Singapore legislation
Section 12
Section 12
Occupation of buildings
(1)
Except as otherwise provided in this Act, a person must not occupy, or permit or cause to be occupied, any building where any building works have been carried out unless the Commissioner of Building Control has issued a certificate of statutory completion in respect of that building.
(1A)
An application for a certificate of statutory completion in respect of any building must be made to the Commissioner of Building Control in the prescribed manner and accompanied by any certificates or written approvals required to be obtained in respect of the building that may be prescribed.
(2)
Nothing in subsection (1) prohibits —
the occupation by any person of any building for the sole purpose of preventing any damage to the building or any theft of any property therein; or
the occupation by any person of any building in respect of which a temporary occupation permit has been granted.
(2A)
An application for a temporary occupation permit in respect of any building must be made to the Commissioner of Building Control in the prescribed manner and accompanied by any certificates or written approvals required to be obtained in respect of the building that may be prescribed.
(3)
The Commissioner of Building Control may, on an application in the prescribed manner in relation to any building, grant a temporary occupation permit in respect of the building subject to any written directions that the Commissioner of Building Control may specify and, in particular, those written directions may —
limit the period for which the temporary occupation permit is granted;
require any work or alteration to the building to be carried out that may be specified to the satisfaction of the Commissioner of Building Control; and
provide for the completion of the work or alteration before the expiration of a specified period.
(4)
A temporary occupation permit is only prima facie evidence that a building is suitable for occupation and is not to be taken to be evidence of compliance with the provisions of this Act, the building regulations or any other written law.
(5)
The Commissioner of Building Control may amend, suspend or, in the event of failure to comply with any written direction issued under subsection (3), revoke any temporary occupation permit.
(6)
Any person who contravenes subsection (1) or fails to comply with any written direction issued under subsection (3) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction —
to a fine not exceeding $20,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to both; and
in respect of a continuing contravention or failure to comply, to an additional fine not exceeding $1,000 for each day or part of a day the contravention or failure to comply continues,and if the contravention or failure to comply continues after the conviction, the person shall be guilty of a further offence and shall be liable on conviction of this further offence to a further fine not exceeding $2,000 for every day or part of a day during which the contravention or failure to comply continues after conviction.