Statute Details
- Title: Residential Property (GLG Properties Pte. Ltd. — Exemption) Notification 2021
- Act Code: RPA1976-S603-2021
- Type: Subsidiary Legislation (SL)
- Authorising Act: Residential Property Act (Cap. 274)
- Enacting Authority: Minister for Law (pursuant to section 32(1) of the Residential Property Act)
- Notification Number: No. S 603
- Commencement: 13 August 2021
- Status: Current version as at 27 Mar 2026
- Key Provisions: Exemptions from approvals under sections 9, 28, 28A, and 31 of the Residential Property Act; conditions in the Schedule
- Schedule: “Conditions” (not reproduced in the extract provided)
What Is This Legislation About?
The Residential Property (GLG Properties Pte. Ltd. — Exemption) Notification 2021 is a targeted exemption instrument issued under the Residential Property Act (Cap. 274). In plain terms, it allows GLG Properties Pte. Ltd. (“the relevant company”) to carry out certain residential property-related transactions and development plans without having to obtain specific approvals that would ordinarily be required under the Residential Property Act.
Singapore’s Residential Property Act regulates the acquisition, development, and use of residential property—particularly where approvals are needed to manage policy objectives such as housing supply, eligibility, and the proper use of residential land. However, the Act also provides a mechanism for exemptions in appropriate cases. This Notification is one such mechanism: it grants exemptions for a defined set of circumstances, mainly tied to the company’s development and sale/disposal plans as residential property for profit.
Importantly, the exemptions are not blanket. They are (i) limited to the relevant company, (ii) tied to particular types of land and intended development outcomes, and (iii) subject to conditions in the Schedule. For practitioners, the key legal work is therefore to map the company’s proposed transaction against the Notification’s exemption triggers and then verify compliance with the Schedule’s conditions.
What Are the Key Provisions?
1. Citation and commencement (section 1)
The Notification is cited as the “Residential Property (GLG Properties Pte. Ltd. — Exemption) Notification 2021” and comes into operation on 13 August 2021. This matters for practitioners because the exemption provisions apply only to relevant properties and transactions that occur “before, on or after 13 August 2021” (depending on the section) and where the intended development and ultimate purpose requirements are met.
2. Exemption from need for approval to become a “converted entity” (section 2)
Section 2 provides that section 9 of the Act does not apply to the relevant company in relation to any residential property that satisfies three cumulative criteria:
- (a) Not non-restricted residential property: the property must not be classified as “non-restricted residential property”. This is a critical threshold because the Act distinguishes between different categories of residential property with different regulatory consequences.
- (b) Vested in the company immediately before conversion: the property must be vested in the company immediately before its conversion into a converted entity, and the conversion occurs before, on or after 13 August 2021.
- (c) Intended for development and ultimate purpose of sale/disposal for profit: the property must be intended for development as residential property, with the ultimate purpose of sale or disposal by the relevant company as residential property for profit after conversion.
In practical terms, section 2 is designed to remove a specific approval hurdle under section 9 when GLG Properties converts into a “converted entity” and uses certain residential property for profit-oriented residential development and sale/disposal.
3. Exemption from need for approval to change existing use (section 3)
Section 3 states that section 28 of the Act does not apply to the relevant company in relation to land that:
- (a) is acquired, owned or purchased on or after 13 August 2021; and
- (b) is intended for change of use to and development as residential property, with the ultimate purpose of sale or disposal by the relevant company as residential property for profit.
This exemption is transaction- and timing-specific. If the land was acquired/owned/purchased before 13 August 2021, section 3 would not apply. Also, the exemption is conditioned on the intended change of use and the ultimate profit-making residential development outcome.
4. Exemption from need for approval for rezoned land (section 4)
Section 4 provides that section 28A of the Act does not apply to the relevant company for vacant land (with or without a vacant/disused building or structure) that:
- (a) is owned by the relevant company on or after 13 August 2021; and
- (b) is intended for development as residential property, with the ultimate purpose of sale or disposal as residential property for profit.
For practitioners, the “vacant land” framing is important. The exemption is not limited to land that is already residential; it is tied to rezoned/vacant land scenarios governed by section 28A of the Act. The Notification therefore anticipates a development pipeline where land is held and then developed into residential units for sale/disposal.
5. Exemption from need for housing developer’s approval (section 5)
Section 5 is a nuanced exemption from section 31 of the Act (housing developer’s approval). The structure is:
- (1) Subject to sub-paragraph (2), section 31 does not apply to the relevant company.
- (2) Despite the general exemption, section 31(1) and (4) continue to apply in relation to retention of a dwelling-house that is a landed dwelling-house.
Section 5(3) defines “landed dwelling-house” as a detached house, semi-detached house or terrace house (including linked house or townhouse), whether or not comprised within a strata title plan registered under the Land Titles (Strata) Act (Cap. 158).
Practically, this means GLG Properties may be exempt from housing developer’s approval requirements for many development activities, but it cannot avoid the continuing approval requirements where the development involves retention of landed dwelling-houses. This carve-out is likely designed to preserve regulatory oversight over landed housing retention decisions.
6. Conditions of exemption (section 6 and the Schedule)
Section 6 provides that the exemptions are subject to the conditions specified in the Schedule. The extract provided does not include the Schedule’s text, but the legal effect is clear: compliance with the Schedule is a condition precedent/ongoing requirement for the exemptions to operate.
For legal practice, this is the most important “next step” after reading the operative exemption sections: obtain and review the Schedule conditions in the official version of the Notification. Any failure to comply could mean the exemption does not apply, potentially exposing the company to regulatory breach and enforcement consequences under the Residential Property Act.
How Is This Legislation Structured?
This Notification is structured in a straightforward format typical of subsidiary legislation:
- Enacting Formula: states the legal basis—powers under section 32(1) of the Residential Property Act.
- Section 1 (Citation and commencement): identifies the instrument and its effective date.
- Sections 2 to 5 (Operative exemptions): each section targets a different approval requirement in the Residential Property Act:
- section 2: exemption from section 9 (conversion into a converted entity);
- section 3: exemption from section 28 (change of use);
- section 4: exemption from section 28A (rezoned land / vacant land development);
- section 5: exemption from section 31 (housing developer’s approval), with a landed dwelling-house retention carve-out.
- Section 6 (Conditions): links the exemptions to the Schedule.
- The Schedule: sets out the conditions that must be satisfied for the exemptions to apply.
From a practitioner’s perspective, the operative sections define the “what” (the scope of exemption), while the Schedule defines the “how” (the compliance requirements). Both must be read together.
Who Does This Legislation Apply To?
The Notification applies only to GLG Properties Pte. Ltd. It expressly defines the “relevant company” as GLG Properties Pte. Ltd. and then limits each exemption to “the relevant company” in relation to specified properties and intended development outcomes.
Accordingly, the Notification is not a general industry exemption and does not automatically benefit other developers, landowners, or entities. Even if another company undertakes similar development plans, it would not be covered unless it is the subject of a similar exemption notification under the Residential Property Act.
Why Is This Legislation Important?
This Notification is important because it demonstrates how Singapore’s Residential Property regulatory framework can be tailored through ministerial exemptions. For developers and counsel, the practical value lies in reducing procedural friction: where the Act would otherwise require approvals under sections 9, 28, 28A, or 31, the Notification can remove those approval requirements—provided the statutory conditions are met.
However, the exemptions are carefully bounded. The Notification ties relief to: (i) property classification (not non-restricted residential property for section 2), (ii) timing (acquisition/ownership on or after 13 August 2021 for sections 3 and 4), (iii) intended development and ultimate profit-oriented sale/disposal, and (iv) a specific carve-out for landed dwelling-house retention under section 31. These limitations mean that legal due diligence must be transaction-specific.
Finally, the Schedule conditions are the compliance fulcrum. Because the extract does not reproduce the Schedule, practitioners should treat the Schedule as essential reading. In practice, counsel should confirm: (a) the company’s development plans align with the “intended for development” and “ultimate purpose” language; (b) the relevant land/property facts match the exemption triggers; and (c) all Schedule conditions are satisfied and documented (for example, through development timelines, reporting obligations, or other compliance mechanisms, depending on what the Schedule requires).
Related Legislation
- Residential Property Act (Cap. 274) (including sections 9, 28, 28A, 31 and the ministerial exemption power in section 32(1))
- Land Titles (Strata) Act (Cap. 158) (relevant to the definition of “landed dwelling-house” in section 5(3))
Source Documents
This article provides an overview of the Residential Property (GLG Properties Pte. Ltd. — Exemption) Notification 2021 for legal research and educational purposes. It does not constitute legal advice. Readers should consult the official text for authoritative provisions.