask your contractor to show you the work schedule. Check which items require prior written approval and which are noisy works subject to specific limits. A notification helps neighbours prepare. The contractor still has to follow the permitted work conditions. Use HDB’s written notice example as a reference alongside the current instructions.
| Calendar item | What to record | Who should confirm it |
|---|---|---|
| Scope and permit | Which work needs approval and whether it is in place | Contractor and HDB as applicable |
| Written notice | Units to be notified and date served | Contractor |
| Display at flat | Required notice and display period | Contractor |
| Noisy phases | Expected dates and applicable hours | Contractor |
| Changed start date | What changes and whether an updated notice is needed | Contractor using the applicable conditions |
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Make the schedule useful to neighbours
Use dates and expected work categories that people can understand. If a neighbour works shifts, has a baby or is studying at home, an accurate description of the noisy phases can help them plan around the disruption. Give a contact route for schedule questions. Keep any extra note consistent with the official notice and verified scope.
Do not promise that every task will finish at a precise time if the contractor has only given you an estimate. Tell neighbours when a schedule changes materially and ask the contractor to confirm any further notification required. Keep the revised dates in the same record as the original notice.
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Worked example when a demolition date moves
A household expects work to begin on a Friday, but the contractor proposes moving the start earlier. Before agreeing, the owner checks whether approvals are in place and whether the required notice can be served in time. The contractor reviews the permitted work dates and confirms the written notices and display arrangements before the new date is treated as final.
The household separately checks the dates for deliveries and for its own plans to stay elsewhere during noisy work. If the earlier start cannot meet the applicable notice or permit requirements, the owner keeps the work date provisional and asks the contractor to revise the schedule.
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Frequently asked questions
Does a text message replace the required written notice?
Use the method stated in the applicable HDB conditions. Informal communication can help neighbours plan, while the contractor still needs to follow the formal requirement.
Does giving notice allow noisy work on any date?
Check the permitted schedule for the work type. Notice, approval and allowed work hours each serve a separate purpose.
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Next steps and official sources
Ask the contractor for the work dates, the list of units to be notified and the date notice will be served. Confirm the requirements again if the schedule changes.