HDB Pet Rules 2026: How Many Cats and Dogs You Can Keep, What Licences Cost, and Renting With Pets
The 2-cat, 1-dog limit and which dogs qualify, the limits in private homes, cat licensing now the transition is over, what licences cost, and what tenants, landlords and condo by-laws can and can't decide.
An HDB flat may keep up to 2 cats and 1 dog of an approved kind, under the Housing and Development (Animals) Rules 2024; more pets, or any other dog, need HDB's prior written permission, and a breach can bring a fine of up to $4,000. The approved dogs are 61 small breeds or a cross of two, a Singapore Special up to 55cm adopted under Project ADORE, a retired K-9 sniffer dog, or an assistance dog. A private home may keep 3 cats or dogs in all. Every cat and dog must be licensed with AVS; keeping an unlicensed cat became an offence on 1 September 2026. The limits bind tenants too, and a licence is not permission from HDB, a landlord or a condo.
Singapore's pet limits come from two rulebooks. HDB's decides how many cats and dogs an HDB flat may hold and which dogs; NParks' Animal & Veterinary Service (AVS) decides the licence every cat and dog needs, and the ceiling for private homes. Since 1 September 2026, when the cat transition ended, both apply in full.
This guide sets out the numbers, the dogs that qualify for a flat, the cat rules, what licences cost, and how the rules work when you rent: for tenants, room tenants and condo residents. Rules are as read on 25 September 2026. It is part of PropKaki's guide to the year you move in, starting with BTO renovation ideas that pass HDB rules.
How many cats and dogs can you keep in an HDB flat?
Up to 2 cats and 1 dog from HDB's approved list, in each flat. Keeping more, or a dog that isn't approved, needs HDB's prior written permission, and breaching HDB's rules can bring a fine of up to $4,000. The limits apply to owners and tenants alike, in every sold and rental HDB flat.
The limits, side by side:
| Home | Cats | Dogs | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| HDB flat | Up to 2 | 1, of an approved kind | "A maximum of 2 cats and 1 dog of an approved small breed … is allowed to be kept in each residential unit" (AVS) |
| Private home or commercial premises | 3 cats or dogs in all | Only one of them may be a Specified dog | "A maximum of 3 cats or dogs, or a combination of both, is allowed to be kept in any one private (non-HDB residential or commercial) premises" (AVS) |
In law, the HDB limit is rule 3 of the Housing and Development (Animals) Rules 2024: one dog and "not more than 2 cats", while keeping any other dog, "more than one dog" or "more than 2 cats" needs "the prior written permission of the Board" (Singapore Statutes Online). Rule 5 sets the penalty: "a fine not exceeding $4,000".
Three points people miss:
- "Keep" includes short stays. The Rules define it as keeping "permanently or temporarily for any duration of time".
- The rule covers every HDB home. It applies to "any property provided by the Board for residential purposes", sold or rented; HDB's register lists 1,169,361 flats in 10,752 residential blocks.
- "3-3-3" is not a legal limit. No Singapore rule uses it: an HDB flat may keep 2 cats and 1 dog, and a private home 3 cats or dogs in all.
In an HDB flat, the ceiling is two cats and one listed dog, per flat, whoever lives there.
Which dogs are allowed in HDB flats?
A dog from HDB's list of 62 entries (61 small breeds, or a cross of any two of them), a local mixed-breed "Singapore Special" up to 55cm tall adopted under Project ADORE, a retired K-9 sniffer dog adopted under the ADORE K-9 Scheme, or a trained assistance dog for a person with a disability. Specified dogs, the breeds AVS treats as potentially dangerous, are not allowed in HDB flats at all.
HDB's four routes to a dog in a flat (HDB):
| Route | Which dogs | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Approved breeds | 61 named small breeds, such as the Chihuahua, Maltese, Miniature Schnauzer, Pomeranian, Poodle (Toy or Miniature), Pug, Shih Tzu, Japanese Spitz and Jack Russell Terrier, plus "Cross of any 2 breeds in items 1 to 61" | 1 dog |
| Project ADORE | "a local mixed-breed dog, also known as Singapore Special, up to 55cm in height", adopted through AVS's partner animal welfare groups | "Only 1 dog is allowed in each residential unit" |
| ADORE K-9 Scheme | Retired sniffer dogs: Labrador, English Springer, Cocker Spaniel, Pointer | "Only 1 dog is allowed in each residential unit" |
| Assistance dogs | Trained assistance dogs for owners or occupiers with visual impairments, physical disabilities or who are deaf or hard of hearing, registered with MSF | 1 dog; must be licensed by AVS |
Specified dogs. AVS lists some breeds as potentially dangerous ("Planning to own a German Shepherd or Rottweiler? Such potentially dangerous dog breeds are listed…", AVS), and "For HDB property, no dog of any breed in the list of Specified dogs is allowed" (AVS).
Check a breed against HDB's full list before you buy or adopt: a dog that is neither on it nor in one of these schemes can live in a flat only with HDB's prior written permission; otherwise it needs a private home.
In a flat, the list decides the dog; the dog does not decide the flat.
Can you have two dogs in an HDB flat?
Not without HDB's prior written permission. HDB's rules allow one dog per flat, whether it is an approved breed, an ADORE Singapore Special, a retired K-9 dog or an assistance dog; keeping more than one needs the Board's written permission first. Whoever lives there, owner or tenant, answers for any dog kept or allowed to be kept in the flat.
- The rule: a lessee may keep "one dog only", and "more than one dog (regardless of whether each of those dogs is an assistance dog or applicable dog …)" needs "the prior written permission of the Board" (Housing and Development (Animals) Rules 2024, rule 3; Singapore Statutes Online).
- Who answers: "A lessee of any property must not keep or allow to be kept in the property any cat or dog except in accordance with this rule", and HDB may enter "at any reasonable time" to check the number and breed of dogs.
- Cats are separate: the dog sits alongside up to 2 cats. "From 1 September 2024, you may keep up to 2 cats, as well as 1 dog of an approved breed, in your flat" (HDB).
One dog per flat is the default; a second needs HDB's yes in writing, before the dog arrives.
How many cats or dogs can you keep in a private home or condo?
Three in all, cats and dogs combined, in any private home, and only one of them may be a Specified dog. A fourth needs AVS's prior approval, decided case by case. A condo can restrict pets further through its by-laws, and a landlord through the lease: AVS's limit is a ceiling, not a permission.
AVS's rule, set by the Animals and Birds (Licensing and Control of Cats and Dogs) Rules 2024: "up to 3 cats (without any dog); up to 3 dogs (without any cat), of which only one dog is permitted to be a specified dog; or cats and dogs, the aggregate of which must not exceed 3" (Singapore Statutes Online).
More than three. "You need to seek prior approval from AVS … if you wish to keep more than three licensed pets in a private premise." AVS looks at whether the premises are large enough, whether every animal is licensed, microchipped and healthy, whether each extra cat or dog is sterilised (and each extra dog trained), and whether the owner agrees to cut back to three if the animals cause a nuisance (AVS).
What the ceiling does not override. The same rule "does not affect any prohibition or restriction in relation to the keeping of a cat or dog in any premises that is imposed … by or under the authority of the Housing and Development Act 1959, the Building Maintenance and Strata Management Act 2004 or any other written law; or … by or under any agreement or licence relating to the use of the premises" (Singapore Statutes Online); that strata Act is now the Building (Strata Management) Act 2004. So a condo's by-laws and your tenancy agreement still apply.
So the most cats you can keep: 2 in an HDB flat, 3 in a private home, more only with AVS's approval (and, in an HDB flat, HDB's prior written permission; for cats you already had, see the transition rule below).
Three is the legal ceiling for a private home; the by-laws and the lease decide how close you can get to it.
What are the rules for pet cats in Singapore now?
Every pet cat must be microchipped and licensed with AVS; keeping an unlicensed cat has been an offence since 1 September 2026, with a fine of up to $5,000. First-time applicants must complete AVS's free online pet ownership course. Owners must protect cats from falls, for example with mesh, and keep them under physical control in public, for example in a carrier or on a harness. Cats kept before 1 September 2024 and licensed by 31 August 2026 may stay even above the limits.
The transition ran from 1 September 2024 to 31 August 2026. What applies now:
| Rule | What it says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Licence | "All pet cats must be licensed." "It will be an offence to keep unlicensed pet cat(s) from 1 September 2026 onwards." | AVS |
| Penalty | Keeping a cat or dog without a licence breaches rule 3(2) of AVS's 2024 Rules: "a fine not exceeding $5,000" | Singapore Statutes Online |
| Microchip | "Cat will need to be implanted with a microchip"; the cost "can vary across different veterinary clinics" | AVS |
| Course | "First-time cat/dog licence applicants must complete the Pet Ownership Course … before applying for a pet licence" | AVS |
| Safety at home | Owners must take steps against falls from height, "e.g. meshing of windows"; the cat rules list "mesh, grilles, screens, or other barriers" | AVS, HDB and AVS |
| In public | "Cats must be kept under physical control in a public space", for example in a carrier or on a harness | AVS, AVS |
| Sterilisation | "While sterilisation is not mandatory, we strongly encourage cat owners to sterilise their cats" (it also makes the licence cheaper) | AVS |
Cats you had before the limits. HDB's Rules let a flat keep cats above the 2-cat limit only if they were kept "immediately before 1 September 2024" and licensed "before 1 September 2026", for as long as the licence is not revoked or cancelled (Singapore Statutes Online). After the transition, "if the number of licensed pet cats already exceeds the limit, owners will not be able to license additional cats" (HDB and AVS).
HDB can act where owners keep refusing to manage their cats: "HDB may take enforcement action, and offenders may face a fine of up to $4,000" (HDB and AVS).
The grace period is over: an unlicensed cat is now an offence, not a to-do.
How much does a cat or dog licence cost?
A sterilised cat or dog costs $35 for a licence that lasts its lifetime. A non-sterilised one costs $230 for three years, or $90 for one. Licensing the most an HDB flat may keep, 1 dog and 2 cats, costs $105 once if all are sterilised, or $690 every three years if none are. Paying by GIRO, online or at AXS takes 10% off.
AVS's fees from 1 September 2026 are the same for cats and dogs (AVS):
| Licence (first three cats or dogs) | Sterilised | Non-sterilised |
|---|---|---|
| One year | $15 | $90 |
| Two years | $25 | $165 |
| Three years | — | $230 |
| One-time (lifetime) | $35 | — |
A cat or dog under five months old is $15 for a one-year licence; a fourth animal in a private home, where AVS approves one, is $460 for a sterilised one-time licence (less for an adopted, sterilised animal from AVS's rehoming partners).
What a household pays:
| Household | Licence fees | With the 10% rebate | Licence type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 sterilised cat or dog | $35 | $31.50 | one-time (lifetime) |
| 2 sterilised cats (the HDB cat limit) | $70 | $63.00 | one-time (lifetime) |
| 1 dog + 2 cats, all sterilised (the HDB maximum) | $105 | $94.50 | one-time (lifetime) |
| 1 dog + 2 cats, none sterilised | $690 | $621.00 | three-year, then renew |
| 3 animals in a private home, all sterilised | $105 | $94.50 | one-time (lifetime) |
Source: PropKaki's arithmetic on AVS's licence fees (updated 1 September 2026). Microchipping and sterilisation are extra and priced by each vet.
Sterilise, and the licence costs $35 for life; don't, and it costs $230 every three years.
Are pets allowed in HDB rental flats and rooms?
Yes, within the same limits. HDB's Rules count a tenant as a "lessee", so 2 cats and 1 approved dog is the most a rented flat may hold, and the limit is per flat: a room tenant's pet counts together with the owner's. The owner answers to HDB for tenants, so get the owner's written agreement before a pet moves in.
Three rules decide it:
- Tenants are covered. The Housing and Development (Animals) Rules 2024 define "lessee" to include "any licensee, tenant or owner of any property" (Singapore Statutes Online).
- The limit is per flat. AVS: "each residential unit" (AVS). A room tenant's cat and the owner's two cats would make three.
- The owner answers for tenants. HDB tells owners who rent out a flat to ensure tenants comply with the lease covenants and the Housing & Development Act: "You are responsible for all infringements (if any) committed by them" (HDB).
A licence doesn't settle it: "It is your responsibility to ensure that you are allowed by HDB or your estate management to keep the cat/dog in the premises registered in your licence application. The cat/dog licence is not an approval to keep the cat/dog at the stated premises" (AVS). When you move, update the licence's address through AVS's licensing system.
For the owner's side of HDB rentals (who may rent out, tenant limits, rents), see renting out your HDB flat or a room.
In a rented flat, the pet needs three yeses: HDB's limits, the owner's agreement, and an AVS licence.
Can a landlord or a condo stop you keeping a pet?
Yes, through the lease's pet terms or the condo's by-laws. A condo's management corporation can make by-laws on keeping pets, and the prescribed by-laws bar any animal that may annoy other residents; by-laws bind tenants as well as owners. AVS's 3-pet ceiling does not override restrictions in other laws or in an agreement about the premises, so a tenancy agreement's pet terms still bind. Put the landlord's agreement, and its terms, in writing.
Condos. An MCST "may, pursuant to a special resolution, make by‑laws" for purposes including "(c) the keeping of pets" (Building (Strata Management) Act 2004, section 32; Singapore Statutes Online). By-laws bind the "lessee or occupier of a lot", and must be displayed "on a notice board". Estates whose management corporation was constituted from 1 April 2005 carry the prescribed by-laws (section 32(2), subject to transitional rules for older estates), including by-law 14: "A subsidiary proprietor or an occupier of a lot shall not keep any animal upon his lot or the common property which may cause annoyance to the subsidiary proprietors or occupiers of other lots" (Singapore Statutes Online). How MCSTs work: what is an MCST.
Landlords. AVS's limit "does not affect any prohibition or restriction … imposed … by or under any agreement or licence relating to the use of the premises" (Singapore Statutes Online). The law sets the ceiling; the lease can set a lower one.
What a written pet clause should settle, on the rules above:
- The animal (species, number, and for a dog in an HDB flat, that it qualifies under HDB's list or scheme).
- That it is licensed with AVS at this address.
- Who pays for damage and cleaning at the end, recorded against the move-in inventory (see inventory list for a rented home).
- In a condo, that the estate's by-laws allow it.
More on tenancy terms: Singapore tenancy rules.
"Pet friendly" in an advert is a sales line; the by-laws and a signed clause are the rules.
Where can you rent with a large dog in Singapore?
Mostly in a private home. Without HDB's prior written permission, an HDB flat takes only a dog from HDB's list, an ADORE Singapore Special up to 55cm, a retired K-9 sniffer dog or an assistance dog. Landed houses are scarce and dear: 5.1% of private rental contracts with leases starting August 2025 to July 2026, at a median $7,000 a month for a terrace house. Condos can take a large dog if their by-laws allow it.
A dog that is not on HDB's list or in one of its schemes, or a Singapore Special taller than 55cm, needs HDB's prior written permission to live in an HDB flat (rule 3(3)); otherwise that leaves condos and apartments (subject to by-laws) and landed houses (subject to the lease and, in a strata landed estate, its by-laws), each capped at 3 cats or dogs by AVS.
What landed homes rented for, in PropKaki's analysis of URA's rental contracts:
| Landed house type | Contracts, Aug 2025 to Jul 2026 | Median monthly rent |
|---|---|---|
| Terrace House | 2,391 | $7,000 |
| Semi-Detached House | 1,449 | $8,900 |
| Detached House | 933 | $15,500 |
Source: PropKaki's analysis of 94,059 private rental contracts in URA's data with leases starting August 2025 to July 2026; landed homes were 4,773 of them (5.1%). Medians of whole-home contracts; the latest month can still gain late lodgements.
For condo and HDB rents by size, see the Singapore rental market and renting out your HDB flat or a room.
A big dog narrows the search to private homes, and a house narrows it to about one private rental in twenty.
Who handles complaints about pets?
HDB, for pets kept beyond the limits in an HDB flat; NEA, for pets fouling public places; AVS, for licences, injuries caused by pets and animal welfare; the MCST, under by-law 14, in a condo. A neighbour whose pet causes excessive noise or smell, or trespasses, can also be taken to the Community Disputes Resolution Tribunals.
| Problem | Who handles it | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Pets kept beyond HDB's limits | HDB | HDB |
| Pets fouling public places | NEA | HDB |
| Licences, injuries caused by pets, animal welfare | AVS | HDB |
| An animal causing annoyance in a condo | The MCST (prescribed by-law 14) | Singapore Statutes Online |
| A neighbour's animal trespassing, or causing "excessive noise or smell", or fouling near your home | The Community Disputes Resolution Tribunals, as a last resort | Singapore Courts, filing |
HDB's own advice to owners: "keep your dog or cat safe within your flat, do not let it roam outside of the flat, and care for it so that it does not bark or caterwaul continuously" (HDB). How neighbour noise disputes escalate is covered in HDB renovation and noise rules.
Abandoning a pet is itself an offence: first-time offenders who fail in their duty of care "may face a fine of up to $10,000, a jail term of up to 12 months, or both" (HDB and AVS).
Complaints can be about numbers or behaviour; the rules reach both.
What is the biggest mistake pet owners make with HDB and AVS rules?
Treating the AVS licence as permission to keep the pet at home. AVS says plainly that a licence is not approval to keep the cat or dog at the address: HDB's limits, a condo's by-laws and your landlord still decide. The second mistake is an unlicensed cat, which has been an offence since 1 September 2026.
The permissions stack, and the licence is only one of them:
- HDB's limits (2 cats and 1 approved dog per flat) or AVS's (3 in a private home).
- The estate or landlord: a condo's by-laws, or the lease.
- The licence: every cat and dog, at the right address.
AVS: "The cat/dog licence is not an approval to keep the cat/dog at the stated premises" (AVS). The fines are separate too: up to $4,000 for breaching HDB's rules, and up to $5,000 for an unlicensed cat or dog.
Check the pet may live where you live, then license it at that address.
Official sources
Check HDB and AVS directly before you bring a pet home.
Methodology and sources
Where every figure comes from, and what we deliberately did not claim.
Official rules. HDB's limits, approved dogs, ADORE, K-9 and assistance-dog routes, and who handles complaints are from HDB's keeping-pets page (updated 6 May 2026) and the Housing and Development (Animals) Rules 2024; AVS's limits, fees, licensing requirements and cat licensing from its pages (updated 31 October 2025, 1 September 2026, 1 September 2026 and 17 September 2026) and the Animals and Birds (Licensing and Control of Cats and Dogs) Rules 2024; the transition from the HDB-AVS release of 31 August 2024 and its annexes; tenants from HDB's renting-out regulations; condos from the Building (Strata Management) Act 2004 and the prescribed by-laws; complaints from the Singapore Courts. All read on 25 September 2026.
Proprietary analysis. Licence costs by household are PropKaki's arithmetic on AVS's fee table. The count of HDB flats is from HDB's property register (data.gov.sg, snapshot of May 2026), sold and rental flats together. Landed rents are PropKaki's analysis of 94,059 URA private rental contracts from August 2025 to July 2026, by house type. How we work: PropKaki methodology.
What we have not claimed: whether a particular dog qualifies (check HDB's list), what any vet charges, how many pets Singapore has, or that any estate or landlord allows pets. PropKaki's listings carry no pet field, so we do not count "pet-friendly" rentals. This is a practical guide, not legal or financial advice.
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Take any point from this analysis and apply it to your own project, budget or decision.
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