Statute Details
- Title: Residential Property (Goodland Group Limited — Exemption) Notification 2021
- Act Code: RPA1976-S607-2021
- Legislation Type: Subsidiary Legislation (Notification)
- Authorising Act: Residential Property Act (Cap. 274)
- Enacting Authority: Minister for Law (pursuant to section 32(1) of the Residential Property Act)
- Citation: S 607/2021
- Commencement: 13 August 2021
- Status: Current version as at 27 March 2026
- Key Provisions: Sections 1 to 6; Schedule (conditions)
What Is This Legislation About?
The Residential Property (Goodland Group Limited — Exemption) Notification 2021 is a targeted exemption instrument issued under the Residential Property Act (Cap. 274). In plain terms, it allows Goodland Group Limited (“the relevant company”) to carry out certain residential property-related transactions and development steps without needing approvals that would otherwise be required under the Residential Property Act.
Singapore’s Residential Property Act generally regulates how residential property is acquired, converted, rezoned, and developed—particularly where the law is designed to manage housing supply, protect housing policies, and control certain categories of residential land and use. However, this Notification carves out a specific set of exemptions for one company, tied to a particular commercial pathway: development of residential property with the ultimate purpose of sale or disposal for profit after the relevant corporate or land-use steps are taken.
The Notification is therefore best understood as a policy and regulatory facilitation tool. It reduces administrative friction for Goodland Group Limited while still preserving safeguards through conditions in the Schedule. For practitioners, the key legal work is to map the company’s intended transactions to the Notification’s exemption triggers and to ensure compliance with the Schedule’s conditions.
What Are the Key Provisions?
Section 1 (Citation and commencement) is straightforward. It confirms that the Notification is the “Residential Property (Goodland Group Limited — Exemption) Notification 2021” and that it comes into operation on 13 August 2021. This date matters because the exemptions are expressly limited to property and actions that occur before, on, or after that commencement date (depending on the exemption).
Section 2 (Exemption from need for approval to become converted entity) addresses a specific regulatory approval point under section 9 of the Residential Property Act. Section 9 would normally require approval when a company becomes a “converted entity” (a concept used in the Act to regulate certain corporate conversions that may affect residential property holdings or development). Under this Notification, section 9 does not apply to Goodland Group Limited in relation to residential property that satisfies three cumulative criteria:
- (a) Not non-restricted residential property: the property must be within the relevant residential category that is eligible for this exemption (the wording indicates the exemption is not intended for “non-restricted residential property”).
- (b) Vested in the company immediately before conversion: the residential property must be vested in the company immediately before its conversion into a converted entity, and the conversion must occur before, on or after 13 August 2021.
- (c) Intended for residential development with ultimate purpose of sale/disposal for profit: after conversion, the property must be intended for development as residential property, with the ultimate purpose of sale or disposal by the company for profit.
Practically, this provision is designed to ensure that Goodland can proceed with a conversion pathway without triggering the approval requirement in section 9, provided the property and intended use align with the exemption’s conditions.
Section 3 (Exemption from need for approval to change existing use) removes the need for approval under section 28 of the Act for certain land transactions. Section 28 would otherwise require approval where there is a change of use and development of land. The Notification provides that section 28 does not apply to Goodland 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 for profit.
This is a significant commercial exemption. It suggests that Goodland’s post-commencement acquisitions intended for residential conversion and profit-driven development do not require the usual approval step, subject to the Schedule’s conditions.
Section 4 (Exemption from need for approval for rezoned land) addresses a related but distinct approval trigger under section 28A of the Act. Section 28A typically concerns land that is rezoned (for example, where planning authorities change the land use designation). The Notification states that section 28A does not apply to Goodland in relation to vacant land (whether or not it has 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 for profit.
For practitioners, the “vacant land” element is crucial. The exemption is not framed around any particular rezoning outcome in the extract provided, but it is clearly linked to the Act’s rezoning approval regime. The practitioner should therefore confirm how the company’s land will be treated under the rezoning provisions and ensure the land qualifies as “vacant land” for the purposes of the Notification.
Section 5 (Exemption from need for housing developer’s approval) concerns section 31 of the Act, which relates to housing developer’s approval. The Notification provides a general exemption: section 31 does not apply to Goodland, subject to a key carve-out.
Under section 5(2), despite the general exemption, section 31(1) and (4) continue to apply to Goodland in relation to the retention of a dwelling-house that is a landed dwelling-house. The Notification defines “landed dwelling-house” to include:
- detached houses,
- semi-detached houses,
- terrace houses (including linked houses or townhouses),
- whether or not comprised within a strata title plan registered under the Land Titles (Strata) Act (Cap. 158).
This carve-out is legally important because it limits the exemption’s reach. Even if Goodland is exempt from housing developer’s approval generally, it must still comply with section 31(1) and (4) where the transaction involves retaining a landed dwelling-house. The practitioner should therefore distinguish between development scenarios that involve retention of landed houses versus those that involve redevelopment or other forms of residential development.
Section 6 (Conditions of exemption) provides that all exemptions are subject to the conditions specified in the Schedule. The extract you provided does not reproduce the Schedule text, but it is essential. In practice, the Schedule conditions often govern matters such as timelines, reporting, compliance with planning requirements, and limitations on how the exempted property may be used or disposed of. Any legal advice should be contingent on reviewing the Schedule in full.
How Is This Legislation Structured?
This Notification is structured in a compact, practitioner-friendly format:
- Enacting Formula: states that the Minister for Law makes the Notification under section 32(1) of the Residential Property Act.
- Sections 1–6: set out the operative provisions—commencement and the series of exemptions from specific approval requirements under the Act.
- Schedule: lists the conditions that qualify the exemptions. The Schedule is legally central because it can impose compliance obligations that effectively determine whether the exemption is usable in a given transaction.
Because the Notification is short, the legal analysis typically turns on (i) whether the company’s transaction fits within the exemption categories and (ii) whether the Schedule conditions are satisfied.
Who Does This Legislation Apply To?
The Notification applies to Goodland Group Limited only. It defines the company as “the relevant company” and then uses that defined term throughout sections 2 to 5. There is no general application to other developers or companies.
However, the exemptions are not blanket. Each exemption is tied to specific types of property and specific intended development purposes—namely, development as residential property with the ultimate purpose of sale or disposal by the relevant company as residential property for profit. Accordingly, even within the company, the exemption may apply to some transactions and not others depending on the nature of the land, timing (relative to 13 August 2021), and whether the transaction involves conversion, change of use, rezoning of vacant land, or retention of landed dwelling-houses.
Why Is This Legislation Important?
This Notification is important because it demonstrates how Singapore’s Residential Property regulatory framework can be selectively adjusted for particular market participants. For practitioners advising Goodland Group Limited (or parties dealing with its projects), the Notification can materially affect transaction timelines, approval workflows, and risk allocation.
From a compliance perspective, the exemptions reduce the need to obtain approvals under multiple provisions of the Residential Property Act—specifically sections 9, 28, 28A, and (subject to a carve-out) section 31. This can streamline development planning and execution. Nevertheless, the exemptions are not unconditional: they are expressly limited by (i) property classification (e.g., not non-restricted residential property), (ii) timing (acquisition/ownership/conversion relative to 13 August 2021), (iii) intended ultimate purpose (sale/disposal for profit), and (iv) conditions in the Schedule.
Finally, the carve-out in section 5(2) is a practical “watch point.” Where a project involves retaining a landed dwelling-house, the company cannot assume full exemption from housing developer’s approval requirements. This affects due diligence on site composition, redevelopment plans, and how existing dwelling-houses are treated in the development scheme.
Related Legislation
- Residential Property Act (Cap. 274) — in particular sections 9, 28, 28A, 31, and the enabling power in section 32(1)
- Land Titles (Strata) Act (Cap. 158) — relevant to the definition of “landed dwelling-house” for strata-comprised houses
- Residential Property Act — Timeline (for version control and amendment history)
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.