Ignore contractors offering to do repair work on your Housing Board flat if you suspect they are not HDB-registered.
This advice from the HDB comes after complaints from Marine Drive residents about a contractor who went around offering repair jobs for a fee.
One irate housewife, Ms Chan Swee Poa, who lives in Block 71, Marine Drive, wants her $50 deposit back from the contractor, Team Work Renovation. She thought it had official approval to repair a leak in her Marine Drive flat.
Eight months ago, an HDB contractor repaired a leaking wall in her flat for free. But, over time, some holes appeared.
So when a man from Team Work turned up at her door, she agreed to let him patch the holes.
Ms Chan, 55, said this was because the contractor had earlier left an 'official looking' flyer at her door.
Although the note bore no logo, it kicked off with 'Dear Residents', and had lines like 'We are pleased to inform you that we will be conducting ceiling patching work regarding various ceiling problems st (sic) your apartment block'.
It looked like it was from the HDB, Ms Chan said.
After she agreed on the repair work, she was told to pay a deposit. She put down $50 for the $300 job.
She later called the Marine Parade Town Council and was told the contractor was not registered.
'I asked to get my deposit back, but the contractor told me it was my fault for signing a contract and hung up,' she said.
Other residents from the area said they had been approached by Team Work Renovation too.
A housewife from Block 66, who wanted to be known only as Mrs Lee, said: 'Before Christmas, HDB fixed a leak from outside the building for us.'
Mrs Lee, 39, said the town council sent her at least three letters with its logo throughout the process.
She did not allow Team Work Renovation to do any repair work because she was wary of its flyer, which she said was 'misleading'.
The town council on March 10 put up notices for residents of Marine Drive, telling them to beware of 'crooked contractors'.
A spokesman said it does 'occasionally receive feedback from residents concerning contractors soliciting for work from them'.
She noted that such activities usually emerge while a precinct is being upgraded. In this instance, Marine Drive's Blocks 60 to 79 are undergoing a lift upgrading programme.
Last week, the HDB put up a similar notice at the lift lobbies of affected blocks.
An HDB spokesman said: 'Team Work Renovation is not registered with HDB and HDB did not appoint them to carry out any works in HDB flats'.
She said residents should ignore bogus contractors or make it clear that their services are not wanted.
When contacted, the owner of Team Work Renovation, who introduced himself as Mr Teoh, insisted that he was not doing anything wrong.
'I state very clearly when people contact me that I am a private contractor. Why would I pretend to be from the government when it could get me in trouble?' he said.
He is doing work for about 10 households in the Marine Drive area, he said.
'The flyers I sent out do not have the town council or HDB logo,' he added.
