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Residential
There are conditions that apply after you buy an EC unit from a property developer.
Taking a housing subsidy
You and your spouse have taken a housing subsidy when you buy an EC unit from a property developer.
Citizen Top-Up
If you are from a Singapore Citizen (SC)/ Singapore Permanent Resident (SPR) household, you may apply for a Citizen Top-Up of $10,000 when your SPR family member obtains Singapore citizenship or when you have an SC child. Read more on the Citizen Top-Up.
Disposal of existing HDB flat
You or any person listed in the application for the EC unit must dispose of any interest in any HDB flat, within 6 months from key collection of the EC unit. This shall be based on the legal completion date of the disposal.
Minimum occupation period (MOP)
Sale of EC unit
EC units can only be sold on the open market after the 5-year MOP, computed from the date of the Temporary Occupation Permit, has been met.
Core occupiers in EC unit
Core occupier(s) enable the household to qualify for an EC unit purchase under an eligibility scheme. All core occupier(s) must remain in the EC application, and physically reside in the EC unit during the MOP after the EC unit purchase. Their names cannot be removed. They also cannot apply or be listed in an HDB Flat Eligibility (HFE) letter to buy an HDB flat or EC unit from a property developer during the MOP.
Renting out your EC unit
Renting out the whole EC unit
Renting out the whole EC unit within the 5-year MOP is not allowed.
Renting out rooms
You do not need prior approval from HDB to rent out the bedrooms in your EC unit within the MOP. However, you must register the renting out of bedrooms with HDB within 7 days of doing so. You are also required to notify HDB when you renew or terminate the renting out of bedrooms, and when there are changes to your tenants’ particulars.
Interest in private property
You may invest in private residential property after the 5-year MOP.
Buying your next home
You must meet the requisite wait-out period after disposing of your EC unit on the open market before you may apply to buy an HDB flat. There is no wait-out period if you are buying a private residential property.
At least 30 months before HFE letter application or EC application, from the legal completion date[3]
Buying a non-subsidised resale unclassified/ Standard flat with or without Proximity Housing Grant
At least 15 months before HFE letter application, from the legal completion date[3][4]
Private residential property
N/A
[1] Prime flats include Prime Location Public Housing (PLH) flats sold before October 2024 sales exercise. The eligibility criteria for resale Prime flats follow the prevailing BTO eligibility criteria.
[2] Unclassified resale flats refer to flats sold before October 2024 sales exercise and not classified as Standard, Plus or Prime.
[3] For example, if the private residential property was disposed on 1 July 2024, based on the legal completion date of disposal, you may apply for an HFE letter to buy a resale unclassified/ Standard flat without CPF housing grant(s) and an HDB housing loan on or after 1 October 2025. To apply for an HFE letter to buy a flat from HDB, or a resale Plus or Prime flat, or take an HDB housing loan, please do so on or after 1 January 2027.
[4] Does not apply to senior citizens (and their spouses) aged 55 and above who are buying a 4-room or smaller resale flat.
Read the eligibility conditions for buying an HDB flat.
Resale levy
The resale levy is meant to reduce the housing subsidy on the buyers' second subsidised flat or EC unit from a property developer. It ensures a fairer allocation of housing subsidies among home buyers.
You are liable to pay a resale levy of $55,000:
If you do not intend to buy a second subsidised flat from HDB or EC unit from a property developer, and choose to buy a resale flat, or a private residential property, you need not pay the resale levy.
The roles and responsibilities of staying in an EC unit is different from staying in an HDB flat. Read BCA’s guide to understand the considerations of owning a condominium.