How To Throw A Kids' Birthday Party At Home In Singapore: Void Decks, Condo Function Rooms And What They Actually Cost

18 August 2026 · 11 min read

Most guides to home birthday parties in Singapore tell you to book early and buy a cake.

They do not tell you that only five of the nine town councils we checked publish a deposit figure at all, that the "birthday parties are exempted from licensing" line repeated across the internet is a misreading of a police document about weddings and funerals, or that the bouncy castle you are about to hire is taller than your living room.

This guide covers the three places a Singapore family actually holds a party at home: the void deck downstairs, the condo function room, and the flat itself.

Who You Actually Book A Void Deck From

Your town council. Not HDB.

This trips up almost everybody, and there is a good reason. HDB does run a system called e-Booking of Facilities and Space, which is why people assume it takes void deck bookings. It does not. That system is for renting commercial concourse space at HDB shopping complexes, for businesses running roadshows.

Void decks are common property. Town councils control, manage, maintain and improve the common property, and gov.sg's own explainer names void decks explicitly in that list. They operate under the Town Councils Act and are regulated by MND.

The community club and the RC are not the booking authority either. RC or MP supporting letters appear only for specific categories such as religious rites and mini fairs. Never for a plain birthday.

What A Void Deck Costs In 2026

The rent is effectively fixed nationally. The deposit is where councils differ, and a $327 hold is a real cashflow difference from $0 even though you get it back.

Two councils list "Birthday" as its own line item rather than lumping it under general use. Tanjong Pagar prices it at $54.50 with a $327 deposit. Chua Chu Kang prices it at $50 for a void deck or link building, and $100 for an open area.

Utilities are the cost people forget. Budget roughly $20 to $44 a day on top, charged per power point.

Best for large guest lists on a small budget, and for families who want grandparents to attend without travelling.

The rules that actually bite

• You must live there. East Coast requires proof of residency or an immediate family relationship. Ang Mo Kio and Bishan-Toa Payoh restrict bookings to residents of their own constituency.
• It is first come, first served. Every council we checked. No priority, no waitlist.
• Hard stop at 10pm. East Coast is the only council publishing a time: "All activity must cease by 10.00 pm."
• Some require you to turn up in person. Ang Mo Kio takes bookings only at Blk 528 Ang Mo Kio Ave 10. Tanjong Pagar and Marine Parade route through LifeSG.

No, You Do Not Need A Public Entertainment Licence

This is the most repeated error in this topic.

Several guides state that void deck birthday parties are "exempted" from public entertainment licensing. That is a misreading. The police's official exemptions document never mentions birthdays at all. What it exempts is music at weddings and at funerals held in void decks, between 7am and 10.30pm.

The correct reasoning is simpler, and it gets you to the same place. The Act licenses entertainment provided in any place to which the public has access. A private party for invited guests is not public entertainment, so no licence arises and no exemption is needed.

Chua Chu Kang's own fee schedule confirms this operationally. Police clearance is required for a "Wayang/Entertainment" booking. For a "Birthday Party" booking, it is not.

If you were selling tickets or running a public-facing show, that would be a different matter.

Condo Function Rooms

There is no universal price, and there is a structural reason for that.

Function room rules are set by each management corporation under section 32 of the BMSMA. Additional by-laws need a special resolution: 21 days' notice and 75% of share value. Every condo therefore writes its own. BCA's own strata guide also notes that developer-written House Rules are not enforceable, and that management corporations do not have powers to impose fines.

The pattern across all four: a booking fee of $10 to $100, a refundable deposit of $50 to $600, sessionised hours with a hard stop between 10pm and 11pm, and one month's lead time, which is far shorter than a void deck.

The guest cap is the number to check first. It swings from 30 to 150, and it is the single most likely thing to derail a plan already in motion.

Three more that catch people out. Residents only, and you cannot book on behalf of another unit. Cooking on site is commonly banned outright, though delivered food is fine, so a mini buffet works and a live cooking station does not. Live bands and mobile discos need written approval or are banned.

Best for smaller parties where you want aircon, a toilet and a hard stop time.

Will A Bouncy Castle Actually Fit?

This is the section that saves money, and almost nobody publishes it.

Growerks states the problem plainly on its own site: a typical HDB ceiling is around 2.3m to 2.5m tall, and for condo function rooms, a comfortable height would be more than 2.8m.

A common home-sized castle measures 3.3m by 2.8m by 2.5m tall. Against a 2.3m ceiling, it does not go in. Measure before you book, not after.

• Power. Every castle needs its own 13-amp point. Party Plus specifies one normal 220 volt outlet and notes each blower requires 8 to 12 amps. Food carts are the same: PartyMojo requires one standard 13-amp UK 3-pin point per machine.
• Floor area. Published dimensions run from 2.7m by 2.8m up to much larger obstacle units.

Travel surcharges exist, but only for named areas rather than islandwide. Growerks charges $50 for Tuas, Sentosa and Jurong Island, plus $50 for same-day and $30 for collection after 8pm. PartyMojo charges $55 for Changi, Tuas, Sentosa and Turf City. Party Plus publishes no travel surcharge at all.

Best for void decks and open-plan condo rooms. Rarely workable inside an HDB flat.

Browse kids' activities on Jungle.

Feeding Everyone

No caterer in Singapore publishes a priced children's birthday menu. All ten we checked sell a generic mini buffet that happens to suit a kids' party. Select Catering describes children's party food but publishes no price, minimum or delivery fee for it.

So you are ordering a normal mini buffet. Per head, before GST:

For a small party, Chilli Api and Rasel are the only caterers publishing a complete set of figures at a minimum of 10: per-head rate, minimum, and delivery fee. Everyone else either needs 15 to 20 heads or leaves the delivery cost off the menu page.

The cheapest route overall is high tea. Neo Garden and Orange Clove both publish $9.50, $11.00 and $12.50 per pax, at minimums of 25, 20 and 15.

Best for 15 or more guests. Below that, per-set packages from Eatz at $238 for 12 work out cheaper.

What It Costs In 2026

Three worked examples, 20 guests, before the cake.

The deposit is excluded from the totals because you get it back, but you need it available at booking.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I book a void deck if I do not live in that block? Generally no. East Coast requires proof of residency or an immediate family relationship. Others restrict to residents of the constituency.

How far ahead should I book? Six months for most town councils. Tanjong Pagar and Marine Parade cap it at three months, so booking earlier is not possible there. Condo function rooms typically open one month ahead.

Can I put up a tent or canopy at a void deck? No town council publishes any rule on this, in either direction. It is genuinely unaddressed in official sources, so declare it in writing when you apply and ask.

Do I need a licence for a magician or a live performer? No, for a private party. Licensing applies to entertainment the public can access.

What happens if it rains? Void decks are sheltered, which is their main advantage over a park. Bouncy castles need dry ground and a power point, both of which a void deck has.

Two numbers decide this whole thing, and neither is the party budget. The first is your ceiling height. The second is your condo's guest cap. Check both before you pay anyone a deposit.

For venue-based alternatives sorted by age band and budget, see our guide to kids' birthday party venues in Singapore.

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