Packed dorms:Owners rapped

The Straits Times 30 May 09




URA has sent enforcement notice to owners of at least 87 units in People's Park Centre to make sure that they do not serve their home as dorm, hostel or boarding house. If convicted of unauthorised use, owners or landlords of the premises may be fined up to $200,000 or jailed up to 12 months or both.



The Straits Times reported earlier this month that many of the 288 residential units there appeared to have been partitioned, other residents have complained of overcrowding, frequent lift breakdowns, noise and litter.




The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) has issued at least 18 notices this month to unit owners asking for unauthorised structures to be taken down and extra occupants cleared.




A regular 1,119 sq ft or 104 sq m apartment unit in People's Park Complex should not have more than seven occupants. But residents there have observed that some units were packed to the rafters with up to 20 or 30 people in each unit.




This week, Straits Times revisited the People's Park Complex , many of the units still looked like they were being occupied by more people than in a typical family unit, while some residents said they have slight improvement but some said not much change.



Opinions:

It is incorrect to serve home as dorm, hostel or boarding house as it is inconvenient for resident due to lift congestion and they will have to walk down a flight of stairs, which is even inconvenient to elderly resident.



It is also very unhygenic and may cause mosquito breeding, affecting the residents due to noise and air pollution . Overcrowding also create more rubbish in the common areas and it may cause fire or block the exit when there is any emergency.