1. How to dispose of bulky items
A standing notice for the lift lobby or noticeboard, and for new residents’ welcome packs.
[DEVELOPMENT NAME] MANAGEMENT CORPORATION STRATA TITLE PLAN NO. [NUMBER] NOTICE TO ALL RESIDENTS Disposing of bulky items Date: [date of notice] Bulky items, such as furniture, mattresses, large appliances and renovation debris, must not be left in the bin centre, corridors, staircases, lift lobbies or car park. These areas are common property. Items left there obstruct other residents and can block escape routes in an emergency. To dispose of a bulky item: 1. Arrange its removal with a disposal contractor of your choice, or ask the management office about the arrangements for this development. 2. Tell the management office before the removal, so the service lift and loading bay can be booked. 3. Make sure the item is taken away on the day. Items must not be left in common areas to wait for collection. Renovation debris must be removed from the development by the owner’s contractor, and must not be placed in the bin centre. Under the by-laws, residents must not obstruct common property, or leave rubbish or discarded items on it, without the Management’s prior written approval. Items left in common areas will be dealt with under the by-laws, which may include arranging for their removal. Thank you for your cooperation. The Management Management office: [phone or email]
2. Removal notice for items left on common property
Posted on or beside the items, with a photo kept for your records.
[DEVELOPMENT NAME] MANAGEMENT CORPORATION STRATA TITLE PLAN NO. [NUMBER] NOTICE OF ITEMS LEFT ON COMMON PROPERTY Date of notice: [date of notice] Location: [where the items are] Items: [description of the items] The items described above have been left on common property. Common property must be kept clear, and items in corridors and staircases can obstruct escape routes in an emergency. If these items belong to you, please remove them, or contact the management office to arrange their removal, by [date, 7 days after the notice]. If the items are not removed or claimed by that date, the Management will take action under the by-laws, which may include arranging for their removal. Obstructing corridors, staircases and other escape routes is also an offence under the Fire Safety Act. Photographs of the items have been taken for the Management’s records. The Management Management office: [phone or email]
Before you put a notice up
Check the wording against your own by-laws. The notices follow the prescribed by-laws that apply automatically to MCSTs constituted on or after 1 April 2005: owners and occupiers must not obstruct common property, or leave rubbish or discarded items on it without the MCST’s written approval. If your development is older, it may run on a different set, so check which one yours uses.
Neither the Building (Strata Management) Act nor the prescribed by-laws gives an MCST an explicit power to remove or dispose of items, which is why the notices say the Management will act “under the by-laws” rather than promising to throw things away. If items left in common areas are a recurring problem, consider adopting an additional by-law. BCA’s guide to by-laws has a sample that lets an MCST charge up to S$200 to recover removal costs, and our guide to items left in common areas explains the rest of the process.
Keep a record for every removal notice: photos of the items where they were found, the date the notice went up, and where it was posted. If an owner disputes a removal later, that record is what shows the process was fair.