Government reins in shoebox units development in suburbs

Home buyers can soon expect fewer shoe box units in the suburbs, with new guidelines announced on Tuesday to arrest their rampant development.

Under the new guidelines, some new non-landed private residential developments outside the central area will have to adhere to a formula that will essentially cap its numbers in a development.

For instance, taking into account all the units in a particular development, the average size of dwelling units will need to be least 70 sq m including areas such as the lobby.

In areas like Kovan, Joo Chiat and Jalan Eunos, conditions are even stricter.