HDB service and conservancy charges (S&CC): What you need to know (2023)

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

Service & Conservancy Charges (S&CC): What is it?

Service &Conservancy Charges (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 of water pipes and automatic refuse chute-flushing systems

26 per cent 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 per cent 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

Town Councils under PAP have recently increased their S&CC rates from July 2023 onwards due to rising costs. Rates will be increased again in July 2024.

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*

*More unique HDB flats such as DBSS 3Gen units are not included in the tables. Note that the S&CC for these units are generally higher than the standard HDB flats.

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 2023. If you're one of the households that qualify, you can expect to receive the rebate in April 2023, July 2023, October 2023 and January 2024. 

*Number of months of S&CC to offset

As a flat owner or essential occupier, you'll need to meet the following conditions to be eligible for the S&CC rebates:

• Have at least one Singapore Citizen flat owner or occupier in the flat
• Do not own or have any interest in a private property
• Have not rented out the whole flat

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 a certain date set by your town council, you'll receive a reminder, so there are no excuses for late payment.

For instance, if you're under the Tampines Town Council, they'll send you a reminder if payment isn't received by the 10th.

Meanwhile, the Jalan Besar Town Council will send a reminder and impose a late fee if payment is not received by the 10th of the following month.

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 cent per month of outstanding S&CC for residential units and five per cent for commercial units. 

You'll also be unable to book common facilities (such as void decks) for events, except on compassionate grounds 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.  

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This article was first published in 99.co.