Statute Details
- Title: Residential Property (Goodland Group Limited — Exemption) Notification 2021
- Act Code: RPA1976-S607-2021
- Legislation 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)
- Commencement: 13 August 2021
- Current Status: Current version as at 27 March 2026
- SL Number: S 607/2021
- Key Provisions: Exemptions from approvals under sections 9, 28, 28A, and 31 of the Residential Property Act; conditions in the Schedule
What Is This Legislation About?
The Residential Property (Goodland Group Limited — Exemption) Notification 2021 (“Notification”) is a targeted exemption instrument issued under the Residential Property Act (Cap. 274). In plain terms, it allows a specific company—Goodland Group Limited (“relevant company”)—to carry out certain residential property-related transactions and development plans without first obtaining approvals that would otherwise be required under the Residential Property Act.
This Notification is not a general relaxation of Singapore’s residential property regulatory framework. Instead, it is narrowly drafted to apply to particular categories of land and particular intended outcomes—specifically, development as residential property with the ultimate purpose of sale or disposal for profit after the relevant corporate conversion or acquisition. The Notification therefore operates as a “carve-out” from statutory approval requirements, but only within defined factual boundaries.
Practitioners should view this Notification as part of Singapore’s broader policy approach to regulating residential property ownership and development, including controls designed to manage the supply, ownership patterns, and compliance risks associated with residential land transactions. By granting exemptions, the Minister for Law enables a particular corporate pathway and development strategy, while still preserving regulatory safeguards through conditions in the Schedule.
What Are the Key Provisions?
1. Citation and commencement (section 1)
Section 1 provides the formal name of the Notification and states that it comes into operation on 13 August 2021. This commencement date is critical because the exemptions in later provisions are tied to events occurring “before, on or after 13 August 2021” (for conversion) or “on or after 13 August 2021” (for acquisitions and ownership).
2. Exemption from need for approval to become a converted entity (section 2)
Section 2 addresses an approval requirement in section 9 of the Residential Property Act. The Notification states that section 9 does not apply to the relevant company in relation to any residential property that meets all three conditions:
- (a) Not non-restricted residential property: the property must not be “non-restricted residential property”. This indicates that the exemption is limited to residential property categories that are not subject to the strictest restrictions.
- (b) Timing of vesting: the property must be vested in the relevant company immediately before its conversion into a converted entity before, on or after 13 August 2021.
- (c) Intended development and ultimate purpose: 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 facilitates a corporate conversion pathway for Goodland Group Limited without triggering the approval requirement that would otherwise apply to the conversion of ownership/interest in residential property. The exemption is conditional on the company’s post-conversion development and commercial intent (profit through sale/disposal).
3. Exemption from need for approval to change existing use (section 3)
Section 3 provides that section 28 of the Act does not apply to the relevant company in relation to land that satisfies two conditions:
- (a) Acquisition timing: the land is acquired, owned or purchased by the relevant company on or after 13 August 2021.
- (b) Intended change of use and development outcome: the land is intended for purposes of 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 provision is significant because section 28 of the Residential Property Act typically functions as a control mechanism over changes of use involving residential development. By exempting Goodland Group Limited (subject to the conditions in the Schedule), the Notification allows the company to proceed with residential conversion/change-of-use plans without seeking the specific approval that would otherwise be required.
4. Exemption from need for approval for rezoned land (section 4)
Section 4 extends the exemption framework to rezoned land scenarios by exempting the relevant company from section 28A of the Act. The exemption applies to vacant land (whether or not there is a vacant or disused building or structure) if:
- (a) Ownership timing: the vacant land is owned by the relevant company on or after 13 August 2021; and
- (b) Intended residential development and profit purpose: it is intended for development as residential property, with ultimate purpose of sale or disposal for profit.
From a practitioner’s perspective, this provision matters where land is rezoned for residential development and the company needs to know whether statutory approval under section 28A is required. The Notification indicates that, for Goodland Group Limited, the approval requirement is removed for qualifying vacant land intended for residential development and profit-oriented sale/disposal.
5. Exemption from need for housing developer’s approval (section 5)
Section 5 is a more nuanced exemption relating to section 31 of the Act, which concerns “housing developer’s approval”. The Notification provides:
- (1) General exemption: subject to sub-paragraph (2), section 31 does not apply to the relevant company.
- (2) Retained requirement for landed dwelling-houses: despite the general exemption, section 31(1) and (4) continues to apply in relation to the 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 a linked house or townhouse, whether or not comprised within a strata title plan registered under the Land Titles (Strata) Act (Cap. 158).
This carve-out is legally important. It signals that while the company may be exempt from housing developer’s approval in general, the law continues to regulate at least one specific scenario: the retention of landed dwelling-houses. Practitioners should therefore carefully assess whether a project involves retention (rather than redevelopment) of landed dwelling-houses, and whether the relevant approvals under section 31(1) and (4) remain necessary.
6. Conditions of exemption (section 6 and the Schedule)
Section 6 states that the exemptions are subject to the conditions specified in the Schedule. Although the provided extract does not reproduce the Schedule’s text, this is the operative compliance layer. In practice, conditions in the Schedule typically govern matters such as reporting, timelines, use restrictions, or other safeguards to ensure the exemption is not used beyond the intended policy purpose.
For legal work, the Schedule is not optional reading. Any advice on reliance on the Notification should be conditioned on verifying the exact Schedule terms (including any procedural requirements, deadlines, or limitations on disposal/sale). Failure to comply with conditions may expose the company to regulatory consequences, including the risk that the exemption is not available or that enforcement action may follow.
How Is This Legislation Structured?
The Notification is structured in a straightforward format typical of Singapore subsidiary legislation:
- Enacting Formula and Citation: identifies the legal basis (section 32(1) of the Residential Property Act) and the issuing authority.
- Sections 1 to 6: provide (i) commencement, (ii) the scope of exemptions from specific approval requirements (sections 9, 28, 28A, 31), and (iii) the overarching statement that exemptions are subject to Schedule conditions.
- The Schedule: sets out the conditions that must be satisfied for the exemptions to apply. This is where compliance obligations are likely to be detailed.
For practitioners, the key interpretive approach is to treat each exemption section as a conditional carve-out and then treat the Schedule as the compliance framework that can narrow or operationalise the exemption.
Who Does This Legislation Apply To?
The Notification applies to Goodland Group Limited only. It defines the company as the “relevant company” and then ties each exemption to specific factual circumstances involving residential property, land acquisition/ownership timing, and intended development and sale/disposal for profit.
Accordingly, the exemptions are not available to other developers or companies, even if they undertake similar residential development activities. A practitioner advising another entity would need to look for different exemptions, general provisions under the Residential Property Act, or other subsidiary legislation notifications that may apply to other specific entities.
Why Is This Legislation Important?
This Notification is important because it directly affects the regulatory approvals workflow for a particular company’s residential property development strategy. Where approvals under the Residential Property Act would normally be required, the Notification removes that requirement—subject to Schedule conditions—thereby potentially reducing time, administrative burden, and transaction friction.
From a legal risk perspective, the Notification also illustrates how exemptions are drafted to be fact-specific. The law does not simply exempt “residential development” generally; it exempts defined approval requirements only where the property category, timing, and intended end-use (sale/disposal for profit) align with the Notification’s text. This means that project documentation, land acquisition records, and development plans must be aligned with the exemption criteria.
Finally, section 5’s partial retention of section 31 requirements for landed dwelling-house retention highlights that exemptions may be asymmetric: a company may be exempt from housing developer’s approval for many activities, yet still need approval for a particular retained-assets scenario. Practitioners should therefore conduct a careful “activity mapping” exercise—identifying whether each project component is redevelopment, change of use, rezoning development, or retention of landed dwelling-houses.
Related Legislation
- Residential Property Act (Cap. 274) — in particular sections 9, 28, 28A, 31, and the Minister’s power under section 32(1)
- Land Titles (Strata) Act (Cap. 158) — relevant to the definition of “landed dwelling-house” for strata-comprised houses
Source Documents
This article provides an overview of the Residential Property (Goodland Group Limited — Exemption) Notification 2021 for legal research and educational purposes. It does not constitute legal advice. Readers should consult the official text for authoritative provisions.