After years of waiting, the letter finally comes: your BTO flat is ready. Key collection day goes quickly, and the month after it is busy. There’s paperwork at HDB Hub, utilities to set up, a defect inspection to arrange, and a renovation to plan.
This checklist takes you through what to do before, on and after key collection. It’s based on HDB’s current guidance and on what we see when we meet new owners at their flats. Procedures can change, so always follow the instructions in your own appointment letter.
Before key collection
1. Check your appointment on My HDBPage
HDB invites you to collect your keys when the flat is ready. Log in to My HDBPage to see the date and time of your appointment. HDB will notify you by email and SMS within two weeks before the appointment and ask you to view the appointment letter online. Read the letter carefully, because it lists exactly what to bring for your case.
If the date doesn’t work, you can ask to reschedule through My HDBPage.
2. Make sure every applicant can attend
All applicants must attend in person at the Sales Office in HDB Hub, Lorong 6 Toa Payoh. If someone can’t attend (for example, because they’re ill or overseas for a long period), they need a solicitor to prepare a Power of Attorney appointing someone to act for them. The certified true copy has to reach HDB before or at the appointment. Sort this out early, since it takes time.
3. Sort out insurance
- Fire insurance: if you’re taking an HDB housing loan, you must buy fire insurance from HDB’s appointed insurer and bring the certificate of insurance to the appointment.
- Home Protection Scheme (HPS): if you’re using CPF savings to pay your monthly instalments, you must be covered by HPS.
- Home contents insurance: optional. Depending on the policy, it may cover renovation, furniture and appliances.
4. Prepare for payment
If you’re using CPF savings for the balance of the purchase price and fees, bring a mobile phone or other device with internet access so you can apply for the CPF withdrawal online with Singpass. Check your letter for any cash amounts due and the accepted payment methods.
5. Book your defect inspection now
This step catches people out. HDB asks owners to report defects within one month of key collection and before renovation starts. If you’re using a defect inspection company, book a slot for the first week or two after collection, before your renovation contractor’s start date. Good slots near big key-collection dates fill up.
Documents checklist
- [ ] Identity cards of all applicants and occupiers (physical, or digital IC in the Singpass app)
- [ ] Appointment letter from My HDBPage
- [ ] Certificate of fire insurance (if taking an HDB loan)
- [ ] Phone or device with Singpass, for CPF withdrawal (if using CPF)
- [ ] Power of Attorney documents (if an applicant is represented)
- [ ] Any other items listed in your appointment letter, such as a bank’s Letter of Offer or a GIRO form
On key collection day
At HDB Hub
Arrive early. The appointment covers the final paperwork, including identity checks, loan and payment arrangements, and signing documents, and ends with you receiving your keys and your flat’s paperwork. Afterwards, the flat is legally yours to look after.
Set up your utilities account
All homeowners must open a utilities account with SP Services, whichever electricity retailer you choose later. You can do this at the SP Services Customer Service Centre at HDB Hub right after key collection, online, or through the SP Utilities App. A security deposit is needed. Once the account is set up, you can switch to another electricity retailer on the open market if you want to.
Tip: if you get water and electricity turned on quickly, your defect inspection can test water flow, drainage and electrical points properly.
After key collection: your first month
This is the stretch that matters most for defects.
Week 1: first look and inspection
- Visit the flat. Take your Welcome Kit. It tells you where your temporary Building Service Centre (BSC) is and when it’s open, and it has the QR code for submitting rectification requests.
- Turn on the water. HDB flats usually come with the tap heads left in the letter box. Collect them before the inspection, along with any keys you need.
- Do the defect inspection. Go through each room systematically. Mark defects with painter’s tape or sticky notes and write them on your list. Slight colour differences in tiles or timber, and small variations in grout width, are normal material characteristics, not defects.
Week 1–2: submit your list
- Submit a rectification request online using the QR code in your Welcome Kit (or on the notice in your kitchen), or at the BSC.
- Keep your own copy of the list and photos.
Weeks 2–4: joint inspection and repairs
- Joint inspection: BSC staff check the items you reported.
- Rectification: the BSC assigns contractors. HDB says repairs usually take less than two weeks. Tell the BSC your renovation dates so the schedules line up.
- Closing inspection: when the repairs are done, the BSC arranges a closing inspection with you. Check each item before you sign off.
Our HDB BSC guide explains each of these steps in more detail.
Only then: renovate
HDB asks for defects to be reported before renovation because afterwards it’s hard to tell whether damage came from the original construction or from the renovation. Your 1-year Defects Liability Period (DLP) still runs after renovation, so report anything new that appears during the year. Read our DLP guide for what the DLP does and doesn’t cover.
What to bring to your own defect inspection
Whether you check the flat yourself or with an inspector, it helps to have:
- [ ] Painter’s tape or sticky notes for marking defects
- [ ] Pen and printed checklist, or a notes app
- [ ] Phone with a camera and torch
- [ ] A small bucket or bottle for water tests (if the water isn’t on yet, a spirit level can check floor gradients)
- [ ] A phone charger for testing power points
- [ ] Your Welcome Kit and the BSC’s opening hours
If you use a professional inspector, they’ll bring their own equipment. We bring our own screwdrivers and a spirit level, for example. Our guide to preparing for a new home defect inspection has more detail.
Common key collection mistakes
- Booking the renovation before the defect check. If your contractor starts in week one, you lose the clean before-and-after record HDB relies on.
- Leaving the inspection too late. The one-month window goes quickly once you’re handling paperwork, furniture and quotations.
- Looking without testing. Many defects only show up when you run the taps, flush the toilets, use the switches or pour water near floor traps.
- Treating every blemish as a defect. A list full of normal material variations slows everything down. Focus on genuine defects.
- Skipping the closing inspection. Check the repairs yourself before signing off.
Should you hire a defect inspector?
Plenty of owners check their own flats, and HDB publishes tips to help them. A professional inspection is worth considering if you’re short on time, unsure what counts as a genuine defect, or want someone to handle the list and attend the joint inspection with the BSC.
Our BTO defect check starts from $95 for a single inspection with a report and submission to the BSC. Silver (from $145) and Gold (from $245) add the joint and final inspections, and Gold also includes a post-renovation check. We can fill in your defect form for you, and our homepage also has quick links for booking a BSC appointment and opening your SP account.
Collecting your keys soon? WhatsApp us at +65 8098 2345 with your project and key collection date to reserve an inspection slot.
Key collection FAQ
How long does key collection at HDB Hub take?
It varies with queues and your paperwork. Arrive early, and check that all the documents in your appointment letter are ready so nothing holds you up.
Can I send someone else to collect my keys?
Only if the absent applicant has appointed them through a Power of Attorney prepared by a solicitor, and the documents have been submitted to HDB for verification.
When should I do my BTO defect check?
As soon as possible after key collection. HDB asks for defects to be reported within one month and before renovation starts.
Do I need electricity and water on before the defect check?
It’s strongly recommended, because it lets you test drainage, water pressure and power points. Open your SP Services account at HDB Hub on the day to get things moving.
Suggested internal links: /bto-defect-check/, /hdb-bsc-guide/, /defects-liability-period-singapore/, /what-to-prepare-for-a-new-home-defect-inspection/, /diy-hdb-defect-check-what-new-homeowners-need-to-look-for/, /when-should-you-inspect-your-new-flat-or-condo/, /defect-inspection-price/