How to check the doors, gate and locks in your new BTO flat

Doors get used hundreds of times a week, so small problems at key collection turn into daily annoyances later. A door that rubs, a lock that sticks or a gate that doesn't line up is much easier to get fixed now, before your contractor starts work and before anyone can say the damage came from renovation.

First, know which doors HDB supplied

Every BTO flat comes with a main door and a gate. Bedroom and bathroom doors are part of HDB's Optional Component Scheme (OCS) for 3-, 4- and 5-room flats, so you'll only have them if you opted in. Check your own flat's options before key collection so you know what you're inspecting. Anything HDB supplied is worth checking properly.

Main door and gate

1. Try every key. Lock and unlock the main door and the gate with each key you were given. A key that only turns with force is worth reporting.
2. Check the alignment. Close the door and the gate. They should shut fully without lifting or pushing, and the gate should sit evenly with the door frame.
3. Look at the gaps. Look at the gap around the door when it's closed. It should look roughly even along the top and both sides. A gap that's wide at the top and tight at the bottom usually means the door is sagging on its hinges.
4. Look for rust and scratches. Check the gate bars, hinges and lock area for rust spots, chipped paint and scratches. Check both sides of the main door.
5. Open and close slowly. Listen for squeaking or grinding, and feel for spots where the door catches on the frame or floor.

Bedroom and bathroom doors

If you took up the OCS doors, give each one the same quick routine:

• Swing test: open the door halfway and let go. A door that swings open or shut by itself may not be hung straight.
• Latch test: close it gently. The latch should click into place without slamming or lifting the handle.
• Lock test: try the lock on bathroom doors from inside, and check it can be opened from outside in an emergency if the lockset allows it.
• Surface check: look for dents, scratches, peeling laminate and gaps at the joints, especially near the bottom edge of bathroom doors, which get wet.
• Frame and hinges: check that the frame is firmly fixed, hinge screws are all there and tight, and there are no cracks in the wall around the frame.

The household shelter door

Open and close the household shelter (bomb shelter) door, and check that the handles and bolts move freely and the rubber seal around the edge is in place and undamaged. Look for rust on the hinges and handles. Don't try to adjust, drill into or modify the shelter door, its seals or the ventilation sleeve yourself. Changes to these aren't allowed, so report any problem and let HDB fix it.

What usually counts as a defect

• Locks or keys that don't work, or need force
• Doors or gates that don't close fully, rub on the frame or floor, or are clearly out of line
• Rust, scratches, dents or damaged surfaces
• Loose hinges, missing screws or a loose door frame
• Cracks in the wall or plaster around a door frame

You don't have to judge how serious each one is. Record everything you notice and let the Building Service Centre (BSC) decide what gets repaired.

Record it so it gets fixed

1. Number each problem. Stick painter's tape next to it and write a number on the tape, for example #12.
2. Take two photos. One close-up showing the tape and the problem, and one wider shot showing which door it is.
3. Describe the location in words. "Bedroom 2 door, bottom hinge loose" is far clearer than "door issue". If two bedrooms look alike, label them on a simple floor plan.
4. For movement problems, take a short video. A 5-second clip of a door rubbing or a lock sticking shows the problem better than a photo.

Check doors again before you renovate, and at month 11

Report what you find within the first month after key collection, and before carpentry or flooring work starts near any door. Renovation can knock doors out of line, so take a few "before" photos of each door before your contractor begins. Then check the doors again in month 11 of the one-year defect liability period, since hinges and locks can loosen with use.