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Advisory on Vacant Premises

In order to protect public health and to prevent the spread of the Aedes mosquito-borne dengue fever, NEA has the powers, under the Control of Vectors and Pesticides Act (CVPA) to enter vacant premises to check for mosquito breedings. However, NEA will only do this if the situation warrants it, such as when

i) there is a cluster of dengue fever cases in an area and the owner cannot be contacted; and

ii) there are strong indications that there is mosquito breeding within the premises and the owner cannot be contacted.

When a cluster of dengue fever cases occurs, NEA conducts house-to-house inspections to check all homes including the vacant premises in the cluster area for mosquito breeding. For vacant premises, NEA adopts the following steps to inspect these vacant premises:

• Firstly, a Call Letter (in four languages, with the name and telephone number of the inspecting officer) requesting the owner/ occupier of the vacant premises to contact the inspecting officer at the given number to make arrangements for an inspection, will be served.
  
  
• If NEA does not receive a response, then a Notice to Enter Premises Under Section 35 of the CVPA will be pasted on the door of the vacant premises to inform the owner/ occupier of the specific date and time that NEA officers will inspect the vacant premises. An Explanatory Letter which explains the purpose of the Notice (in four languages) will be slipped under the door of the premises. If the owner/ occupier cannot be at home during the scheduled date and time given in the Notice, they should call NEA to arrange for a mutually convenient time for an inspection. Meanwhile, NEA officers will also try to contact the owner/ occupier through their neighbours or local Residents Committee.
  
  
• If there is still no response, then a Note will be slipped under the door of the premises to inform the owner/ occupier of NEA officers planned visit to the premises at the stipulated time in the Notice to Enter Premises under Section 35.
  
  
• If there are still dengue fever cases in the area after all other premises in the cluster had been cleared and NEA assesses the vacant premises may be a breeding site, NEA will, as a final resort, serve a Notice of Entry to the owner/ occupier. It will keep the Police informed of our intended forced entry.
  

We would like to assure everyone that NEA will only use forced entry to access vacant premises as a last resort, after all other means of contacting the owner/ occupier have been exhausted, and only if the situation warrants it (such as in the case of continued rise in dengue cases in a known cluster). In such instances, the assistance of the Police will be sought before any forced entry is made.

We wish to advise all homeowners that, if they intend to be away from home for more than a week, they can help by taking the following precautions:

a. Ensuring premises are free from mosquito breeding by:

- Covering up toilet bowls and gully traps;
- Sealing off the overflow pipe of the flushing cistern;
- Turning over all water storage containers;
- Adding sand granular insecticide to places where stagnant water 
  could not be removed;
- Ensuring that no other containers like flower pots and vases contain
  stagnant water;

b. Asking a family member or friend to check on your home regularly.

c. Leaving behind a contact number with your neighbours or the neighbourhood police post/centre so that the authorities can contact them if necessary.

For more information on how to prevent Aedes mosquito breeding in your home, please click here.