Note: On 29 December 2023, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) announced that about 950,000 Singaporean households who live in HDB flats would receive Service and Conservancy Charges (S&CC) and U-Save rebates in January 2024. This article has been edited to reflect this news.
HDB maintenance fees, or S&CC, are costs incurred by HDB homeowners, shops, offices, markets, and food stalls. Think of it like condo maintenance fees for HDB estates. They are usually due on the first of each month, without demand.
Read on as we walk you through what S&CC is all about, how much S&CC you need to pay, and how S&CC rates have changed over the past few years.
HDB Maintenance Fees: Why Do We Pay Town Council?
S&CC are paid directly to your respective town council. Where does this money go?
- Maintaining and upgrading the common areas in the HDB estate
- Cleaning common areas such as multi-purpose halls, void decks, and staircases
- Periodic pest control services, including fumigation to get rid of those pesky cockroaches and mosquitoes
- Maintenance, repairs, and upgrading of lifts
- Maintenance of water pumps, switch rooms, lighting, and lift rescue services
- Landscaping works
- Repainting and re-roofing
- Replacement of water pipes and automatic refuse chute-flushing systems
What Is the Conservancy Charge for 2024?
Depending on your flat type, the S&CC for HDB flats typically range from $20 to $101 per month for Singapore Citizens, factoring in the reduced rates for Singapore Citizens.
If none of the occupiers of the flat is Singaporean, the charges will be at the normal rate of between $54 and $110. For executive apartments and maisonettes, these charges are higher than normal HDB flats.
Do note that you’ll also need to pay the normal rate if you fall under one of the following:
- None of the owners/tenants/authorised occupiers are Singapore citizens
- Own a private property/industrial/commercial property beside the HDB flat
- Own the HDB flat as a corporate body
- Rent the HDB flat to a corporate body
- Leave the house vacant
The charges also differ according to the location of your HDB estate, and you can check the exact amount on your town council’s website.
HDB Maintenance Fees: S&CC Rebate January 2024
| HDB flat type | Regular GST Voucher (GSTV) scheme S&CC rebate | Assurance Package (AP) S&CC rebate |
| 1-room and 2-room HDB flats | 0.5% | 0.5% |
| 3-room and 4-room HDB flats | 0.5% | 0.5% |
| 5-room HDB flats | 0.5% | 0.5% |
| Executive apartments and 3Gen flats | – | 0.5% |
On 28 September 2023, MOF announced a $1.1 billion Cost-of-Living Support Package, including a $0.8 billion enhancement to the Assurance Package (AP) to “provide more relief for Singaporean households, especially lower- to middle-income families”.
Shortly after, on 29 December 2023, MOF announced U-Save and S&CC rebates in January 2024. These rebates come under the AP and permanent GST Voucher (GSTV) scheme, the latter of which includes:
- Cash for immediate needs
- MediSave for seniors to support their medical needs
- U-Save to offset utility bills
- S&CC rebate to offset S&CC bills
Based on the January 2024 S&CC rebate rates, eligible households living in HDB flats up to 5-room sizes are eligible for a 0.5% + 0.5% S&CC rebate, while homeowners of executive apartments and 3Gen flats are eligible for a 0.5% S&CC rebate. These S&CC rebates will be directly credited into households’ S&CC accounts with their respective town councils.
Reach out to your respective town council to get more information about your S&CC payments and rebates for 2024.
HDB Maintenance Fees: How Do I Pay S&CC?
These are the following ways in which you can pay for S&CC:
- Cash, NETS, or credit card at your town council
- Cash or NETS at any HDB branch office
- Cheque or Money Order (to be mailed to your town council)
- AXS and SAM machines
- Post office
- Internet banking (DBS, OCBC, UOB, and Standard Chartered)
- Credit Card (Visa and Mastercard)
- Interbank GIRO
Do note that you’ll need to pay your HDB conservancy charges by the first day of each month, or you’ll incur a penalty fee that will accumulate from the following month until you pay it in full.
Similar to the HDB conservancy charges, the penalty fee varies according to the flat type and location. Generally, it ranges from $0.50 for a 1-room HDB monthly flat to $7 for an executive apartment.
How Much Has the Service and Conservancy Fee Increased Over the Past Few Years?
Over the years, HDB town councils under PAP have increased the fee a few times, with the first increase happening in 2014. Aljunied-Hougang Town Council, which is under the Workers’ Party, also increased its service and conservancy charges in 2014.
In 2022, the National Environmental Agency (NEA) stated that rubbish collection prices for residents living in HDB flats and private apartments will be increased.
The hike in the fee varies across HDB estates, depending on flat type as well as location. For example, if you were living in a 3-room flat, charges were subject to a lower increase compared to if you were living in an executive condo.
In 2018, the S&CC increase was about $0.50 to $8 per month. This was a smaller increase compared to the 2017 hike, which was between $0.50 and $9.
In addition, S&CC were also increased for markets and food stalls. In 2017, the increase ranged from $2.70 to $23.00 per month. In 2018, the increase in charge was between $2.50 and $17.50, depending on floor size.
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