Renting out your HDB flat

Who can rent out a whole flat

• Only Singapore Citizen owners. PR owners cannot rent out the whole flat, though they can rent out rooms.
• After the 5-year minimum occupation period (MOP). A non-subsidised flat bought on the open market without a grant before 30 August 2010 has a 3-year MOP.
• Prime and Plus flats cannot be rented out whole, even after their 10-year MOP.
• The MOP counts from the date you bought the flat, or from the date ownership was transferred to you. After a resale of a part share, a fresh MOP starts.

Who you can rent to

• Singapore Citizens, PRs, and foreigners on an Employment Pass, S Pass, Work Permit, Student Pass, Dependant Pass or Long-Term Visit Pass valid for at least 6 months. Some Work Permit holders must be Malaysian. Tourists cannot rent.
• When any tenant is a non-Malaysian PR or foreigner, the flat counts towards HDB’s non-citizen quota: 8% of the neighbourhood and 11% of the block. Once it is full, you can rent only to Singaporeans and Malaysians.
• Most tenants allowed in a whole flat: 4 in a 1-room or 2-room flat, 6 in a 3-room flat and 8 in a 4-room or bigger flat. The limit does not apply when all the tenants are one family. The 8 falls back to 6 for any rental running past 31 December 2028.

Getting HDB’s approval

1. Print HDB’s confirmation that you are eligible to rent out the flat from MyHDB (My Flat > Purchased Flat > Renting Out). Tenants may ask for it.
2. Apply on MyHDB or the MyHDB app before the tenancy starts, with your tenants’ details. The fee is $18.
3. If you will be overseas, lodge a Power of Attorney with the High Court and appoint someone, not a tenant, to manage the flat.
4. Tell HDB within 7 days of any change, such as a tenant moving out. A new tenant needs HDB’s approval before moving in.
5. A renewal is a new application, assessed under the rules at that time.

Your duties while it is let

• Only the approved tenants live in the flat, within the tenant limit.
• The flat is used only as a home: no short stays, tourists, filming or storage.
• Tenants do not sublet the flat or cause a nuisance.
• You answer to HDB for anything your tenants do that breaks the lease or the Housing and Development Act. HDB takes action against owners who rent out without approval.

Tax

• Property tax: owner-occupier rates stop from the day you let the whole flat, and the higher non-owner-occupier rates apply. When you move back in, reapply for owner-occupier rates; they do not return on their own.
• Stamp duty: the tenancy agreement is stamped within 14 days of signing, at 0.4% of the total rent for a lease of up to 4 years. Stamping also tells IRAS the flat is let.
• Income tax: rent you receive may be taxable income.

Questions

Sources

• HDB: Eligibility for renting out a flat
• HDB: Application process for renting out a flat
• HDB: Regulations for renting out a flat
• HDB: Eligibility to rent a flat or bedroom
• IRAS: Property tax when renting out your property
• IRAS: Stamp duty when renting a property

Rules and fees change. Check the linked official pages before you commit, and ask a lawyer about your own sale or purchase.

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