commercial property use classes

July 7, 2014 Real Estate Policy

USE CLASSES

source: http://www.ura.gov.sg/uol/guidelines/development-control/change-use-premises/sections/use-classes.aspx

A Use Class is a broad group of building uses with similar mode of operations or impact to the surrounding. There are 17 Use Classes:

  1. 1
    Class I – Shop
    Class I – Shop
    Definition: Premises used for any trade or business where its primary purpose is the sale of goods or foodstuff by retail or provision of services.
    Includes:
    • Furniture shop, department store, pawnshop
    • Dispensary, medical clinic*, dental clinic*
    • Beauty salon, ticket agency, travel agency
    • Confectionery or take-away food shop that retails food or drinks for consumption away from the premises only and without any provision for consumption of food or drinks within the premises, and may include ancillary food preparation area.
    • See more examples of retail shops, services and take-away foodshops below.

    Examples:

    Retail Shops

    • Departmental store, supermarket**, provision shop, minimart, pawnshop
    • Fashion boutique, florist, gift shop, stationery shop.
    • Furniture shop, home furnishings and textile shop.
    • Electrical appliances/equipment, computers and accessories.
    • Dispensary, Chinese medical hall.
    • Aquarium.
    • Other shops selling takeaway food and beverages without consumption on the premises.

    Services

    • Barber shop, beauty salon, hairdressing salon.
    • Photo studio, tailor shop
    • Foot reflexology, Chinese physician/acupuncturist.
    • Medical clinic*, dental clinic*.
    • Receiving agency, money changer, travel/ticket agency.
    • Launderette (collection of goods to be cleaned elsewhere).

    Takeaway Foodshops

    • Shops selling curry puffs, rice dumplings, pastries, buns, bubble tea, ice-cream, barbeque meat, etc. purely for takeaway and without tables and chairs for dining at the premises.
    • Light and simple food preparation (e.g. baking, microwaving and steaming) may be allowed. You will need to comply with licensing conditions from the National Environment Agency and ensure that activities do not cause fumes, odour or other nuisances.
    Does not include:
    • Preparation of food for sale by distribution or catering, even though the food is consumed away from the premises.
    • Storage or wholesale of goods or foodstuff.
    • Sale of coffins or motor vehicle parts and accessories.
    • Repair and servicing of motor vehicles.
    • Laundry shop, dry cleaner’s shop, pet shop, petrol station.
    • Market, fun fair, amusement centre, health centre, nightclub, bar.
    • Sex shop i.e. a building used for the carrying on of any trade or business where the primary purpose is the sale of products (including toys, magazines, clothing or equipment) connected with sexual activity.
    • Showroom, motor vehicle showroom, betting outlet, office.
    • Any part of an industrial retail building or warehouse retail building used for business zone retail.

    Notes:

    * Conversion of shop units to medical clinic/dental clinic on an en-bloc basis (e.g. change of use involving the entire floor(s) or substantial part of a floor or the building) is subject to prior planning permission and clearance from relevant agencies (e.g. LTA, NEA, MOH).

    ** Supermarkets located in shophouses may be subject to LTA’s carparking requirements and may not be appropriate in locations where there are existing traffic and parking problems. Operators are advised to seek prior clearance from URA and LTA for their proposal before committing on the lease or purchase of the shop premises.

  2. 2
    Class II – Office or Commercial School
    Class II – Office or Commercial School
    Definition: Office:
    Premises used as a place of business and for conducting administrative work.
    Includes:
    • Bank
    • See more examples of offices below
      • Finance office, insurance company, stock exchange.
      • Real estate housing agency.
      • Contractors, transport office.
      • Professional, consultant, architect, engineer, lawyer, accountant, advertising agency, research and marketing office.
      • Employment agency, secretarial services.
      • Astrologers/palmists.
      • Security office.
      • Political party office.
    Does not include:
    • Shops
    Class II – Office or Commercial School
    Definition: Commercial School:
    Premises used for the purpose of teaching, training or imparting of knowledge or skill.
    Includes:
    • Tuition centre.
    • Language school.
    • Computer school.
    • Dress-making school.
    • Baking and cooking school.
    • Music school.
    • Dance school.
    • Acting school.
    • Speech and drama school.
    • Child development centre, or play school.
    • Art school.
    Does not include:
    • Primary school.
    • Secondary school.
    • Junior college.
    • Vocational and technical institution.
    • Polytechnic and university.
  3. 3
    Class III – Restaurant
    Class III – Restaurant
    Definition: A building used for the carrying on of any trade or business where the primary purpose is the sale of food for consumption on the premises without performance of live music or live entertainment, and where the sale of liquor and alcoholic drinks, if any, is for consumption on the premises and incidental to the consumption of food.
    Includes:
    • Coffee shop
    • Eating house
    • Snack bar
    • Cafeteria
    • Foodcourt
    • Fast-food restaurant
    • Tea house
    Does not include:
    • Canteen
    • Bar
    • Pub
  4. 4
    Class IV – Health Centre or Amusement Centre
    Class IV – Health Centre or Amusement Centre
    Definition: Health Centre:
    Premises used for physical exercise and fitness activities.Amusement Centre:
    Premises where jackpot machines, pin-ball machines, video-game machines and other similar machines are provided for entertainment.
    Includes: Health Centre:

    • Massage establishment
    • Spa
    • Fitness centre and gymnasium run as independent businesses in commercial premises

    Amusement Centre:

    • Video games arcade
    • Computer gaming centre
    • Billiard saloon
    • Bowling alley
  5. 5
    Class V – Motor Vehicle Showroom
     Class V – Motor Vehicle Showroom
    Definition: Premises used for the display and sale of new or used motor vehicles.
    Includes:
    • Car-mart
    • car-trading office
    • motor vehicle rental office
    • Motor vehicle trading office
  6. 6
    Class VI – Theatre
     Class VI – Theatre
    Definition: Premises where live theatrical performances, including plays, operas and music performances, are performed.
    Does not include:
    • Nightclub
    • Cinema
  7. 7
    Class VII – Light Industrial Building
     Class VII – Light Industrial Building
    Definition: Premises where the processes carried out or the machinery installed can be done so in any residential area without polluting the area with noise, vibration, odour, fumes, smoke, soot, ash, dust or grit.
    Includes: Premises classified as “light industry” by the Director of Environmental Pollution Control.See examples of light industrial buildings below

    • Manufacture of made-up textile goods (excludes wearing apparel) without dyeing, bleaching and/or other finishing operations.
    • Servicing and refilling of fire extinguishers.
    • Packing and bottling of medicinal herbs and medicated oil.
    • Manufacture of aluminium window frames and grilles from aluminium extrusions without spray-painting operations.
    • Packing of dried foodstuff.
    • Manufacture of containers and boxes of paperboard.
    • Printing, publishing and allied industries.

    For more details, please refer to the Code of Practice on Pollution Control (PDF) on the National Environment Agency’s website.
  8. 8
    Class VIII – General Industrial Building
    Class VIII – General Industrial Building
    Definition: Premises that are industrial buildings but not light industrial or special industrial buildings.
    Includes: Premises classified as “general industry” by the Director of Environmental Pollution Control.See examples of general industrial buildings below

    • Vehicle / motorcycles repair and servicing.
    • Installation of tyres & batteries.
    • Installation of car accessories.
    • Food manufacturing, food catering.
    • Manufacture of furniture & fixtures.
    • Manufacture of musical instruments.
    • Manufacture of wooden & cane containers & small cane wares.
    • Manufacture of emergency lighting and power supply systems.
    • Repair and maintenance of engines, motor and mechanical pumps.
    • Industrial laundry services without scheduled boilers.
    • Manufacture of sporting and athletic goods
    • Blending of detergents and cleaning preparations, perfumes, hair-care products, cosmetics and other toilet preparations.

    For more details, please refer to the Code of Practice on Pollution Control (PDF) on the National Environment Agency’s website.
  9. 9
    Class IX – Special Industrial Building
    Class IX – Special Industrial Building
    Definition: Premises that are industrial buildings where dangerous or offensive processes are carried out.
    Includes: Premises classified as “special industry” by the Director of Environmental Pollution Control.
  10. 10
    Class X – Warehouse
    Class X – Warehouse
    Definition: A building (excluding any land occupied therewith) where storage is the principal use and where no business is transacted other than incidentally to such storage.
    Does not include:
    • a warehouse retail building
  11. 11
    Class XI – Convalescent Home
    Class XI – Convalescent Home
    Definition: Premises used or intended to be used to receive, accommodate and nurse persons suffering or convalescing from any sickness, injury or infirmity.
    Does not include:
    • Hospitals
    • Premises used solely to receive, accommodate and care for dying or terminally ill persons.
  12. 12
    Class XII – Child Care Centre
    Class XII – Child Care Centre
    Definition: Premises that are:

    • licensed as a child care centre under Section 4 of the Child Care Centres Act (Chapter 37A).
    • used as a centre where 5 or more school-going children between the ages of 7 and 14 years are cared for/supervised before or after school hours.
    • registered as a kindergarten under Section 23 of the Education Act (Chapter 87).
  13. 13
    Class XIII – Community Building
    Class XIII – Community Building
    Definition: Premises used for community-based activities.
    Includes:
    • An office of an association or a society
    • Community centre
    • Community club
    • Family service centre
    • Residents’ committee centre
    Does not include:
    • Funeral parlour
    • Welfare home
    • Child care centre
    • Home for the aged
    • Home for the disabled
  14. 14
    Class XIV – Sports and Recreation Building
    Class XIV – Sports and Recreation Building
    Definition: Premises used for sports and recreation activities.
    Includes:
    • Sports club
    • Sports complex
    • Recreation club
    • Clubhouse
    • Fitness centre
    • Gymnasium within the sports and recreation building
    Does not include:
    • a community sports and fitness building
  15. 15
    Class XV – Nightclub
    Class XV – Nightclub
    Definition: Premises used for any trade or business where its primary purpose is the sale of alcoholic drinks (with or without the sale of foodstuff) for consumption on the premises with singing, dancing or live music/entertainment performances. Includes karaoke lounge and discothque.
  16. 16
    Class XVI – Pet Shop
    Class XVI – Pet Shop
    Definition: Premises used for the sale of live animals or birds normally kept as domestic pets.
    Includes:
    • Veterinary clinic
    • Domestic pet grooming service
    Does not include:
    • Premises or aquariums used for the sale of ornamental fish
  17. 17
    Class XVII – Community Sports and Fitness Building
    Class XVII – Community Sports and Fitness Building
    Definition: Premises used for sports and fitness activities and operated by:

    • the Singapore Sports Council;
    • any person as agent of the Singapore Sports Council; or
    • any person who is in a public-private partnership agreement with the Singapore Sports Council.

     

  18. 18
    UNCLASSIFIED USES

    Any uses that do not fall under these are Unclassified Uses, which requires planning permission. Common unclassified uses include:

    Bar/Pub

    • Premises used for any trade or business where its primary purpose is the sale of alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises without dancing, singing or performance of live music or live entertainment.

    Backpackers’ Hostel/Boarding House/Hotel

    • Backpackers’ Hostel
      Premises used as open concept dormitories with minimum 6 beds per room used for providing boarding and lodging or lodging only. The business is run for the purpose of gain or profit.
    • Boarding House/Hotel
      Premises used for boarding and lodging only. The business is run for the purpose of gain or profit.

    Showroom

    • Premises used for the display of goods with no retail sales.
    • Includes computers, electrical/electronic appliances, building materials, art pieces/paintings, photocopiers/printing equipment, musical instruments and sports equipment.
    • Does not include a shop and motor vehicle showroom.

    Students’ Hostel

    • Students’ hostels are premises used to provide boarding and lodging for students who are studying in the local primary schools, secondary schools, junior colleges and tertiary institutions.Owners of residential premises including landed houses and apartments can rent out bedrooms to full-time students for long-term stays of at least 6 monthswithout having to apply for Change of Use permission if:
      • the number of students per bedroom does not exceed 3;
      • the number of students per residential unit does not exceed 15; and
      • no internal partitions were constructed to create more bedrooms

    Workers’ Dormitory

    • Workers’ Dormitories (WD) in industrial premises are used to house foreign workers who are engaged to perform industrial or production activities.
      • Ancillary WD – for workers employed by the owner or lessee of the factory.
      • Secondary WD – mainly for workers not related to the owner or lessee of the factory.

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