Residents in New Large-Scale Build-To-Order (BTO) Estates to Enjoy Earlier Access to Cooked Food, Groceries, Childcare and Bus Service

Going forward, residents moving into new large-scale BTO estates1 will enjoy earlier access to cooked food, groceries, childcare centres and bus services, up to three months earlier than before. Other measures to provide an enhanced living environment for these residents will also be introduced.

These improvements follow from the recommendations of the multi-agency BTO Coordination Committee (refer to Annex A for more information on the Committee). The Committee brings together various agencies to better coordinate the timing and provision of services to meet the needs of new residents moving into new large-scale HDB estates. Unlike BTO projects in more developed towns with existing neighbouring amenities within reach, residents moving into new large-scale BTO estates typically have fewer existing amenities around them at the outset. Agencies have therefore worked closely together to bring forward the provision of key amenities to about six months after the first batch of key collection, which is typically when the first batch of residents move into their new homes.

Bringing convenience of daily necessities to new residents sooner

More support for HDB shops in new BTO projects to start operations earlier

HDB seeks to balance between residents’ desire for immediate availability of nearby shops, and shop operators’ preference to start operations when their retail catchment reaches a critical mass. Typically, HDB shops in new BTO projects start operations about nine months after the first batch of residents collects their keys. As a result, residents who move into their new homes earlier may need to wait for some time before shops commence operations. To enable residents to enjoy the convenience of daily necessities near their new homes sooner, HDB will initiate the tender process earlier and provide more support so that shops, including coffee shops and supermarkets, in new BTO projects can commence operations earlier – about six months after the first batch of residents collect their keys.

To support operators who may be concerned about low footfall in the initial months, HDB will introduce the following measures for upcoming tenders for new shops from March 2026:

a) Extended rent-free period: To support operators when their shops are undergoing renovation before they start operations, HDB shops including supermarkets currently enjoy two months of rent-free period, while coffee shops receive three months, from their tenancy commencement date. Moving forward, HDB will extend the rent-free period for all shops in new BTO projects to a maximum of six months for those that commence operations within the first six months from the time that the shops obtained their Temporary Occupation Permit (TOP) (refer to Annex B for more information).

b) Revised staggered rent structure for first tenancy term: HDB will revise the staggered rent structure, where tenants of new HDB shops are progressively charged a percentage of their tendered rent across their first three-year tenancy period. For their first year of operation, tenants will pay 70% of their tendered rent, instead of 80% currently. The rents for the second and third year remain unchanged, at 90% and 100% respectively.

For BTO projects launched from July 20252, HDB will also pre-build the Outdoor Refreshment Areas (ORAs) in front of and/or adjacent to the coffee shop, to allow the coffee shops in new BTO projects to be fully operational sooner. Previously, the ORAs were constructed by the operators after tenancy commencement. This move will allow the ORA to be ready alongside the coffee shop, saving operators up to eight months and significant costs, and enabling them to start serving residents earlier. The first coffee shop to feature a pre-built ORA will be in Parc Meadow @ Tengah. Currently under construction, the BTO project is expected to be completed by 1H 2027.

These initiatives will balance business sustainability with residents’ need for timely access to cooked food and groceries.

Childcare centres to commence operations earlier

To provide families with young children earlier access to childcare options, we will plan for childcare centres in BTO projects in new large-scale BTO estates to commence operations within six months after the first batch of residents in the project collect keys to their homes. This is earlier than before, where childcare centres typically commenced operations between seven months to more than a year after the first batch of keys are collected.

To achieve this, HDB and the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) have streamlined the construction and handover processes for childcare centres. For example, potential childcare centre operators will be invited to view the premises as early as possible, before the project obtains its TOP. Currently, such viewings are conducted only when construction works are completed. By bringing forward the viewings, potential operators can visualise the space and plan for the requisite agency approvals and renovation works earlier. Additionally, for future projects, HDB will site childcare centres within the first buildings to be completed, where possible.

Bus services to commence in tandem with first key collections

HDB and the Land Transport Authority (LTA) will plan for at least one bus service to be operational in tandem with the first batch of key collection for BTO projects in new large-scale BTO estates. These bus services, which will be accessible from a bus stop within walking distance of the BTO project, will connect residents to amenities and transport nodes such as bus interchanges or MRT stations. Residents in Tengah’s Plantation Creek, Garden Waterfront II, and Garden Waterfront I, will be the first to enjoy these enhancements.

The earlier provision of bus services and bus infrastructure is achieved through close coordination between HDB and LTA to expedite road completions and implement bus infrastructure, as well as advance preparations to provide bus services. In cases where a regular service cannot commence immediately, agencies will explore providing interim shuttle bus services.

Providing a more connected and comfortable living environment for residents

Sheltered pedestrian connectivity to more amenities

To enable residents to move around their neighbourhood more comfortably, HDB will work with agencies and Town Councils (TCs) to enhance the standard for the provision of sheltered linkways in BTO projects in new large-scale BTO estates:

a) At completion, BTO projects will typically have sheltered linkways that connect to bus stops and key amenities (e.g. neighbourhood centres, markets/food centres, and community clubs), up to a 200-metre walking distance from the project’s boundary, where feasible3. Previously, sheltered linkways were a standard provision for mainly bus stops, up to a 100-metre walking distance.

b) Additionally, sheltered linkways will be provided to adjacent BTO projects that are within a 100-metre walking distance from the project’s boundary.

These enhancements will allow residents to get to amenities around their estate, regardless of weather conditions, while also encouraging greener and more active commuting. Residents moving to the upcoming Chencharu estate will be among those who will benefit from these enhancements.

More disposal points and stiffer penalties to tackle bulky waste disposal

To further enhance the cleanliness in new large-scale BTO estates, HDB is working closely with the National Environment Agency (NEA) and the TCs to tackle indiscriminate dumping of bulky waste during the initial move-in period:

a) NEA will require public waste collectors to work with the TCs to provide receptacles such as metal cages or recycling bins in new BTO projects during the move-in period. This will enable residents to more easily recycle bulky waste such as cardboard boxes, typically discarded in higher volumes during this period.

b) Since August 2025, HDB has been providing 50 percent co-funding to TCs that wish to deploy skip tanks at newly completed projects during the initial move-in period, which is typically within the first year of the project’s completion. To date, these skip tanks have been provided in projects such as Parc Flora @ Tengah and Garden Bloom @ Tengah. HDB will continue to extend the co-funding to the TCs for completing projects in large-scale estates.

c) To further curb indiscriminate dumping by renovation contractors, HDB will review its existing penalty framework and implement stiffer penalties for errant contractors. More information on the review will be shared when ready.

These measures will help to keep the common spaces clean, safe and comfortable for residents moving into their new homes. These initiatives are on top of existing initiatives to tackle indiscriminate dumping at common areas, such as the provision of service bays at HDB projects which can accommodate skip tanks for bulky waste disposal, and regular patrols by agencies and the TCs in the months following the BTO project’s completion, where the volume of moving-in activities is higher.

A New Standard for New Housing Areas

While every BTO project is unique and operational timelines may vary depending on site conditions and surrounding infrastructure, the BTO Coordination Committee has put in place these measures to establish clearer standards and expectations for new large-scale BTO estates. By doing so, we aim to better address residents’ needs from the time they move in, enabling them to enjoy homes that are more convenient, connected and comfortable from the get-go.

Issued by: MND & HDB

Date: 4 March 2026

1 Large-scale BTO estates refer to estates with clusters of more than 3,000 new BTO flats completed within a period of five years. These typically comprise clusters of three or four BTO projects.

2 Some projects launched before 2025 and are currently under construction, such as Parc Meadow @ Tengah which was launched in 2023, will also feature pre-built ORAs, where feasible.

3 Sheltered linkways will generally be provided on the same side of the road as the BTO project. High-covered linkways across roads will be provided on a case-by-case basis.

Annex A: About the BTO Coordination Committee

Annex B: Extended Rent-Free Period for HDB Shops (including Coffee Shops*)