The government will take sterner action against recalcitrant homeowners.
In high-rise, high-density Singapore, it is important for Singaporeans to be both responsible pet owners and considerate neighbours.
As such, pet owners are “wholly responsible for ensuring that their pets are well cared for, and that they do not adversely affect the wider living environment”, said the Ministry of National Development (MND) in a written response to Parliament on Monday (6 February).
In the event pets are causing a nuisance, flat owners will be advised to take measures to stop the nuisance, or to attend mediation to amicably resolve the issue. Recalcitrant owners, on the other hand, will be required to re-home their pets with assistance from animal welfare groups.
For hoarding cases, the HDB will advise residents with excessive hoarding to remove the unwanted items, while reminding them to keep their units’ tidy.
In the event the hoarding may involve regulatory breaches, the HDB will work with the relevant agencies, such as the National Environment Agency for vectors and the Singapore Civil Defence Force for fire hazards.
“In cases of compulsive hoarding, which could be an indication of an underlying behavioural issue and would require professional help, (the) HDB also works with health and social work professionals to provide counselling and appropriate assistance to the hoarder. (The) HDB also ropes in the grassroots leaders and the hoarder’s family in an effort to reduce disamenities,” said the MND.
As a last resort, “recalcitrant owners, including owners who refuse to open up their premises for inspection by HDB officers, may be brought to court where they can be fined up to $4,000 upon conviction”.
Romesh Navaratnarajah, Senior Editor at PropertyGuru, edited this story. To contact him about this or other stories, email romesh@propertyguru.com.sg
