Changes & Cancellation

As a flat buyer, you are required to attend these appointments personally: 

  • Selection of flat 
  • Signing Agreement for Lease
  • Collection of Keys

In addition, if you are unable to attend the selection appointment, you will have to complete an authorisation form given in your invitation package and have your representative submit it to us during your selection appointment.

If you are unable to attend the signing of Agreement for Lease and/or collection of keys appointment, you will have to approach a solicitor to prepare a Power of Attorney (POA) to act on your behalf in the flat purchase. You will have to submit one of the following sets of documents to your Customer Relations Manager at least two weeks before the scheduled appointment after the POA has been registered with the High Court Registry:-

  • Original POA + 1 photocopy, or
  • Certified true copy from the High Court + 1 photocopy, or
  • 2 certified true copies of the POA by an Advocate and Solicitor, or
  • Certified true copy by an Advocate and Solicitor together with the computer prints out with the High Court seal. This is required if the POA has been registered through the Electronic Filing System.

Power of Attorney

When buying or selling a flat, you may need a Power of Attorney if you are unable to attend to certain matters personally.

When is the Power of Attorney required?

A Power of Attorney (PoA) is a legal document that allows a person ('donor') to appoint another person ('attorney') to act on his behalf and in his name on matters specified in the PoA.

When buying or selling an HDB flat, certain matters must be attended to at different stages of the process. For example, signing of documents, such as: 

  • Option to Purchase 
  • Agreement for Lease 
  • Deed of Assignment 
  • Lease-in-Escrow 
  • Mortgage-in-Escrow

The PoA is required if you are unable to attend to these matters personally. You are advised to consult a private solicitor in Singapore to prepare the PoA.

What must you and your private solicitor do?

Step 1: Preparing the PoA

You must get a solicitor to prepare the PoA.

Step 2: Signing the PoA

The PoA has to be signed by you in the presence of your solicitor. If you are already overseas, you must sign the PoA in the presence of one of the following parties: 

  • Notary Public*
  • Singapore High Commission 
  • Singapore Ambassador in the country of your stay

*With effect from 1 March 2017, if you are using CPF monies to buy a flat, the CPF Board does not accept PoAs witnessed by overseas Notary Publics. The PoA must be witnessed and sealed/ stamped by an official from a Singapore Overseas Mission instead. You may visit the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' website for more details on the nearest Singapore Overseas Mission.

Step 3: Registering the PoA

After your PoA has been signed, your solicitor will register the PoA with the High Court Registry.

Step 4: Submitting required documents to HDB

Once the PoA has been registered, you need to submit the following documents to us: 

  • Original PoA + 1 photocopy
  • Certified true copy from the High Court + 1 photocopy
  • 2 certified true copies of the PoA by an Advocate and Solicitor
  • A letter from the solicitor confirming that the standard format for PoA provided by HDB has been used
  • Certified true copy by an Advocate and Solicitor together with the computer printout with the High Court seal. This is required in cases where PoA has been registered through the Electronic Filing System

Important points to note:

  • If you are going overseas, you are advised to obtain the PoA before leaving the country 
  • The PoA cannot be used for the signing of the following documents, which you must personally sign:
    • Application Form 
    • Statutory Declarations (you must sign in the presence of a Commissioner of Oaths or Notary Public) 
    • Any undertakings
  • If you have submitted an original PoA or a certified true copy of the PoA from the High Court to us, it will be returned to your solicitor. This is after the Lease & Mortgage document has been registered with the Singapore Land Authority 
  • However, certified true copies of the PoA by your solicitors will be retained by HDB
 

Cancellation of Application

Find out the steps you need to take to cancel a new flat application or Design, Build and Sell Scheme (DBSS) flat/ Executive Condominium (EC) application.

Steps to cancel new flat application

If you wish to cancel your flat application, please submit the request via MyRequest@HDB.

Conditions after cancellation

if you cancel your flat application, the relevant forfeiture and consequences of the cancellation at various stages of the application are as follows: 

Stage of Application

Financial Forfeiture

Additional Information

Cancel flat application before selection

Nil

First-timer families

  • If you were invited to select a flat, but did not do so even though there were units available, you would be considered as having rejected to select a flat once
  • Any additional chances accumulated from your previous unsuccessful applications will be set to 0
  • If you reject 2 chances to select a flat, you will have your first-timer priority suspended for a period of 1 year
  • Your first-timer priority will continue to be suspended for another year if you continue not to book a flat when invited twice during the 1 year period

First-timer singles and second-timers

  • If you were invited to select a flat, but did not do so even though there were units available, you would be considered as having rejected to select a flat once
  • If you reject 2 chances to select a flat, you will not be able to participate in any HDB sales launch for a period of 1 year

Cancel flat application after booking a flat but before signing the Agreement for Lease

Option Fee

You must wait out a 1 year period from the date of cancellation of the application before you can apply or be included as an essential occupier for a:

  • New HDB flat
  • DBSS flat from developers
  • Executive Condominium unit from the developers
  • Resale flat with CPF Housing Grant
  • Resale flat that has been announced for SERS

For first-timer families
Any additional chances accumulated from your previous unsuccessful applications will be set to 0.

Cancel flat application after signing the Agreement for Lease but before key collection

5% of the flat purchase price*
 
You must wait out a 1 year period from the date of cancellation of the application before you can apply or be included as an essential occupier for a:
  • New HDB flat
  • DBSS flat from developers
  • Executive Condominium unit from the developers
  • Resale flat with CPF Housing Grant
  • Resale flat that has been announced for SERS

For first-timer families

Any additional chances accumulated from your previous unsuccessful applications will be set to 0.
*HDB/ your solicitor can assist by applying to IRAS for a refund of stamp duty paid upon cancellation of flat application. The conveyancing fee is expended for services provided by HDB.
 

Steps to cancel DBSS flat/ EC application

You will have to inform the DBSS or EC developer in writing to cancel the application.  The developers will inform you of the conditions after the cancellation as well as the forfeiture applicable.
 

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