Condo vs Apartment in Singapore: What URA's Rules Say, and What the Labels in the Data Really Mean
A condominium and an apartment are both private, strata-titled homes; the official difference is in URA's planning rules. In URA's sale records, most new launches since 2018 carry the 'Apartment' label, so the two labels now largely split new launches from older resales.
In Singapore, a condominium and an apartment are both private, non-landed, strata-titled homes. URA's planning rules set the difference: a condominium development needs a site of at least 4,000 sqm, so that there is space for communal and recreational facilities, while a flats (apartment) development needs 1,000 sqm; both may cover at most 50% of the site. In URA's sale records, most new condo and apartment sales have been recorded as 'Apartment' every year since 2018 except 2024: 60% of 'Apartment' sales in the latest 12 months were new sales, against 9% of 'Condominium' sales. Compare facilities, site, tenure and fees, not the label.
Ask what separates a condo from an apartment in Singapore and you will hear about swimming pools and security. The official answer is planning: URA sets a larger minimum site for a condominium so there is room for communal facilities. Both are private, strata-titled homes.
This guide sets out URA's definitions, what "condominium" means in law, and a finding from PropKaki's copy of URA's sale records: most new launches are now recorded as "Apartment", so the two labels largely split new launches from older resales. Sales data runs to 30 August 2026; rules are as read on 19 September 2026.
What is the difference between a condo and an apartment in Singapore?
Both are private, non-landed homes you own under a strata title. The official difference is planning: URA requires a condominium development to sit on at least 4,000 sqm of land, so there is space for communal and recreational facilities, while a development of flats (apartments) needs only 1,000 sqm. Both may cover at most 50% of the site.
URA's rule. "The minimum site area for a flats and condominium development is 1,000sqm and 4,000sqm respectively. Condominiums require larger site area to ensure that there is sufficient space for more communal and recreational facilities" (URA). The cap on buildings is the same for both: "The maximum site coverage for flats and condominiums is 50%", which keeps land for "greenery and landscaping" (URA). URA's handbook adds: "Condominiums typically offer more generous provision of communal and recreational facilities than flats developments, and have larger Site Area and more Common Boundary Setback", and "The residential component within a mixed use development will be approved as flats and will not be accorded condominium status" (URA).
What they share. URA counts both as the same market: "Non-Landed Property: Refers to apartments and condominiums" (URA). Both are divided into strata lots, and every owner shares the common property through the development's management corporation (see below).
| Condominium | Apartment (flats) | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum site (URA) | 4,000 sqm | 1,000 sqm |
| Why | "sufficient space for more communal and recreational facilities" | — |
| Maximum site coverage | 50% | 50% |
| Homes in a mixed-use development | Not possible | Approved as flats |
| Ownership | Strata title, shared common property | Strata title, shared common property |
| Private or public | Private | Private |
The label in URA's sale records is a separate question: most new launches now carry "Apartment" (see below).
Size of site, not the word on the brochure, is what the rule separates.
What does condominium mean?
A condominium is a private development split into units (strata lots) that each owner holds under a strata title, while everything shared, from the lifts to the pool, is common property owned together and run by the management corporation (the MCST), which is made up of all the owners.
In law. A lot is "a complete and separate unit" shown on the strata title plan, and the common property is the part of the development "not comprised in any lot" and "used or capable of being used or enjoyed by occupiers of 2 or more lots". The management corporation "comprises the subsidiary proprietors from time to time of all lots" in the development (Building (Strata Management) Act 2004, Singapore Statutes Online). Those strata rules apply to any strata development, apartments included. What marks a condominium in law is its planning approval: the Residential Property Act refers to "any unit comprised in a development which is shown in an approved plan bearing the title “condominium”" (Singapore Statutes Online).
In practice. Owning a condo unit means owning your unit outright for the tenure, plus a share in everything outside it, and a vote in how it is run and paid for. How the MCST works is in our guide to what an MCST is.
Buy a condo and you buy into a shared company of owners, not only a unit.
Is a condo the same as a flat?
Not quite. The Residential Property Act's definition of a "flat" is wide enough to cover a condo unit, but the same Act lists condominium units separately, as units in a development approved under the title "condominium". In everyday Singapore speech, "flat" usually means an HDB flat, while "condo" and "apartment" usually mean private homes.
The legal word. The Residential Property Act 1976 defines a "flat" as "a horizontal stratum of any building or part thereof … which is used or intended to be used as a complete and separate unit for the purpose of habitation or business or for any other purpose" (Singapore Statutes Online). A condo or apartment unit fits that description. But section 4 lists the two separately, "(a) any flat" in a residential development and "(b) any unit comprised in a development which is shown in an approved plan bearing the title “condominium”" (Singapore Statutes Online), and URA's planning rules treat them as different kinds of development (above).
The everyday word. In Singapore, "flat" usually means a public flat built by HDB, "Singapore’s public housing authority", which houses "close to 80% of Singapore’s resident population" (HDB). Condos and apartments are private. A foreigner can buy a "Condominium unit" or "Flat unit" in a private development without SLA's approval (SLA), while an HDB flat is open only to buyers who meet HDB's eligibility rules, which require citizens or permanent residents (HDB).
An executive condominium (EC) sits in between: "strata-titled apartments built by the private sector" with "similar facilities to a private condominium", sold with HDB-style eligibility conditions and a minimum occupation period (URA).
"Flat" is the law's word for a unit; in conversation it means HDB.
Why does URA's data record most new launches as apartments?
Part of the answer is a URA rule: homes in a mixed-use development are approved as flats and "will not be accorded condominium status". The records do not say why other projects carry one label or the other, but the pattern is clear: 92% of new condo and apartment sales so far in 2026 (ECs aside) were recorded as 'Apartment', and 78% in 2025, against 19% to 51% a year from 1995 to 2017.
The label comes with the project, and the projects have changed. Every caveat carries URA's property type, and a project's label rarely changes: none of the 1,728 named projects with condo or apartment sales in the latest 12 months had sales under both labels. URA's rule explains one group: "The residential component within a mixed use development will be approved as flats and will not be accorded condominium status" (URA). Over the 20,575 condo and apartment sales lodged for 30 August 2025 to 30 August 2026 (ECs excluded):
| URA label | Sales | New sale | Resale | Sub sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apartment | 12,403 | 60% | 36% | 4% |
| Condominium | 8,172 | 9% | 89% | 2% |
The split comes from history. New condos and apartments sold by developers, by label (ECs excluded):
| Year | Recorded as 'Apartment' | Recorded as 'Condominium' | 'Apartment' share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 1,883 | 5,934 | 24% |
| 2000 | 815 | 3,537 | 19% |
| 2004 | 1,403 | 3,470 | 29% |
| 2008 | 1,792 | 1,986 | 47% |
| 2012 | 6,369 | 13,221 | 33% |
| 2014 | 2,452 | 4,508 | 35% |
| 2015 | 3,628 | 3,548 | 51% |
| 2016 | 2,212 | 5,412 | 29% |
| 2017 | 3,895 | 5,817 | 40% |
| 2018 | 5,082 | 2,973 | 63% |
| 2019 | 6,184 | 2,643 | 70% |
| 2020 | 6,512 | 2,857 | 70% |
| 2021 | 8,998 | 3,535 | 72% |
| 2022 | 4,998 | 1,792 | 74% |
| 2023 | 4,511 | 1,729 | 72% |
| 2024 | 2,756 | 3,481 | 44% |
| 2025 | 8,320 | 2,341 | 78% |
| 2026 (to 30 Aug) | 4,646 | 389 | 92% |
From 1995 to 2017 the "Apartment" share of new sales ran between 19% and 51% a year; since 2018 a majority of new condo and apartment sales have been recorded as "Apartment" in every year except 2024. The five launches with the most new-sale caveats in the latest 12 months all carry "Apartment", while other launches carry "Condominium":
| Project | URA label | New-sale caveats in the window |
|---|---|---|
| Tengah Garden Residences | Apartment | 872 |
| Skye at Holland | Apartment | 666 |
| Zyon Grand | Apartment | 638 |
| Pinery Residences | Apartment | 559 |
| Penrith | Apartment | 455 |
| The Sen | Condominium | 159 |
| Chuan Park | Condominium | 114 |
| Promenade Peak | Condominium | 104 |
| Nava Grove | Condominium | 85 |
| Pinetree Hill | Condominium | 63 |
Ranked by new-sale caveats lodged in the window, not by project size.
Why it matters when you read prices. In the latest 12 months the median "Apartment" sale went for $2,356 per sq ft and the median "Condominium" sale for $1,787. Within new sales the two were $2,678 and $2,569, and within resales $1,858 and $1,728: most of the gap comes from the mix of new launches and resales, not from the label. That is why PropKaki treats them as one group for prices, and reports URA's field as it is without reclassifying any project.
In URA's sale records the label now largely separates new launches from older resales: judge the development itself.
How much do condos and apartments cost in Singapore?
Taken together (ECs excluded), condos and apartments sold for a median $1,952,600 in the 12 months to 30 August 2026, at a median $2,129 per square foot and 947 sqft of floor area. Prices by size, district and project are on PropKaki's price pages.
Over 20,575 sale caveats lodged for 30 August 2025 to 30 August 2026, new sales and resales together:
| Measure | Condos and apartments together |
|---|---|
| Median price | $1,952,600 |
| Median price per sq ft | $2,129 |
| Median floor area | 947 sqft |
| Share in the CCR / RCR / OCR | 20% / 33% / 47% |
Prices by district are in private property prices by district, and every project's own sales are on PropKaki's condo pages. How they compare with HDB flats, like for like, is in the condo vs HDB price gap. A median mixes sizes, locations and ages; compare like with like.
Price a home against its own neighbours, not against a national median.
What are the disadvantages of a condo?
You share the building and its costs. Every owner pays monthly contributions set by the management corporation, follows its by-laws, and is bound by collective decisions; most condos are also on 99-year leases, so the lease runs down. In return you get facilities and upkeep you could not fund alone.
- Shared costs. The management corporation sets "the amounts which are reasonable and necessary to be raised by contributions", including for "the regular maintenance and keeping in good and serviceable repair" of the common property, and owners pay them "in shares proportional to the share value of their respective lots" (Singapore Statutes Online). What they cover and cost is in what MCST fees are.
- Shared rules. "Every parcel comprised in a strata title plan is regulated by by‑laws", which the management corporation can change by special resolution (Singapore Statutes Online); see what an MCST is.
- A running lease. 74.8% of condo and apartment sales in the latest 12 months were on 99-year leases, and 22.2% were freehold. SLA: "In general, the Government's policy is to allow leases to expire without renewal" (SLA).
- Less say over change. A collective (en bloc) sale can go ahead by majority consent under the Land Titles (Strata) Act (MinLaw).
A condo's facilities are paid for by everyone, every month, for as long as you own it.
What happens to a condo after 50 years?
On a 99-year lease, about half the lease is left, and the owners carry on living there, maintaining the building through the management corporation. As the lease shortens the options are to keep it to the end, sell, or join a collective sale; the Government's policy is to let leases expire, renewing them only case by case. 74.8% of condo and apartment sales in the latest 12 months were on 99-year leases.
The lease keeps running. Buyers of a 99-year leasehold private property "own the rights to their property for the duration of their lease" (gov.sg). Under common law "ownership of the land and the buildings erected on it reverts to the lessor at the expiry of the lease", and the Government "will consider renewal of State leases on a case-by-case basis" only (SLA).
The building ages with it. Its upkeep is paid for from the owners' contributions to the management corporation (Singapore Statutes Online).
The collective-sale route. Owners can sell the whole development together by majority consent under the Land Titles (Strata) Act (MinLaw).
What happens when a private lease runs out is covered in freehold vs leasehold.
How much lease the homes on sale today carry, and the oldest leases still changing hands, is in 99-year leasehold explained.
At 50 years, half the lease is gone: check what is left before you check the view.
Is a condo or an apartment better to buy?
The label won't tell you. Compare the things it stands for: the site and the facilities you will pay to maintain, the tenure and lease left, the monthly fees, and the price per square foot against homes nearby. A small apartment block and a large condo can both be good buys; they suit different budgets and lifestyles.
A buyer's checklist, from the rules above:
- Site and facilities. A condominium needs at least 4,000 sqm, "sufficient space for more communal and recreational facilities" (URA); more facilities usually mean higher monthly contributions.
- Tenure. 99-year, 999-year or freehold, and how many years are left (see freehold vs leasehold).
- Fees. The management corporation's contributions (what MCST fees are).
- Price. Price per square foot against the project's own past sales and its neighbours, on PropKaki's condo pages and in the transactions finder.
- Who may buy it later. A foreigner can buy a condo or apartment unit without approval (SLA); an EC has HDB conditions for its first years (HDB).
Judge the development, not its label: two buildings called "apartment" can differ more than a condo and an apartment.
Why is it called a condo?
"Condo" is short for condominium, a word for shared ownership. In a condominium you own your unit, and you own the common property, from the land to the pool, together with every other owner through the management corporation.
The name describes the ownership, not the building: each owner holds a lot, and all owners together hold the common property "used or capable of being used or enjoyed by occupiers of 2 or more lots" through a management corporation that "comprises the subsidiary proprietors from time to time of all lots" (Singapore Statutes Online). In Singapore the word also carries URA's planning meaning: a development with the larger site that shared facilities need (URA).
Condominium is a way of owning, before it is a kind of building.
What is the biggest mistake people make comparing condos and apartments?
Comparing the two labels' prices in URA's data. Most new launches are now recorded as 'Apartment' (91% of new condo and apartment sales in the latest 12 months), so a label comparison mostly compares new homes with older ones.
A price gap between "apartment" and "condominium" in URA's records looks like a verdict on the two types. It is mostly the difference between new launches and older resales: 60% of "Apartment" sales in the latest 12 months were new sales, while 89% of "Condominium" sales were resales. Overall the median "Apartment" sale went for $2,356 per sq ft against $1,787; compare new sales with new sales ($2,678 against $2,569) and the gap narrows. Hold the age, location and size steady before you compare anything.
A label gap is usually an age gap in disguise.
Official sources
Check the agencies directly for the current rules.
Methodology and sources
Where every figure comes from, and what we deliberately did not claim.
PropKaki figures. All figures are PropKaki's analysis of URA sale caveats: the label split, prices, sizes, tenure and regions cover the 20,575 condo and apartment sales lodged for 30 August 2025 to 30 August 2026 (ECs excluded); the yearly trend counts every new-sale caveat by URA's property type since 1995, and the latest year is partial. Caveats are lodged voluntarily and late, so recent months are under-counted. PropKaki reports URA's property-type field as recorded and does not reclassify any project. How we work: PropKaki methodology.
Rules. URA's Development Control handbook and glossary, the Residential Property Act and the Building (Strata Management) Act on Singapore Statutes Online, SLA, MinLaw and HDB, read on 19 September 2026.
What we have not claimed: why any particular project carries its label (beyond URA's mixed-use rule), what facilities any project has, or that either type is the better buy. This is a practical explainer, not legal or financial advice.
Got a question this raised? Ask PropKaki.
Take any point from this analysis and apply it to your own project, budget or decision.
PropKakiFor most buyers this year, staying well within budget beats trying to time the market.