HDB Service and Conservancy Charges (S&CC): What you need to know (2022)

A million flats spread across 24 towns house over 80% of Singapore residents. For us who call our HDB flats home, we pay service and conservancy charges (S&CC) every month.  

Service & Conservancy Charges: What is it?

S&CC is the cost of keeping our neighbourhood estates spick and span, much like how condo residents have a mandatory monthly maintenance fee. 

So, we know money is going out of our pockets. But where is it going, and what does it cover?

You pay the S&CC to your local Town Council, which then goes towards general up-keeping works, such as:

• Provision of essential maintenance and repairs of lifts, water pumps, switchrooms, lightings, and lift rescue services
• Conservancy works such as fumigation and refuse collection 
• Cleaning works such as the sweeping and washing of common areas
• Landscaping and horticultural works
• Preventive and cyclical maintenance works, including repainting and re-roofing
• Replacement and repairs of water pipes 

26% of S&CC funds are allocated to the town council’s Sinking Fund, which covers big projects such as repainting HDB blocks or maintaining the block’s facade. 

On top of this, a minimum of 14% of the S&CC goes to the Lift Enhancement Programme, a dedicated lift replacement fund to improve lift performance and reliability. 

S&CC isn’t paid by just HDB residents. Various sites located within the estate are subject to the charges, including childcare centres, the neighbourhood police or civil defence post, market centre, food stalls, shops and offices. 

Different towns, different charges

If you compare your S&CC bill with friends living in different parts of Singapore, you’ll notice that it may vary slightly. 

So how much S&CC do you pay each month? The main factors influencing the difference in pricing are your:

• Estate (which town council you belong to)
• Flat type 
• Eligibility

For eligibility, there are two different S&CC rates: The normal rate and the reduced or subsidised rate. 

Normal S&CC rates apply if: 

• None of the owners, tenants or essential occupiers is Singaporean

• Any authorised occupier of the HDB flat owns private residential or commercial property 
• A body corporate owns or rents the HDB unit
• The flat is vacant 

S&CC Normal Rates*

To qualify for reduced/subsidised rates, at least one owner, tenant or essential occupier needs to be Singaporean, and none can own any private residential or commercial property. So if you own another property, you’ll have to pay the regular S&CC rates. 

S&CC Reduced/Subsidised Rates*

*DBSS and 3-Gen units are not included in the tables

S&CC rebates: How do I qualify?

Introduced in the Singapore Budget 2022, the S&CC rebate has been made a permanent fixture of the GST Voucher (GSTV) scheme. The scheme aims to help defray the GST expenses of lower- to middle-income households. 

Over 950,000 eligible HDB households will receive rebates to offset 1.5 to 3.5 months of S&CC over 2022. If you’re one of the households that qualify, you can expect to receive the rebate in April 2022, July 2022, October 2022 and January 2023. 

*Number of months of S&CC to offset

Households with occupiers owning private property or their entire flat rented out cannot qualify for the rebate. 

While there’s been a series of S&CC rate hikes over the past few years, the government’s rebates in each year’s Budget help blunt the costs. 

How do I check my HDB S&CC?

Residents can check their monthly amount payable via AXS or SAM machine after the 7th of the month. Alternatively, they can call or email their respective town councils for more information. 

How do I pay my S&CC?

Your S&CC is due on the 1st of every month, with no invoices for residential units. If no payment is received by the 10th, you’ll receive a reminder, so there are no excuses for late payment.

There are many ways to make payment.

1. Cheque (mailed to your town council)
2. Cash or NETS at any HDB branch office
3. Cash, NETS or credit card at your town council
4. AXS or SAM machines
5. Post office counter
6. Internet banking
7. Credit card direct debit service (VISA and Mastercard only)
8. Inter-bank GIRO

What are the penalties for late payment?

If you fail to stay on top of your S&CC, there’ll be a late payment penalty fee ranging from S$1 to 2% per month of outstanding S&CC for residential units and 5% for commercial units. 

You’ll also be unable to book common facilities (such as void decks) for events like funeral wakes. 

But if you miss a payment, don’t fret – most town councils grant a one-month grace period to pay your S&CC and avoid the late penalty fee. 

Keep failing to make payment? You’ll receive a written demand with a period of 14 days to pay the charges. If you still refuse to pay, you stand to be arrested and slapped with a fine not exceeding S$1,000. 

Your Town Council may even bring the case to Small Claims Tribunal and apply for a writ of seizure to sell your personal items to recover costs. 

If you have trouble making your S&CC payments on time, give your local town council or resident MP a call to find out what options there are for you.  

Any other questions about HDB Service and Conservancy Charges? Let us know in the comments below.

If you found this article useful, 99.co recommends What’s allowed in your HDB riser, corridor and common areas? and Tackling ceiling leaks and water seepage in your HDB.