According to the Housing Development Board, despite the multitude of complaints about new BTO flats, they only received about one reported defect per unit in recent years.
Most of the flaws are surface imperfections like scratches on the flooring, hairline cracks or uneven tile joints and these are due to the features of natural materials or errors in manual labour.
The HDB spokesperson added that these defects are easily rectified and do not affected the safety and structural integrity of the flat.
She stressed that these defects do not affect the structural integrity of the building and can be rectified easily.
She also added that timber mock-ups and sample units were built before mass construction to identify and resolve various issues and auditors together with inspection teams comb the flats for aesthetic defects. Flaws that are spotted will be relayed to contractors for rectifications before flats are handed to the home buyers.
Auditors and inspection teams also comb the flats for defects such as hollow tiles, uneven walls and wall cracks.
Spotted flaws are relayed to contractors for rectification before the flats are handed over to home owners.
Home owners have a one-year defect liability period after collecting their keys to get defects rectified by the building contractor.