By The Address desk · Last verified 12 October 2026
A strata title is how most condominium and apartment units in Singapore are owned. You hold your own lot, the unit shown on the strata title plan, recorded on a subsidiary strata certificate of title, which makes you a subsidiary proprietor. Everything outside the lots, such as the pool, lifts, gardens and external walls, is common property, managed for all owners by the Management Corporation Strata Title (MCST). Some items inside your unit, like shared pipes, structural elements and waterproofing membranes on external walls or roofs, also count as common property. Each lot carries a share value: you pay all levies and contributions in proportion to it, and it sets your share of the common property.
Buying a condo means buying a home and joining a small community with its own budget and rules. Knowing where your walls end and the shared estate begins saves a lot of arguments later.
Quick facts
- The strata title plan shows what is inside and outside each lot.
- Inside your lot is generally yours to own and maintain.
- Outside the lots is generally common property, managed by the MCST.
- Your share value sets your contributions to the maintenance and sinking funds.
- You cannot alter common property without the MCST’s permission.
- Disputes can go to mediation or the Strata Titles Boards.
What you own, and what everyone shares
| Item | Usually | Who maintains it |
|---|---|---|
| Inside your unit: floors, internal fittings, kitchen, bathrooms | Your lot | You |
| Your external openable windows and your own pipes | Your lot | You (BCA highlights these as owner responsibilities) |
| Shared pipes, wires, ducts and structural elements, even inside your unit | Common property | The MCST |
| Waterproofing membranes on external walls or roofs | Common property | The MCST |
| Lobbies, lifts, corridors, gardens, playgrounds, pool, gym | Common property | The MCST |
| External walls and façade | Common property | The MCST; changes to their look need MCST approval |
Your own strata title plan is the final word. Before a renovation or a dispute, ask the managing agent where your lot boundaries sit.
Share value: what it is and what it decides
Each lot is assigned a share value, the proportion of the whole development it represents. Larger units and penthouses usually carry more share value than small ones. Share value decides:
- Your contributions: the maintenance fund, the sinking fund and any special levies are charged in proportion to your share value.
- Your share of the common property.
- Your weight in some decisions: certain resolutions and an en bloc sale count consent by share value, so larger lots carry more weight there.
A worked example: from share value to monthly fees
Take a hypothetical development with a total share value of 1,000 and a combined maintenance and sinking fund budget of $500,000 a year.
| Unit | Share value | Share of total | Yearly contribution | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-bedroom | 4 | 0.4% | $2,000 | about $167 |
| 3-bedroom | 6 | 0.6% | $3,000 | $250 |
| Penthouse | 10 | 1.0% | $5,000 | about $417 |
The budget itself is set at the annual general meeting, so the per-unit figure rises or falls with it. Real share values and budgets are in the MCST’s records and your sales documents.
The MCST, the council and you
- The MCST is all the owners together. It manages funds, insurance, by-laws, records and common property repairs, and appoints a managing agent.
- The council is elected by owners and makes day-to-day decisions, except restricted matters reserved for general meetings.
- You pay contributions on time, follow the by-laws, avoid nuisance, apply to the MCST before changing your unit’s appearance, and vote at general meetings.
If contributions go unpaid, the MCST can charge interest and recover the debt, in serious cases through a forced sale of the lot. By-laws bind every owner once passed, including those who did not vote.
The WahLiao Verdict
Before you buy, ask the managing agent for your unit’s share value, the current monthly contributions, the sinking fund balance and the latest AGM minutes; together they tell you what the estate costs and how well it is run. After you move in, go to the AGM at least once a year. Strata living rewards owners who turn up, because the budget, the by-laws and the big repairs are all decided in that room.
Questions people ask
Do I own the land my condo sits on?
Not on your own. The land and other common property belong to all owners together through the MCST, and your share follows your lot’s share value.
Why does my penthouse pay higher fees than a smaller unit?
Because contributions are charged in proportion to share value, and larger units usually carry more share value.
Can I change my balcony or windows?
Changes that affect the building’s appearance need MCST approval, and structural works need a Professional Engineer’s assessment and building control approval. Works that add gross floor area need a 90% resolution at a general meeting.
Who fixes a leak from the unit above?
The owners must investigate together, and the upper unit is presumed to be the source unless shown otherwise. If the cause is common property, the MCST is responsible.
Sources: Building and Construction Authority, Strata Management Guide 1: concept of strata living (PDF); Building and Construction Authority, Strata Management Guide 2: roles and responsibilities (PDF); Building and Construction Authority, what to know as a condo owner. The Address explains; it does not advise.
Read next: Condo By-Laws and the MCST: Renovations, Pets and Common Property · Condo Maintenance Fees and the Sinking Fund: What You Pay and Why · Back to The Address
For what’s worth it this week, with the bill shown, read The WahLiao Week.
Leave a Reply