Short answer: you can use your household shelter (HS) as a storeroom, but it must stay ready to become a shelter. SCDF allows drilling into the internal walls and ceiling to a depth of no more than 50mm for non-metallic inserts and removable screws, and any cabinets or shelves fixed inside must be removed within 48 hours if you are notified. You cannot hack the walls, tile the inside walls, or tamper with the door or ventilation openings. Freestanding shelving is the simplest way to stay within the rules.

What a household shelter is

SCDF describes the HS as a civil defence shelter designed to protect you during a war emergency. It has strengthened walls, floor and ceiling and a specially designed door, and comes with lighting, power, telephone and CATV outlets. HDB's guidelines say the reinforced walls, floor slab, ceiling and steel door must not be tampered with during renovation, and that fixtures which cannot be removed easily in an emergency should not be installed inside.

In a wartime emergency, SCDF's handbook says residents will be told to prepare their shelters by removing all temporary fixtures and shelves inside, closing and sealing the two ventilation openings, equipping the shelter with a radio, and moving the Wi-Fi router to within 5 metres of the shelter. Design your storage so that this would take minutes, not hours.

What SCDF allows

From SCDF's list of permitted works for household shelters:

  • Floor tiles bonded to wet cement mortar, with total floor finish and screed no thicker than 50mm.
  • Skirting tiles up to 100mm high, bonded with wet cement mortar.
  • Vinyl or linoleum flooring.
  • Painting of walls, ceiling or door, but not over the HS door notice, locking bolts or door seal. Old paint on the door and frame must be removed before repainting, and new paint must dry fully before the door is closed.
  • Drilling into the internal walls and ceiling to a depth of no more than 50mm for non-metallic inserts and removable screws. There is no limit on the insert's diameter as long as it is no longer than 50mm, and it is your responsibility to make sure it is strong enough.
  • Power-driven nails up to 75mm on the external face of the shelter walls only.
  • Splatter dash on the external face only, to key feature wall panels or wall tiles.
  • Covering ventilation openings with removable finishes, as long as at least 25% of the total area of the two openings stays uncovered in peacetime.

What SCDF does not allow

  • Wall tiles, rock tone, cement sand or gypsum plaster on the internal walls.
  • Floor tiles laid with adhesive, or a second layer of floor or skirting tiles.
  • Cornices inside the shelter.
  • Power-driven nails into the internal walls.
  • Covering, removing or tampering with the HS door notice.
  • Indiscriminate hacking or drilling of walls, floor or ceiling beyond the permitted drilling.
  • Hacking either face of the walls to key tiles, or the external face to mount panels or tiles.
  • Modifying or tampering with the door and frame.
  • Altering the ventilation openings, plates, bolts or nuts, or painting the inside face of the fragmentation plates, the sleeves, the rubber gaskets or the bolts.

Storage ideas that work within the rules

1. Freestanding shelving

The easiest option. Metal or timber shelving units stand on the floor, need no drilling and can be carried out quickly. Choose shallow units (around 30 to 40cm deep) so the door still opens fully and you can reach the back.

2. Wall-hung shelves on approved fixings

If you want shelves on the wall, use non-metallic inserts and removable screws no deeper than 50mm. Rails with hook-on shelves, brackets or bins are ideal, because the shelves lift off and only small screws remain.

3. A pegboard or rail for tools

A pegboard mounted the same way keeps the vacuum, mop and ladder off the floor. Cleaning tools are one of the most common things people store here.

4. Labelled boxes and bins

Clear or labelled boxes stack on shelves and carry out in one trip. Group them by use: festive decorations, travel, documents, tools.

5. A slim mobile rack

A rack on castors rolls out easily. Make sure it cannot block the door from closing.

6. Use the outside walls

The external face of the shelter allows power-driven nails up to 75mm and splatter dash for wall panels. Carpentry such as a wardrobe or a feature panel can sit against the outside of the shelter. If carpentry is built around the shelter door, the door must still open and close fully, and the door notice, locking bolts and seal must stay uncovered.

Practical tips for a storeroom that stays dry

  • Keep some ventilation. The rules require at least 25% of the openings uncovered in peacetime. With mean relative humidity around 82% (Meteorological Service Singapore), fabric, leather and paper stored in a closed room can grow mould. Use moisture absorbers and check them regularly.
  • Do not store food or anything that attracts pests.
  • Keep heavy items low and light items high.
  • Leave the outlets accessible. The shelter has power and telephone points for a reason.
  • Mind the false ceiling outside. If you install a false ceiling outside the shelter below the ventilation sleeves, SCDF requires perforated access panels of at least 600mm by 600mm directly below each sleeve.

Mistakes to avoid

  1. Built-in cabinets fixed with non-removable screws.
  2. Tiling or plastering the internal walls.
  3. Covering the door notice with wallpaper or panels.
  4. Painting over the door seal or bolts.
  5. Blocking both ventilation openings completely.

For broader storage planning, see our guides to small HDB living rooms and carpentry costs, and our wardrobes guide for the rest of the home.

How JIAHOME helps

We plan storage room by room, including the shelter, and mark which items are built in and which are freestanding in your quotation. You get a layout that works day to day and stays within the rules. Book a free consultation via contact us.

*This article is general information, not legal advice. Check the latest SCDF and HDB household shelter guidelines before starting work.*

Last updated 14 October 2026