DC - Strata Landed Housing

A strata landed housing comprises strata-titled landed housing units occupying a common development site with shared communal facilities and a single vehicular access point.

Any of the following three basic types of landed housing form can be built as strata landed housing:

• Strata bungalows (detached houses);

• Strata semi-detached houses (houses defined by their partial attachment on one side to another unit);

• Strata terrace houses (houses that are attached along a common boundary party wall and are part of a row of at least three units).

A strata landed development site may have a mix of bungalows, semi-detached houses and terrace houses occupying a common development site with shared communal facilities and a single vehicular access point. The building footprint of each strata landed unit shall have minimum ground contact of 50sqm. All other requirements are guided by the envelope control guidelines and respective parameters for the relevant landed housing type.

Strata landed houses may be allowed within a flats development site. Such hybrid developments are not accorded condominium status. They are not allowed in designated landed housing areas.

The number of strata landed housing units allowable depends on the type of landed housing forms proposed apart from a minimum communal open space provision requirement. This is to safeguard amenity for strata landed housing residents, and maintain compatibility of the strata landed housing development with surrounding landed housing estates.

Allowable landed housing estate locations for strata landed housing forms

Where there is a street block plan to guide landed housing development, the planning guidelines and requirements stipulated in the street block plan shall apply.

Conservation guidelines shall also apply for landed housing gazetted for conservation, such as in the residential historic districts of Blair Plain, Cairnhill and Emerald Hill.

Other sites zoned for residential use in the prevailing Master Plan may be considered for landed housing developments, depending on site context and conditions. Landed houses outside Designated Landed Housing Areas and not guided by the street block plans are subject to a 3-storey height control. The prevailing landed housing planning guidelines and requirements shall also apply.

Special and Detailed Control Plans (SDCP) provide detailed guidelines for specific areas. The SDCPs may be viewed here.

The following areas may be subject to security screening requirements. URA will confirm this upon submission of a proposed development.

Qualified Persons (QPs) should consider the screening requirements in the early stage of their planning and design to avoid abortive work subsequently.

Where security screening is deemed necessary, it shall consist of permanent fixtures that are difficult, if not impossible to remove. The following screening measures may be considered:

Residential units and common areas may be screened where necessary with blank walls, external concrete/metal fins, or the building may be re-orientated such that the windows¹/openings/balconies do not have direct view towards the protected area.

¹ Window: Raised openings that are at least 0.9m above the floor slab. They are intended to provide ventilation and lighting, and not for access. Full height windows and windows that are lower than 0.9m that can potentially be used as access points will need to be highlighted in the submission plans for URA’s evaluation and approval.

The parapet wall at the rooftop shall be at least 3m high and access to the rooftop from a public area shall be secured by a lockable door/hatch. The door/hatch may be electronically linked to an alarm system monitored by the building management.

The cap on the number of allowable units in strata landed housing developments shall be based on the typical footprint of the conventional landed housing form used and the development's location.

The formulae to compute the maximum number of allowable units in the various types of strata landed housing developments are shown in the table below.

The number of units shall be rounded down to the nearest whole number. Where necessary, URA may impose stricter controls on the allowable number of strata landed units for developments in localised areas of concern (eg severe infrastructural capacity issues), in consultation with other agencies.

Formulae for computing maximum number of strata landed units

The gross floor area for each individual strata landed housing unit is the resultant of the building form and envelope.

For developments comprising strata landed housing only, the overall gross floor area is the resultant of the number of strata landed units allowed. Refer to section above.

For residential developments with a mix of strata landed housing and flat units, the overall Gross Floor Area shall be controlled by the Master Plan Gross Plot Ratio for the site.

Commercial uses are not allowed within strata landed housing developments.

A Private Enclosed Space refers to a semi-outdoor area adjacent to a strata unit and it forms part of the private strata area of units which are sold to homeowners. All PES in new strata landed submitted on or after 1 June 2023 will be computed as GFA. PES in strata landed submitted before 1 June 2023 will not be computed towards the development’s GFA.

Guidelines for Private Enclosed Spaces

Private Roof Terrace

A Private Roof Terrace refers to a semi-outdoor area located at the roof level of a strata unit and it forms part of the private strata area of units which are sold to homeowners. All PRT in new strata landed submitted on or after 1 June 2023 will be computed as GFA. PRT in a strata landed submitted before 1 June 2023 will not be computed towards the development's GFA. These should be clearly annotated as "Private Roof Terraces'.

Guidelines for Private Roof Terraces

Strata landed housing developments are subject to a two-tier site coverage control as follows:

1) Site Coverage

• This is measured based on the footprint of the building and coverage of all building features (raised 1m or more above ground level) when viewed from above

2) Sub-control

• This is measured up to the external façade of the building, including features such as balconies, planters, bay windows and roof terraces. 50% of the car porch roof area will also be counted towards the sub-control.

• Sun-shading features (e.g. roof eaves, ledges, trellis, horizontal and vertical fins), including those with vertical supports (e.g. pavilions, covered patio), are excluded from the sub-control.

To safeguard the living environment of strata landed developments, minimum 45% of the nett site area¹ of the strata landed housing development shall be set aside for Communal Open Space (COS).

¹ The nett site area shall exclude land to be set aside for road widening & drainage reserve.

COS are communal recreational spaces provided for residents’ enjoyment. Examples of COS are in the table below:

Examples of COS

Of the 45% COS, at least 25% (as a percentage of site area) shall be set aside for communal on-ground greenery.

Areas classified as COS shall not be included in the boundary of the individual strata plots. For instance, the 2m planting strips and green buffers which form part of the minimum 45% COS provision, shall not contain any Private Enclosed Spaces (PES).

Vehicular access to any strata unit within the development shall be taken only from the common driveway.

Individual strata units shall not have direct vehicular access from public roads.

The overall car park provision for the development shall comply with LTA’s Range-based Parking Provision Standards (RPPS). If the car parking lots are counted towards the unit’s strata area (i.e. private car parking lots), they will be computed as GFA. These shall be contiguous with the respective strata unit.

These guidelines are applicable to residential developments comprising strata landed housing only.

The building setback controls of strata landed housing developments from public roads shall be determined by the road buffer as shown in the table below. Where the strata landed housing development site fronts two or more public roads, the buffer requirements from the roads shall be applied to all boundaries fronting roads.

Road Buffer and Green Buffer requirements

Any strata unit within the development site shall be set back 3m (minimum) from the common site boundary with another development.

A wider setback shall be required for 3-storey strata landed housing sharing a common boundary with Good Class Bungalow Areas (GCBA).

Setback of Strata Landed Housing from Common Boundaries

*Roof terrace(s), if proposed, shall be orientated to face away from the GCBA. 

Ancillary structures are minor structures erected to support the main use of the site. The building setback distance and height control for ancillary structures shown in the table below.

Ancillary structures located within the green buffer and tree-planting strip may be assessed in accordance with the objective-based guidelines administered by NParks – see here.

Ancillary structures located within the physical buffer and building setback that exceed the requirements in the table above, but are below 6m in height, shall be evaluated depending on the merits of the design and function.

Minimum Setback Requirements for Ancillary Structures

Maximum allowable protrusion into road buffer and common boundary setbacks

Owners/developers and Qualified Persons are free to decide the suitable front, side and rear spacing between individual strata landed units within the site.

RC flat roofs shall remain inaccessible except for maintenance purposes only¹. Activating the rooftop for uses such as roof terraces may be allowed depending on the merits of the proposal. No structures shall be allowed unless otherwise approved by URA. Where allowed, structures (including any safety barriers) shall comply with height controls² and the following guidelines.

¹ RC flat roofs that are accessible via ladders for maintenance purposes only are subject to agencies’ requirements for safety barriers to ensure the safety of maintenance personnel. Safety barriers shall not exceed 1m in height and may be considered beyond the permissible building envelope.

² Height controls applicable, include:

• Absolute technical height constraints^@ (e.g. Aviation paths restrictions, military and telecommunications installations).

• Conservation guidelines (available at URA SPACE)

• Urban design height controls (available at URA SPACE)

^@ The absolute technical height (Based on Singapore Height Datum [SHD]) shall take precedence if it is stricter than any of the other height controls.

The installation of solar panels on RC flat roofs may be considered if they meet the following criteria:

1. Solar panels are installed between 10 to 15 degrees relative to the horizontal plane to optimise the performance of solar panels and minimise glare to the buildings in the vicinity.

Installation of solar panels and M&E equipment such as inverters for the solar panel system does not require planning permission except in locations and contexts described below.

1. Areas subject to urban design guidelines and Conservation Areas¹ shall require planning permission due to their impact on the roofscape.
   
   ¹ For Conservation Areas, installation of solar panels without any additional works are treated as localised works for the purpose of repair and maintenance and are considered Category 3 works for Conserved Buildings. Applications for such Category 3 works can be made by owners and contractors. Refer to the Conservation Guidelines here and information on submission procedure here.

2. Elevated solar panels² located in developments on the following land use zones shall require planning permission:

² A solar panel is deemed to be elevated if it is raised more than 1m from the roof level for landed housing developments or 1.8m from the roof level for other developments.

3. Spaces under solar panels are enclosed or put to commercial use
   Planning permission shall be required if the spaces under elevated or non-elevated solar panels are enclosed or put to commercial uses such as Outdoor Refreshment Areas. In such instances, the spaces shall be computed as GFA.

Elevated solar panels that require planning permission may be assessed as an additional storey for storey height control purposes unless they comply with the guidelines below:

Guidelines for Elevated Solar Panels

From 11 May 2015, landed housing is controlled by the envelope control guidelines. The guidelines define an allowable building envelope for each landed housing unit based on the landed housing type, setbacks and storey height.

• The building footprint of each strata landed unit shall have minimum ground contact of 50sqm;

• Each unit shall not exceed the permissible building envelope for its landed housing type¹;

• The building envelope is illustrated in the figures below.

For existing strata landed housing approved under previous landed housing guidelines, new Additions and Alterations works shall comply with the permissible building envelope in the Envelope Control guidelines.

Where the existing building already exceeds the permissible building envelope, the new Additions and Alterations shall not further increase the building bulk. URA will assess such applications on a case-by-case basis.

¹ For more details on the allowable configurations for the semi-detached and terrace landed housing types, refer to Semi-Detached Housing and Terrace Housing sections respectively.

Under the envelope control guidelines, the overall building height for each strata landed housing unit shall be based on the allowable number of storeys and the floor-to-floor height in metres. The figures below show the building envelope and the relationship between storey height and allowable building height in metres.

• Strata landed housing shall not exceed the 2 or 3-storey height control, or the prescribed storey height as shown in the designated landed housing plan in the Master Plan, whichever is lower. This is to ensure that the height of the development is sympathetic to the existing neighbourhood character².

• The allowable building height is measured from the external platform level. If there is an existing level difference within the site, the allowable building envelope height may be taken separately from the two distinct platform levels.

• Lift overrun and safety barriers at RC flat roofs may be considered up to 1m beyond the allowable building height.

² Other height controls may also be applicable, such as:

• Absolute technical height constraints^@ (eg Aviation paths restrictions, military and telecommunications installations).

• Conservation guidelines (available at URA SPACE)

• Urban design height controls (available at URA SPACE)

^@ The absolute technical height (based on Singapore Height Datum [SHD]) shall take precedence if it is stricter than any the other height controls.

Mezzanine floors are no longer required to be kept to below 50% of a typical floor plate, and there are no restrictions on window openings on the front façade of the mezzanine floors.

Landed houses with mezzanine floors shall be designed within the permissible building envelope stipulated for the landed housing estate it is located in (ie maximum 12 m overall height for a designated two-storey landed housing estate and 15.5 m for a designated three-storey landed housing estate). The headroom proposed for each floor shall promote good internal spatial quality for residential living.

An attic is an incidental space that may be allowed within the permissible two-storey and three-storey envelopes respectively. Where roof terraces are proposed on attic roofs, they shall be located at least 3m below the top extent of the permissible building envelope to ensure future coverings by homeowners remain within the overall building envelope. Roofs with less than 3m below the top extent of the permissible building envelope shall be proposed as RC flat roofs that are non-accessible except for maintenance purposes.

Basements may be built up to the limits shown in the table below.

Basement Setbacks

³ Road Reserve: The plot of land to be vested in the State as required under the Street Works Act. It is demarcated by the line of Road Reserve in the Road Line Plan and the site boundary.

For sites in low lying landed housing areas, internal areas below the Minimum Platform Level (MPL)⁴ shall be treated as a basement storey and shall not count as an additional storey, subject to:

• Any building structures or internal living areas proposed below the MPL shall be fully sealed with no external openings⁵.

• Overall allowable height (based on the envelope control guidelines for landed houses) shall be measured from the MPL applicable for the site. The car porch roof shall be kept to maximum of 4.5m above the external ground level.

Where the MPL requirement is significantly higher than the existing levels of adjacent sites or roads, and the existing ground levels shall be retained, any building structures/internal spaces that are below the MPL but above the existing ground levels shall comply fully with the main building road buffer and setback requirements. They shall not be allowed to be built up to the site lot boundary.

⁴ Minimum Platform Level (MPL): The minimum 1^st storey level to be provided within the site. The MPL is determined by the Public Utilities Board (PUB).

⁵ If external openings are proposed, additional requirements from PUB shall be complied with, as follows:

• The internal finished floor level shall be at least 300mm above the adjacent road level; and

• Only entrance driveways, bin centres, turfed compound area, car porches or any other areas as may be approved by PUB may be permitted below the MPL. Bedrooms and M&E installations shall be located above the MPL.

For plots with sloping ground, exposed basement protrusion above existing ground level may be considered as shown in the figure below as long as the allowable basement protrusion is kept within the permissible Envelope Control building height.

Earthworks are defined as any operations or works in, on, or over land which result in substantial modification to the existing ground terrain, land form, or slope. These include excavation, formation of a new slope or embankment, and cut and fill operations.

Earthworks involving earthcut or earthfill shall be minimised to avoid excessive changes to the existing terrain. The scale of earthworks allowed depends on the location and purpose of the proposed earthworks. All proposed earthworks shall be evaluated to ensure they are sensitive to the wider site context and its impact to the surrounding developments.

Earthworks to raise the existing platform level of the entire development site are generally not allowed. This is to avoid creating new retaining walls.

¹ Minimum Platform Level (MPL): The minimum 1^st storey level to be provided within the site. The MPL is determined by the Public Utilities Board (PUB).

Earthworks are not allowed within the road buffer/building setbacks. Any proposed earthworks shall be assessed based on site context. Where allowed, they shall not exceed 1m.

Earthworks of more than 1m to meet PUB minimum platform level (MPL) shall be assessed on the merits of the proposal. Refer to earthworks in low-lying areas sub-section.

Earthworks may be considered to:

• Create a vehicular access of maximum 4m wide;

• Match the existing platform levels of the neighbouring sites;

• Create a workable platform level to mitigate level differences within an undulating or sloping site, or between the site and road;

• Facilitate building of a fully submerged basement. The area within the building setback distances shall be reinstated to the original platform level upon the completion of the basement.

The proposed earthworks shall be evaluated in relation to the permissible building envelope under the Envelope Control guidelines.

For low-lying sites that need to meet PUB’s Minimum Platform Level (MPL):

• Only the building structures or internal living areas and side/rear setback areas shall be raised to meet the stipulated MPL.

• The road buffer area of the development site need not be raised to the required MPL. For flood protection purposes, the road buffer area has to be 300mm above the adjacent road level, or not lower than the existing ground level, whichever is higher.

• Any common retaining-cum-boundary walls or fences shall be designed sensitively, as these may be higher than the existing levels of adjacent houses or land parcels.

• The following condition shall be annotated on plans: “The Developer/Owner is fully aware that he shall raise the structures/areas built to lower platform levels, to or above the recommended Minimum Platform Level as and when the adjacent grounds/roads are raised in future and comply with any other conditions deemed necessary by PUB.”

Refer to Basements section for more information on the treatment of internal areas below the MPL.

Outward facing retaining walls are not encouraged as they tend to mar the streetscape. If allowed, retaining walls shall:

• Not be more than 1m high. Retaining walls more than 1m high may be considered along the common boundaries and shall be suitably tiered and planted with adequate greenery if alternative measures are impractical.

• Be terraced at minimum 300mm apart, and planted to give an adequate greenery effect, if fronting a road or street. 

Boundary walls shall not exceed 1.8m.

The combined height of retaining and boundary wall shall not exceed 2.8m, of which solid wall shall not exceed 1.8m. Where a boundary wall is proposed on top of the retaining wall, only porous material (eg fencing) shall be used for the boundary wall.

Full-height wall along the common boundary between 2 semi-detached houses abutting the car porch/patio area can be allowed. This may also be considered for terrace houses if site context allows for it (eg where the car porches are paired and aligned) or if it is to meet FSSD’s requirements.