Parc Palais residents raise security, crowding and wear-and-tear concerns over co-living units

Residents at Parc Palais condominium in Hillview are unhappy with co-living arrangements in their estate, citing crowded facilities, unfamiliar faces and security issues. The MCST held a meeting on 31 July to discuss concerns, but options to regulate co-living remain limited as by-laws cannot restri

Residents at Parc Palais condominium in Hillview have raised concerns about co-living arrangements in their estate, citing crowded facilities, security issues and increased wear and tear in common areas. The 517-unit estate now has at least five co-living units, according to residents who spoke to CNA TODAY.

Madam P Lina, a 62-year-old retiree who has lived at Parc Palais for 15 years, said she has noticed groups of 10 to 15 people using the swimming pool, which used to be relatively quiet. She also observed more people using the common bathrooms by the pool, which were barely used in the past as residents preferred to shower at home. Another resident, who has lived at the condominium for three years, said the frequent turnover of tenants makes the estate feel "more of a hotel and less like a home".

The condominium's Management Corporation Strata Title (MCST) held a meeting with property owners on 31 July to address the concerns. About 30 owners attended, CNA TODAY understands. Questions raised included how the management would keep track of transient occupants, how facilities would be managed given they were getting more crowded, and what measures would be put in place if the number of co-living units increased. Fire safety was also raised given how co-living units are sometimes partitioned to create additional bedrooms.

Mdm Lina questioned whether it was fair for units with substantially fewer occupants to make the same maintenance contributions, noting that units with more occupants could place greater demands on common facilities and result in higher maintenance costs.

Checks by CNA TODAY at 10 other condominiums with co-living units suggest that the level of tension seen at Parc Palais is not widespread. Mr Dennis Tan, president of the MCST Association of Singapore, said the association has observed a gradual increase in co-living-related issues since early 2025, but the cases reaching the association may understate the extent of the issue as MCSTs generally try to resolve problems themselves first.

Real estate consultancy Knight Frank Singapore, which manages more than 55,000 units across 160 strata-titled developments, said complaints relating to co-living have so far remained "manageable". Ms Eleana Teo, its senior managing director of strata management, estimated that co-living arrangements were present in about 10 to 15 per cent of the residential developments under the firm's management. Another property firm, Ocean IFM, which manages about 170 strata developments, similarly said co-living-related complaints were not widespread.

The meeting at Parc Palais ended after two hours with no clear conclusion. Various options were discussed, including improving access control by upgrading the security management system, but it remained unclear what powers the MCST had in regulating lawful co-living arrangements. A recent dispute at Casa Aerata, a 78-unit condominium in Geylang, highlighted the limits of what MCSTs can achieve through by-laws. In June, the Building and Construction Authority clarified that condominium by-laws cannot restrict an owner's right to lease his or her property.

Ms Winnie Wong, senior managing director of property management at Savills Singapore, which manages Parc Palais, declined to comment on the situation at the condominium specifically. Speaking about co-living more generally, she said: "We cannot stop co-living. We can only manage the situation." Two lawyers told CNA TODAY that MCSTs can use by-laws to regulate matters such as common property, security, noise, nuisance and facility use, but by-laws that single out co-living arrangements or seek to restrict an otherwise lawful residential use may be open to challenge.