Permanently. With the Home Office Scheme and Home-Based Small-Scale Business Scheme. HDB flats can be used as a home office and for business registration, subject to a whole lotta rules.
Home Office Scheme
Open to owners, tenants, occupiers and subtenants 18 and older, the business has to be registered with ACRA (unless exempted) and be confined within the flat.
No
- smoke, noise, odour, waste, nuisance
- illegal/immoral
- extra human traffic
- selling/buying goods in or around flat
- solicitation
- signs, posters
- adversely affecting the estate
Business Types
Sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability partnership, private limited:
- accountancy
- architectural
- consultancy
- design / advertising
- transportation
- estate agency
- insurance / financial planning
- tech-based / knowledge-intensive
- trading office
with a maximum of two non-resident employees (partners, shareholders, directors, or just employees).
All other businesses can only use the flat as an admin office and for business registration. The actual business activities are conducted somewhere else.
Safety Requirements
Necessary precautions so that there’s no danger to people or property.
Electrical and structural load must not exceed normal residential load.
No dangerous substances.
Comply with Fire Safety and Shelter Department regulations:
- 2kg ABC Dry Chemical Powder fire extinguisher
- single-station smoke detector
Any other licenses and approvals relevant to the business.
Home-Based Small-Scale Business Scheme
Allowing owners to work from home, supplementing household income, without prior HDB approval needed.
Business Types (the yes and no)
There’s a full list out there, but here’s what I found interesting:
- baking — small scale, not a bakery
- hairdressing, beauty, mani/pedi
- no massage
- office work
- piecemeal work from a factory on a work rate basis
- private tuition
- no more than three students at a time
- sewing
- freelance artist, journalist, photographer, writer
All the “no”s are the same as the Home Office Scheme, with extra:
- no hiring staff
- no business registration
Requirements
The business has to comply with relevant authorities, e.g.
- food hygiene — National Environment Agency
- fire safety — Fire Safety and Shelter Department
❤️🌧️
Image of a laptop, mug, journal and pen on a table in front of a sofa with fluffy cushions
(like working from home is so light and soft) by Bella H. from Pixabay.
