Public Housing in Singapore: How HDB Works, Who Qualifies and What It Costs in 2026
How 76% of residents came to live in HDB flats, the ways to get one, who can buy under the August 2026 income ceilings, what new and resale flats cost, public rental flats, and the options for seniors, with the main HDB schemes mapped to your stage of life.
Public housing in Singapore means the flats built by the Housing & Development Board (HDB): 1,153,080 flats in March 2025, home to 76.0% of residents. Almost 95% are sold, mostly on 99-year leases at subsidised prices, to citizens and to some permanent residents; 63,558 are rental flats for households with no other option. For HFE letters applied for from 24 August 2026, the income ceiling for a new 4- or 5-room flat is $16,000 a month for families, and $8,000 for singles aged 35 and above buying a 2-room Flexi.
Public housing in Singapore is not a last resort. It is where most people live: 76.0% of residents were in HDB flats in March 2025, almost all of them in sold flats rather than rental ones. The system is built around ownership, with subsidised new flats, grants and HDB loans, and a small rental scheme as the safety net beneath it.
This guide explains how it works end to end: how Singapore went from renting to owning, the ways to get a flat, who can buy under the income ceilings that apply to HFE letters from 24 August 2026, what new and resale flats cost, who qualifies for a rental flat, what seniors can do, and which HDB scheme fits each stage of life. Rules are HDB's, as at 18 September 2026; costs are HDB's and PropKaki's.
What is public housing in Singapore?
It is the flats built by the Housing & Development Board (HDB): 1,153,080 of them in March 2025, home to 76.0% of residents. Almost 95% are sold, mostly on 99-year leases at subsidised prices, to citizens and some permanent residents. The other 63,558 are rental flats for households who cannot afford any other home.
| HDB in numbers, 31 March 2025 | |
|---|---|
| Residents living in HDB flats | 76.0% (3,190,590 people) |
| Residents living in sold (not rental) HDB flats | 73.0% |
| Flats under HDB's management | 1,153,080 |
| Sold flats | 1,089,522 |
| Rental flats | 63,558, almost all 1-room (30,494) or 2-room (31,208) |
Source: HDB Key Statistics 2024/2025, data at end-March 2025, the latest published (HDB).
Three things make Singapore's model unusual:
- Ownership is the default. Rental flats are 5.5% of HDB's stock, a safety net for households who cannot buy.
- You buy a lease, not the land. New flats are sold on 99-year leases; buyers aged 55 and above can choose 15 to 45 years on a 2-room Flexi, and from the November 2026 launch on a Community Care Apartment.
- New flats are priced below the market and balloted. HDB sells them at a discount through a computer ballot. Resale flats trade between owners at market prices.
In Singapore, public housing is the mainstream home, not a last resort.
How did Singapore go from renting to owning?
HDB started in 1960 building flats for rent, began selling flats in 1964 and let buyers use their CPF savings from 1968. Ownership became the norm: in March 2025, 76.0% of residents lived in HDB flats and 73.0% in sold flats, while rental flats made up 5.5% of HDB's stock.
- 1960. HDB took over from the Singapore Improvement Trust on 1 February 1960, and delivered more than 21,000 flats within 3 years. The first flats "were only available for rental" (HDB).
- 1964. The Home Ownership for the People Scheme put flats up for sale.
- 1968. The CPF Amendment Act let people use CPF savings to buy a flat, which is what made ownership affordable on ordinary wages.
- 1989. Permanent residents were allowed to own HDB flats (NLB Infopedia).
- 2010. HDB completed its one-millionth flat, Treelodge@Punggol.
- 2025. 76.0% of residents live in HDB flats, 73.0% of them in sold flats; the 63,558 rental flats house the rest (HDB Key Statistics).
HDB also publishes a long-run count of demand for rental and home-ownership flats, but it changed what it counted over the years (resale applicants were dropped from FY1989, and from FY2003 the figures are bookings, not applications), so we do not compare its shares across decades.
Ownership is the design; rental is the safety net.
How do you get an HDB flat?
Four ways from HDB: book a new flat in a Build-To-Order (BTO) launch, buy a balance flat in a Sale of Balance Flats (SBF) exercise, pick an unselected flat in open booking, or buy a resale flat from its owner. An executive condominium, built by a developer under HDB-style rules, is the fifth option. Every HDB route, new or resale, starts with an HFE letter. In FY2023, 24,020 new flats were booked and 26,824 resale flats changed hands.
| Route | What you get | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| BTO | A new flat, built after the launch, at a subsidised price | Waits of 31 to 54 months in the June 2026 launch; allocated by ballot |
| SBF | Leftover and returned flats from earlier launches, some already built | HDB warns the chances of getting one may be slim |
| Open booking | Flats left unselected after SBF exercises | Only the flats left over, where they are left |
| Resale | An existing flat, bought from its owner at a market price | You need an HFE letter before you take an Option to Purchase |
| Executive condominium | A condominium built by a private developer, sold under HDB-style rules | Income ceiling of $18,000 for projects whose land tender closed on or after 24 August 2026; ECs from earlier tenders stay at $16,000 |
Sources: HDB Modes of Sale and HFE letter pages; HDB June 2026 BTO Annex A; HDB release of 23 August 2026.
New flats and resale split the market roughly evenly: in FY2023, the latest year of actual bookings, 24,020 new flats were booked against 26,824 resale transactions, so new flats were 47.2% of the total (our arithmetic on HDB's figures; HDB's FY2024 count includes projected bookings).
- Start with the HFE letter. It tells you whether you can buy a new or resale flat, which grants you qualify for and how much you can borrow from HDB. See our guide to the HFE letter.
- The next BTO launch is in November 2026, with about 7,960 flats in Bedok, Geylang, Sembawang, Tengah, Toa Payoh and Yishun. HDB encourages buyers to apply for an HFE letter and submit documents by 25 September 2026.
- Balance flats are the faster route, at longer odds: see our guide to the Sale of Balance Flats.
New flats are cheaper but slower and balloted. Resale is faster and priced by the market.
Who can buy an HDB flat?
A Singapore Citizen buying with at least one other citizen or PR as a family, or a citizen single aged 35 and above. Income ceilings apply to new flats, CPF housing grants and HDB loans: $16,000 a month for families and $8,000 for singles, for HFE letters applied for from 24 August 2026; a resale Standard or Unclassified flat bought without a grant has no ceiling. A household of PRs can buy only such a resale flat, after 3 years as PRs.
Income ceilings for HFE letters applied for from 24 August 2026 (HDB):
| What you are buying | Families | Singles aged 35 and above |
|---|---|---|
| New 4-room or 5-room flat | $16,000 | Not open to singles |
| New 3-room flat | $16,000 or $8,000, depending on the project | Not open to singles |
| New 2-room Flexi, 99-year lease | $8,000 | $8,000 |
| New 2-room Flexi on a short lease, or a Community Care Apartment (buyers 55 and above) | $16,000 | $16,000 |
| Resale flat with a CPF Housing Grant | $16,000 | $8,000 buying alone (up to a 5-room); $16,000 as joint singles |
| HDB housing loan | $16,000 | $8,000 buying alone; $16,000 as joint singles |
| New executive condominium unit (land tender closed on or after 24 Aug 2026) | $18,000 | $18,000 (two or more singles buying together) |
| Executive condominium from an earlier land tender | $16,000 | $16,000 (joint singles) |
Extended families, such as three generations, have a ceiling of $24,000, with each family nucleus at $16,000 or less. Buying a resale Standard or Unclassified flat without a grant has no income ceiling.
- Citizenship. New flats, and resale Plus and Prime flats, need a citizen applicant plus at least one other citizen or PR. A citizen buying with one PR family member pays a $10,000 premium as a first-timer.
- PR households. A household with no citizen can buy only a resale Standard or Unclassified flat (launched before October 2024 and not Prime), and everyone in it must have been a PR for at least 3 years (HDB).
- Foreigners. HDB's rules need a citizen or PR buyer, so a foreigner cannot buy alone. A foreign spouse can be part of a citizen's purchase (a new 2-room Flexi, or most resale flats), and a single, divorced or widowed citizen can buy a resale flat with foreign parents or children in their care.
- An older HFE letter. A letter applied for before 24 August 2026 was assessed against the old ceilings of $14,000 and $7,000. If the old ceiling ruled you out and you have not yet applied for a flat, you can cancel the letter and apply again.
Citizenship decides which flats are open to you. Income decides whether you can buy new, get a grant or borrow from HDB.
How much does an HDB flat cost in 2026?
In HDB's June 2026 launch, a new 4-room flat in a Standard project cost $302,000 to $437,000 before grants, and a Prime one up to $810,000. The national median resale 4-room cost $630,000 in the first half of 2026. In all 7 June projects, the dearest new 4-room was cheaper than the cheapest resale comparable HDB listed nearby.
Four ways to live in an HDB flat, and what each costs today:
| How you live in it | What it cost |
|---|---|
| A public rental flat (only if you qualify; see below) | $26 to $275 a month, by income, flat type and housing history |
| Renting a whole 4-room on the open market | Median $3,300 a month, September 2025 to August 2026 |
| Buying a new 4-room, June 2026 BTO, Standard projects | $302,000 to $437,000, before grants |
| Buying a resale 4-room | Median $630,000, 2026 H1 |
Sources: HDB rents and June 2026 BTO Annex A; PropKaki analysis of HDB rental approvals and resale registrations.
HDB's own launch documents put each new flat beside resale deals nearby. For the June 2026 4-room flats:
| Project | Class | New flat area | New 4-room price (excl. grants) | Resale comparables nearby |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sembawang Portico | Standard | 93 sqm | $320,000 to $437,000 | $600,000 to $680,000 (93 sqm, about 93 years left) |
| Sembawang Brook | Standard | 93 sqm | $302,000 to $428,000 | $600,000 to $680,000 (93 sqm, about 93 years left) |
| Woodgrove Acres | Standard | 93 sqm | $353,000 to $437,000 | $650,000 to $750,000 (93 sqm, about 92 years left) |
| Kebun Baru Ridge | Plus | 89 sqm | $543,000 to $693,000 | $830,000 to $1,080,000 (92-93 sqm, about 91 years left) |
| Kebun Baru Breeze | Plus | 90 sqm | $547,000 to $746,000 | $830,000 to $1,080,000 (92-93 sqm, about 91 years left) |
| Lakeview Cascadia | Prime | 90 sqm | $534,000 to $742,000 | $840,000 to $950,000 (102 sqm, about 71 years left) |
| Berlayar Rise | Prime | 90 sqm | $592,000 to $810,000 | $938,888 to $1,068,000 (93 sqm, about 91 years left) |
HDB, June 2026 BTO, Annex A. New flats are on 99-year leases. HDB: the differences in attributes between the resale comparables and the new flats "should be taken into account when making a comparison"; the Lakeview Cascadia comparables, for instance, are larger flats with about 71 years left.
In every one of the seven projects, the top of the new 4-room range sat below the bottom of the resale range HDB quoted. Nationally, the median resale 3-room cost $443,000 and the median 5-room $740,000 in 2026 H1. Housing grants cut the price further for eligible first-timers, new or resale: see our guide to HDB housing grants.
The gap is a rough guide to the discount, not an exact subsidy. You pay for it in waiting time, ballot odds and the MOP, and Plus and Prime owners repay part of it when they sell.
What is HDB rental housing, and who qualifies?
HDB's Public Rental Scheme is for citizens who cannot afford any other home and have no family to turn to: families, and citizen singles aged 35 and above (or widowed or orphaned and 21 and above). HDB assesses income holistically; MND said in 2021 that $1,500 a month is a guideline, not a ceiling. Rent for a 1- or 2-room rental flat runs from $26 to $275 a month.
- Families. A citizen aged at least 21, with another citizen or PR forming a family nucleus, such as a spouse, parents, or children in sole care. Families with children under 21 come under the ComLink+ Rental Scheme.
- Singles. Under the Joint Singles Scheme, citizens apply in pairs, each single, divorced or separated and at least 35, or widowed or orphaned and at least 21. Under HDB's operator-run pilots you can apply alone, and the operator assigns a flatmate or a private bedroom with shared facilities.
- The tests. No property anywhere, local or overseas; not an owner or essential occupier of an HDB flat; not already an HDB tenant; unable to afford other housing; and every applicant is assessed for family support (HDB). HDB publishes no hard income ceiling; MND said in February 2021 that $1,500 is "not a hard cap or ceiling".
Monthly rent depends on income, flat type and whether you have owned a subsidised flat before (HDB):
| Household income | Applicant | 1-room | 2-room |
|---|---|---|---|
| $800 or less | First-timer | $26 to $33 | $44 to $75 |
| $800 or less | Second-timer | $90 to $123 | $123 to $165 |
| $801 to $1,500 | First-timer | $90 to $123 | $123 to $165 |
| $801 to $1,500 | Second-timer | $150 to $205 | $205 to $275 |
A household of two gets a 1-room flat and a bigger household a 2-room; you pay a month's deposit and the first month's rent when you collect the keys. In FY2024, HDB received 8,416 applications to rent and let 4,469 rental flats.
The way out: Fresh Start. Rental families with young children can buy a 2-room Flexi or 3-room Standard flat on a 45- to 65-year lease under the Fresh Start Housing Scheme, with an income ceiling of $8,000, a 20-year MOP and, for second-timers, a Fresh Start Housing Grant of up to $75,000 (HDB).
Public rental is a safety net with a means test and a family test, not cheap housing for anyone who wants it.
What housing options do seniors have?
Citizens aged 55 and above can buy a Community Care Apartment from the November 2026 BTO launch (the minimum age was 65), or a 2-room Flexi flat on a 15- to 45-year lease that lasts them to at least 95. Owners aged 65 and above can sell part of their lease back to HDB for a CPF LIFE income, and owners aged 55 and above who move to a 3-room or smaller flat can get a Silver Housing Bonus of up to $30,000, or $40,000 for a 2-room or smaller flat.
| Option | Who | What you get | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Community Care Apartment | Citizens 55 and above, income up to $16,000 | A new flat with a compulsory care-services package, on a 15- to 45-year lease | Cannot be sold on the open market or rented out; no HDB loan, paid in full from CPF and cash |
| Short-lease 2-room Flexi | Citizens 55 and above, income up to $16,000 | A new one-bedroom flat on a 15- to 45-year lease | Cannot be sold or rented out; goes back to HDB; no HDB loan, paid in full from CPF and cash |
| Lease Buyback Scheme | Owners all 65 and above, at least one a citizen, income up to $16,000 | Cash and a CPF LIFE income for the tail end of your lease, while you stay | You cannot sell the flat or rent it out whole afterwards |
| Silver Housing Bonus | A citizen owner 55 and above, income up to $16,000 | Up to $30,000 for moving to a 3-room flat, $40,000 to a 2-room or smaller flat | You commit up to $60,000 to your CPF Retirement Account and join CPF LIFE |
Sources: HDB Community Care Apartments, seniors' eligibility, Lease Buyback Scheme and Silver Housing Bonus pages, read September 2026. You get either the Silver Housing Bonus or the Lease Buyback bonus, not both.
Can a 55- or 70-year-old buy an HDB flat? Yes. On a short-lease 2-room Flexi or a Community Care Apartment, the lease must last every buyer and spouse to at least 95, so a 70-year-old buying alone needs a lease of at least 25 years. Our 2-room Flexi guide sets out prices by lease length.
For seniors, HDB sells shorter leases on purpose: you pay for the years you need.
What can you do with an HDB flat once you own it?
Live in it first. Every owner must live in the flat for a minimum occupation period (MOP) of 5 years, 10 for Plus and Prime flats and 20 under Fresh Start, before selling it, renting it out whole (Plus and Prime flats never can be) or buying private property. Spare bedrooms in a 3-room or bigger flat can be rented out with HDB's approval, in most flats without waiting for the MOP.
- Before the MOP. You must live in the flat. You cannot sell it on the open market, rent out the whole flat, or buy a private home, local or overseas (HDB).
- After the MOP. You can sell at a market price, rent out the whole flat if you are a citizen and it is not a Plus or Prime flat, and buy private property.
- Renting out rooms. Citizen and PR owners of a 3-room or bigger flat can let spare bedrooms while living there, in all but 3Gen flats without waiting for the MOP. See our guide to renting out an HDB flat or room.
- Plus and Prime flats carry a 10-year MOP, can never be rented out whole, and repay part of their subsidy when sold.
The MOP is the price of the subsidy: live in the flat first, then decide what to do with it.
Which HDB scheme fits your stage of life?
Young couples and families start with an HFE letter and a BTO or SBF flat; singles from 35 with a 2-room Flexi or a resale flat; households who cannot buy with public rental; owners who need income with renting out rooms; and seniors with a Community Care Apartment, a short-lease flat, the Lease Buyback Scheme or the Silver Housing Bonus.
| Your stage | The schemes to know | Where to read |
|---|---|---|
| Buying your first home as a couple or family | HFE letter, BTO, Sale of Balance Flats, housing grants | HFE letter, Sale of Balance Flats, housing grants |
| Single, aged 35 and above | 2-room Flexi, resale flats with the Singles Grant | 2-room Flexi flats |
| Waiting for a new flat to be built | Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme (temporary rental flats) | Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme |
| Cannot afford to buy | Public Rental Scheme, Fresh Start Housing Scheme | This guide, above |
| Owner looking for income | Renting out the flat or a bedroom | Renting out an HDB flat or room |
| Living in an ageing estate | Home Improvement Programme, Neighbourhood Renewal Programme, SERS | HIP and NRP, SERS and VERS |
| Selling a flat bought with CPF | CPF refunds, including voluntary housing refunds | CPF voluntary housing refund |
| Retiring | Community Care Apartment, short-lease 2-room Flexi, Lease Buyback Scheme, Silver Housing Bonus | Lease Buyback Scheme, Silver Housing Bonus, 2-room Flexi flats, HDB's monetisation options |
Every page in this series is listed below this guide as it is published.
Match the scheme to the decision in front of you, and check its rules on the date you apply.
What is the biggest mistake people make with HDB's rules?
Relying on a rule that has changed. HDB raised its income ceilings on 24 August 2026, is lowering the Community Care Apartment age to 55 from the November 2026 launch, and enlarged the Silver Housing Bonus in December 2025. Older articles, and even some official explainers, still carry the old figures. Check the rule in force on the date you apply.
HDB changes its rules often, and the date a change takes effect decides who it helps:
- Income ceilings. $16,000 for families and $8,000 for singles apply to HFE letters applied for from 24 August 2026. An older letter was assessed at $14,000 and $7,000 (HDB).
- Community Care Apartments. The minimum age falls from 65 to 55 from the November 2026 BTO launch (HDB, HDB seniors' eligibility).
- Silver Housing Bonus. Since 1 December 2025, up to $40,000, and your CPF housing refunds can meet the retirement commitment, so a cash top-up may not be needed (HDB).
- Plus and Prime. Flats launched from October 2024 are classed Standard, Plus or Prime, and the class sets the MOP, the rental rules and the resale conditions for as long as the flat exists.
A rule is only as current as its date. Read HDB's page on the day you apply.
Official sources
Go to HDB directly for the current rules and prices.
Methodology and sources
Where every figure comes from, and what we deliberately did not claim.
Official figures and rules. Population shares and flat counts are from HDB's Key Statistics 2024/2025 (data at end-March 2025, the latest HDB has published). History is from HDB's Our History and About Us pages and NLB Infopedia. Eligibility, income ceilings, rental rules, rents and seniors' schemes are from HDB's pages and its release of 23 August 2026, and new-flat prices and resale comparables from HDB's June 2026 BTO Annex A, all read on 18 September 2026. MND is the source for the $1,500 rental guideline.
Proprietary figures. Resale medians are PropKaki's analysis of HDB resale registrations for the latest complete half-year (2026 H1). The open-market rent is PropKaki's analysis of 37,352 HDB whole-flat rental approvals from September 2025 to August 2026. FY2023 bookings and resale transactions are HDB's series on data.gov.sg. The shares and comparisons are our arithmetic. How we work: PropKaki methodology.
What we have not claimed: that any household qualifies for a flat, a grant or a rental flat; the price of any flat in a future launch; or any income ceiling for public rental, which HDB does not publish. This is a practical explainer, not legal or financial advice. Check hdb.gov.sg before you rely on it.
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.