Residents of Potong Pasir Condo The Tre Ver Grapple With Termite Infestation in Multiple Blocks

A UOL spokesman said there are currently about 15 affected home owners at The Tre Ver. But at least 50 units are believed to have had termite issues since December 2022, based on the number of complaints in a WhatsApp group chat for affected home owners, said a former resident.

Both UOL projects got their temporary occupation permit (TOP) during the Covid-19 pandemic, which lasted from January 2020 to about early 2023. The developer and The Tre Ver management corporation strata title (MCST) declined to provide details on how many units at the condo have been affected by termites since it obtained TOP in late 2022.

A drywood termite infestation can be difficult to detect because the insects live deep inside wooden furniture and fittings and feed on the cellulose in dry wood. Colonies can grow for years undetected until the insects push out sand-like droppings or frass, swarmers or flying termites emerge.

J. Lau, 34, sold his two-bedder in The Tre Ver in January 2026 after he found termites in a bedroom wardrobe in March. The finance industry professional said: “The termites kept appearing for one to two days after we cleaned out the frass from the wardrobe, which was built by the developer.”

Darius Baker, 40, another Tre Ver resident, found a pile of frass in the corner of a kitchen cabinet where his washing machine sat around mid-2025. He said: “We contacted the MCST, and they sealed the kitchen cabinet with thermal padding, and used a generator to flush the area with hot air because termites die at extreme heat.” The termite problem surfaced again in another cabinet in late 2025, but this time, Baker said the MCST did not help as that cabinet was not built by the developer.

UOL said it will continue to listen to home owners and address every case. “This includes arranging inspections with home owners at the earliest opportunity to assess the affected areas and working closely with them to implement appropriate remedial measures.”

Absolute Inspection said it found signs of termite or wood borer infestation in the built-in wardrobe cabinets or toilet cabinets of fewer than 10 of 64 vacant units it inspected at The Tre Ver between December 2022 and April 2023. As for Avenue South Residence, half of the 125 vacant units checked in 2023 from May to September had signs of termite or wood borer infestations.

The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) said termite infestations are considered a defect and one of many factors taken into account in the Construction Quality Assessment System (CONQUAS). UOL is rated Band 1, while The Tre Ver is a Band 3 project and Avenue South Residence is a Band 2 project – all at the upper end of the scoring system.