Tag Archives: Singapore Property

Recent applications for apartments below 300 sq ft understood to have been rejected

The new breed of ’shoebox’ private apartments may have caught the imagination, but don’t expect them to invade the housing landscape. Some may not even get the planning authority’s approval, going forward, if recent decisions are any guide.

Earlier this month, Singapore saw its smallest ever apartment unit – at 258 square feet – being put on the market at the Suites@Guillemard project. While this made headlines, BT understands that the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) recently turned down some applications involving apartments below 28 square metres (or about 300 sq ft).

Apart from the size, the layout of the proposed micro units may also have been a factor. For instance, if an apartment does not adequately provide for a kitchen, it may resemble a hotel room rather than a residential development.

When contacted, URA said that it does not stipulate that private housing units should be of a minimum size or that a development should have a certain mix of unit sizes. However, it said: ‘We have observed that some developers have been building smaller apartment units. Continue reading →