Livable or not? Video of bomb shelter 'bedroom' draws public concern

Are these conditions livable? 

A video of a loft bed installed inside a condo unit's bomb shelter has recently surfaced on Reddit (July 24), sparking a discussion among netizens if it was ethical for the space to be used as a bedroom. 

From the video, an additional slider door had been installed in the bomb shelter. To accommodate the loft bed, a flight of steps were also built inside the space.

According to the video's description, the bomb shelter was converted into a bedroom for the home owner's maid. 

The post quickly garnered a flurry of comments from netizens concerned about the amount of ventilation in the small space. 

"No windows, no ventilation, no phone reception. How would maids know if there's war? She won't even know if it's day or night," said one netizen. 

Others also mentioned that it was illegal to remove the bomb shelter door. 

[embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@anniewang91/video/7393320142479822087[/embed]

A quick check by AsiaOne showed that the video was originally uploaded on TikTok by Annie Wang, who runs a company that builds customised loft beds. 

Speaking to AsiaOne on Wednesday (July 24), Wang confirmed that the loft bed inside the bomb shelter was meant for the home owner's maid to sleep in. 

The installation of the loft bed, the shelves and the sliding door came up to $2,900, said Wang, who declined to reveal the location of the condo unit. 

"Most of these rooms for domestic helpers are smaller in size, and cannot fit a standard bed frame, so they end up sleeping on a mattress on the floor." 

Addressing the netizens' comments, Wang said: "I think it's good that employers are willing to spend more money to give their helpers a better living environment.

"It's an improvement from the past where the helper would sleep on a mattress on the floor, with no personal space. Many of them end up hiding in a corner of the kitchen." 

In addition to installing the loft bed, Wang explained that these homeowners would also install a ventilator in the room, and provide a fan for the maid. 

Converting bomb shelter into room 'not recommended'

According the Singapore Civil Defence Force's regulations for household shelters, homeowners are not allowed to modify, or remove the shelter's door. 

Any installation works with fixing using power-driven nails into the walls of the bomb shelter are also prohibited.

Speaking to AsiaOne, Chris Ng, an agent from ERA Real Estate said that converting a bomb shelter into a living space is not recommended, as these are designed for protection during emergencies. 

"However, in practice, we have seen home owners in private properties repurpose these spaces as helper's rooms, often with the helper's agreement for convenience. 

"While this practice exists, it's crucial for homeowners to understand the regulatory and safety implications before making such modifications to accommodate their personal needs." 

Although it is illegal for HDB flat owners to rent out their bomb shelters as rooms, renting out a bomb shelter in a private property is on a "willing buyer, willing seller" basis, said Era Realty property agent Asaph Mathew in a previous interview with AsiaOne.

READ ALSO: $750 for bomb shelter? Rental listing for Balestier room removed after rousing suspicion

claudiatan@asiaone.com

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