Fire Safety Guidelines Under HDB Home Office Scheme

Own a Home Office in Singapore and Unsure of the Fire Safety Guidelines?

Operating a business from home under the Home Office Scheme (administered by HDB for public flats and URA for private residential properties) provides Singapore entrepreneurs with a low-overhead administrative base.

Because commercial activities introduce electronic equipment and administrative materials into a domestic space, fulfilling basic fire safety precautions is an explicit statutory condition of your Home Office permit.

Mandatory Equipment for Your Workspace

Under the Conditions of Use for the Home Office Scheme (HDB and URA), you must install the following equipment in the designated office area:

• Minimally an 8A/34B AB Dry Powder Fire Extinguisher:
  The extinguisher must carry a minimum rating of 8A/34B, indicating proven capability on Class A (solid combustibles), Class B (flammable liquids), and safe operation around live electrical appliances.
• A Single-Station Smoke Detector:
  A battery-operated stand-alone smoke alarm (Home Fire Alarm Device / HFAD) that operates independently without electrical wiring to provide early acoustic warning.

These businesses are permitted to be operated from the comfort of your home:

Permissible Businesses

• Accountancy services
• Architectural services
• Consultancy services (e.g. business, engineering, IT/ management, education etc.)
• Design/ advertising services
  
• Insurance/ financial planning services
• Real estate agencies
  
• Technology-based/ knowledge-intensive business
  
• Trading office (excluding car trading office)

Source: URA; Home Office Scheme

Who Qualifies Under the Home Office Scheme?

The scheme applies to homeowners, listed occupants, and approved tenants who run purely administrative operations:

• Up to two non-resident employees are permitted to work on-site.
• No clients, walk-in customers, or product storage/distribution are permitted on the premises.
  

Source: HDB; Home Office Scheme

Equip Your Home Office with Fire Guard

Fire Guard supplies residential packages tailored to HDB and private property home office registrations:

• 8A/34B AB Dry Powder Extinguishers (Our 1KG extinguisher meets this requirement)
• Stand-Alone Smoke Detectors: Battery-operated, easy screw-in or adhesive installation.

For full peace of mind, our bestselling Home Fire Safety Kit includes a fire blanket to safely smother pan fires or shield yourself in an emergency.

Read our Essential Guide to Home Fire Safety in Singapore.

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