SINGAPORE – At Lakeview Estate in Upper Thomson Road, ageing lifts have become more than just an inconvenience.

The 49-year-old development has three blocks, with each lift serving alternate floors. When one breaks down, residents on those floors – including the elderly and wheelchair users – effectively lose lift access.

Replacing all 12 lifts would cost $1.8 million, but as at August 2025, the sinking fund held barely $1 million, The Straits Times reported then.

Lakeview Estate’s dilemma is not unique.

More than 1,000 of Singapore’s 3,750 private residential developments are at least 30 years old. Many were built in the 1980s and 1990s and are now reaching the stage where major systems – from lifts to plumbing and electrical systems – begin to fail.

But many may not have collected adequate sinking funds for such urgent essential repairs, especially since maintenance costs have risen over the years.

This is why the Government is reviewing the Building (Strata Management) Act, with proposed solutions including improving financial transparency within management corporations and lowering voting thresholds for essential works so urgent problems can be addressed more quickly.

It is also exploring setting minimum requirements for sinking funds and the possibility of ring-fencing funds for the maintenance and upgrade of essential facilities.

These would help ensure that estates build up adequate reserves over time, instead of scrambling to raise funds only when infrastructure begins to fail.

Yet, they do not solve the immediate problems faced by older condominiums that are already underfunded.

At present, management councils may ask owners to pay special levies for urgent works, which can amount to tens of thousands of dollars per household. Such sudden costs would be difficult for elderly residents with limited or no income to bear.

Collecting payments is another challenge. Some owners delay paying or refuse to pay. In serious cases, the management corporation strata title can seek to force-sell the unit to recover what it is owed. Although legal recovery is available, it is often slow and contentious.

One proposal that would see the Government shoulder some of the financial burden for safety-related fixes in ageing condominiums was made by Second Minister for National Development Indranee Rajah on March 4.

During the debate on her ministry’s budget, she said the Government is studying whether to partially fund lift and escalator safety upgrades for condominiums and other private buildings. This is to ensure that estates remain liveable and meet residents’ needs, particularly those of seniors, she added.

Such co-funding for safety upgrades could provide some relief for those in older estates, but also raises broader questions about fairness and responsibility.

Unlike Housing Board flats, condominiums are private property. It may be difficult to justify using government funds for upgrades in such developments when the average taxpayer does not directly benefit from, or have access to, these facilities.

Another question is whether help should go only to estates that face genuine hardship or be made available to all, including developments that have healthy sinking funds.

One unintended outcome to guard against is some estates holding back on maintenance in the hope of qualifying for government support later, worsening the problem that the policy aims to resolve.

It will thus be important to outline clear eligibility criteria and safeguards for this proposal.

Even if private residential developments get government co-funding for lift safety upgrades, many face other pressing issues.

The question is whether they can raise the money needed to carry out such works, even after they get some help through public funds.

Some owners may hope for a collective sale as a way out. A successful sale en bloc gives owners a chance to sell their units, often at a premium, and move to a newer home without having to bear the cost of major repairs.

Yet, the reality is that not many ageing estates successfully go en bloc. Over the past decade, fewer than 10 per cent of older condominiums have been sold collectively, with many attempts falling through due to lack of consensus among owners or limited developer interest, said property analysts.

As a result, residents in many such estates have little choice but to stay on and fund refurbishment works themselves.

Some management corporations have explored taking loans to fund major works. But lenders may be cautious in extending credit to ageing developments with limited reserves. Repayment also poses a challenge, particularly for older residents.

If owners are unable to afford the costs, they have to be prepared to either continue living in an ageing estate with deteriorating conditions, or sell and move elsewhere.

Ultimately, the issue extends beyond funding. Keeping ageing condominiums liveable will depend on whether owners are prepared to take responsibility and share the costs fairly.

Because when lifts fail, the question is not just who should pay. It is whether estates have planned early enough to afford repairs when the time comes.