BTO Defect Checklist: what to check, how to submit, how to track
For Singapore homeowners who just collected keys — HDB BTO, resale, or condo. Updated July 2026.
Your 12-month window
Every new HDB flat comes with a Defect Liability Period (DLP) of 12 months from key collection. Defects you report inside this window are rectified at no cost. Miss it, and the same repair comes out of your own pocket — so the inspection you do in the first weeks is one of the highest-value afternoons you'll spend on your home.
HDB's guidance is to inspect and report defects early — ideally within the first month, before renovation starts — because it gets harder to attribute damage once contractors begin work.
Room-by-room: what to inspect
- Floors: hollow tiles (tap with a coin), cracked or stained tiles, uneven screed, scratched vinyl/timber, skirting gaps.
- Walls & ceilings: cracks, uneven plastering, paint patches and stains, water seepage marks (check after rain).
- Doors: alignment, smooth closing, working locks, gaps at the frame, dents and scratches on the leaf.
- Windows: smooth sliding, working locks and stoppers, sealant condition, cracked panes, water marks on sills.
- Plumbing & sanitary: run every tap and the shower, flush every toilet, check under-sink joints for drips, look for slow drainage and ponding in the bathroom floor.
- Electrical: test every switch, socket and light point, doorbell, and the DB box labelling.
- Carpentry & fittings (if fitted): cabinet alignment, hinges, laminate chips, wardrobe rails.
Take a photo of every item as you go — wide shot for location, close-up for detail. Photos dated inside your DLP are your proof.
How to submit defects to HDB
Report defects to your project's Building Service Centre (BSC) — the office HDB and the contractor run inside your estate during the DLP. You can submit using the Defects Feedback Form at the BSC or digitally through the MyHDB app. For each defect, give the room, exact location, a clear description, and photos, then keep your copy of the submission and chase by reference.
For condos, the process is similar but runs through your developer's customer-service or defects portal — check your handover pack for the workmanship-warranty terms.
The part everyone gets wrong: tracking
Most owners photograph defects into their camera roll, WhatsApp a few to the contractor, and lose track of what was reported, what's fixed, and what proof they have. Three months later nobody can say which of the 40 photos was rectified. Keep one running list — each defect with its photo, location, severity, status, and the date it was reported and fixed.
HomeHQ does the tracking for you — free
Log defects room by room with before/after photos, run a guided inspection, and export a tidy defect report you can WhatsApp straight to your BSC officer or contractor (or save as PDF). No account, no ads, no server — everything stays on your phone.
Get it on Google Play Use it in your browser