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No. S 684

Housing and Development Act 1959

Housing and Development
(Animals) Rules 2024

In exercise of the powers conferred by section 31 of the Housing and Development Act 1959, the Housing and Development Board, with the approval of the Minister for National Development, makes the following Rules:

Citation and commencement

1. These Rules are the Housing and Development (Animals) Rules 2024 and come into operation on 1 September 2024.

Definitions

2. In these Rules —

“keep”, in relation to a cat or dog, means to keep the cat or dog permanently or temporarily for any duration of time;

“lessee” includes any licensee, tenant or owner of any property;

“property” means any property licensed, leased or sold or otherwise provided by the Board under the Act.

Keeping of cats or dogs in property

3.—(1) A lessee of any property must not keep or allow to be kept in the property any cat or dog except in accordance with this rule.

(2) Subject to paragraph (3), a lessee of any property provided by the Board for residential purposes is permitted to keep in the property —

(a)

one dog only, which must be —

(i)	in the case of an applicable lessee — an assistance dog or applicable dog; or
(ii)	in any other case — an applicable dog; and

(b)

not more than 2 cats.

(3) A lessee who wishes to keep in any property provided by the Board for residential purposes —

(a)

any dog other than —

(i)	in the case of an applicable lessee — an assistance dog or applicable dog; or
(ii)	in any other case — an applicable dog;

(b)

more than one dog (regardless of whether each of those dogs is an assistance dog or applicable dog, as the case may be); or

(c)

more than 2 cats,

must obtain the prior written permission of the Board.

(4) Paragraphs (2) and (3) do not affect any requirement under the Animals and Birds Act 1965 or any rules made under that Act for a licence in respect of any premises or for the keeping of any cat or dog.

(5) In this rule —

“applicable dog” means —

(a)	a dog of a breed specified in the Schedule; or
(b)	a dog that is adopted from an animal welfare organisation under a scheme for the rehoming of dogs specified on the Board’s Internet website at https://www.hdb.gov.sg;

“applicable lessee” means a lessee with a disability who is registered with the Ministry of Social and Family Development;

“assistance dog” means a dog of any breed which is trained to assist a person with a disability.

Entry and search of property

4. A lessee of any property must allow an officer of the Board or any person authorised by the Board to enter the property at any reasonable time to ascertain any of the following:

(a)	whether any cat or dog is kept in the property;
(b)	the number of cats kept in the property;
(c)	the number and breed of dogs kept in the property.

Offence

5. A lessee who contravenes or fails to comply with rule 3(1) or 4 shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $4,000.

Revocation

6. Revoke the Housing and Development (Animals) Rules (R 4).

Transitional provisions in respect of cats

7.—(1) Rule 3(2)(b) and (3)(c) does not apply to a lessee of any property provided by the Board for residential purposes during the period from 1 September 2024 to 31 August 2026 (both dates inclusive) in respect of any cat kept by the lessee in the property in excess of the limit specified in rule 3(2)(b), if the lessee keeps the cat immediately before 1 September 2024.

(2) Rule 3(2)(b) and (3)(c) does not apply to a lessee of any property provided by the Board for residential purposes in respect of any cat which the lessee keeps in the premises in excess of the limit specified in rule 3(2)(b) on or after 1 September 2026, if the lessee —

(a)	keeps the cat immediately before 1 September 2024; and
(b)	obtains, before 1 September 2026, a licence under the Animals and Birds (Licensing and Control of Cats and Dogs) Rules 2024 (G.N. No. S 683/2024) in respect of that cat,

for so long as the licence is not revoked or cancelled, or is renewed and is not subsequently revoked or cancelled.

Made on 30 August 2024.

BENNY LIM SIANG HOE

Chairperson,
Housing and Development Board,
Singapore.

[ND 311/4-105; AG/LEGIS/SL/129/2020/12]

(To be presented to Parliament under section 31(6) of the Housing and Development Act 1959).