Over the years you’ve seen so many of your married friends collect the keys to their BTO or resale flats, and probably went to all of their housewarming parties. You wonder, when is it your turn? Can you even buy a home as a single?
Although HDB has consistently reiterated that their priority is to build and sell flats for families, there are schemes that have been introduced to help singles.
Singles’ Essentials: Navigating HDB Options
- What is HDB Singles Scheme?
- HDB Singles Scheme: Eligibility Criteria for BTO and Resale Flats
- Other considerations singles should bear in mind
- Looking for an HDB or private property? Speed up your home search
- Or get tailored advice from a property agent!
- Frequently asked questions about the HDB Singles Scheme
What is HDB Singles Scheme?
The HDB Singles Scheme is designed to help singles like you achieve the dream of owning your own home in Singapore. Under this scheme, you have the opportunity to purchase a resale flat from the open market or a new 2-room Flexi flat in non-mature estates.
HDB Singles Scheme: Eligibility Criteria for BTO and Resale Flats
| Criteria | BTO Flats | Resale Flats |
|---|---|---|
| Age | At least 35 years old | At least 35 years old |
| Citizenship | Singapore Citizen | Singapore Citizen |
| Income Ceiling | Monthly income not exceeding $7,000 | Monthly income not exceeding $7,000 (for CPF Housing Grant) or $14,000 (for EHG) |
| Property Ownership | – No ownership of private property in the last 30 months – Must not have bought a new HDB/DBSS flat or EC, or received any housing subsidy before | – No ownership of private property in the last 30 months – Must not have bought a new HDB/DBSS flat or EC, or received any housing subsidy before |
| Flat Type | New 2-room Flexi flats in non-mature estates | Any resale flat from the open market |
| CPF Housing Grants | Eligible for AHG and SHG | Eligible for Singles Grant up to $25,000 |
Citizenship
While Singapore Permanent Residents (SPR) are allowed to buy resale HDB flats as part of a family nucleus, they can’t do the same as a single person(s).
HDB’s rationale behind this is they encourage families to live in public housing as much as possible.
Age restriction
The age limit when buying a resale or BTO flat is 35 years and above, except for widows and orphans who can buy an HDB flat when they turn 21.
For most singles, the 35 minimum age limit is a push towards living with their parents, renting an HDB flat, or taking the plunge to purchase a small private property. If you’re in the latter group, Ohmyhome’s in-house agents have helped many singles find their ideal property with little hassle.
Unit type
The other big difference for singles between buying a BTO or resale flat is this: For BTO flats, you are restricted to buying a 2-room flexi unit which may be even smaller than the 3-room flats that families can buy.
The 2-room flexi BTO units are 36-45 sqm in size, really only big enough for a single bedroom plus the living/kitchen area.
There are no restrictions for unit types in the resale market though, and with some old flats as large as 150 sqm and up, the possibilities are huge. To someone who values spaciousness over cramped quarters, a BTO flat might be out of the question.
CPF Housing Grants for HDB Singles Scheme
With the HDB Singles Scheme, you’ll also enjoy the same benefits as families, such as the CPF Housing Grant for singles, which provides financial assistance to help you with your home purchase. If you’re buying a resale flat, you can receive up to $25,000 in grants. Additionally, if you decide to buy a new 2-room Flexi flat, you can benefit from the Additional CPF Housing Grant (AHG) and Special CPF Housing Grant (SHG), which can further reduce your financial burden.
| Type of Grant | BTO Flats | Resale Flats |
|---|---|---|
| Additional CPF Housing Grant (AHG) | Up to $20,000 (based on income) | Not applicable |
| Special CPF Housing Grant (SHG) | Up to $40,000 (based on income) | Not applicable |
| Singles Grant | Not applicable | Up to $25,000 |
| Enhanced CPF Housing Grant (EHG) | Up to $40,000 (based on income) | Up to $40,000 (based on income) |
| Proximity Housing Grant (PHG) | Not applicable | Up to $15,000 (if living with or near parents/children) |
Other considerations singles should bear in mind
The Prime Location Public Housing model (PLH)
The new PLH model introduces a host of new rules for new BTO flats launched in Singapore’s central locations. Starting from Nov 2021, these PLH flats will only be open to purchase by families, even after it enters the resale market. The first project to fall under the PLH model will be the Rochor BTO launch.
Per current rulings, singles will not have the opportunity to buy these flats, which has caused quite an uproar from the community. In time, HDB may eventually alter the limitations to single persons, but it is still too early to expect a change.
Sharing a flat among singles
As a single, you can still co-own an HDB flat alongside other individuals (provided everyone fulfils all the above requirements). Under HDB’s Joint Singles’ Scheme, up to 4 singles can purchase a BTO or resale flat. This allows same-sex couples to share ownership of a flat, even if they are not legally married in Singapore.
Note that all co-buyers will need to fulfil the same eligibility criteria:
- Singapore citizen
- 35-years old
- Must fulfill the Ethnic Integration Policy and SPR quota
The good news about the ethnic quota is that members of different ethnic groups can choose to classify their household ethnicity under the ethnic group of any single co-owner. The other co-owners will hence share the same ethnic group classification.
Here’s the non-Malaysian SPR quota that has to be followed for each neighbourhood and block:
| Neighbourhood | Block |
|---|---|
| 5% | 8% |
Looking for an HDB or private property? Speed up your home search
Let Ohmyhome’s smart data-matching technology MATCH you with the right home, according to your specific needs. Submit your preferences to us and our algorithm will filter all our available listings based on those, and we’ll WhatsApp them to you once we find a match. We’ll also send you relevant content that you can use for your research and inform your home-buying decision, so you no longer have to spend hours searching online for the information that you need.
Or get tailored advice from a property agent!
Drop us a message on WhatsApp or talk to us on our Live Chat below.
Frequently asked questions about the HDB Singles Scheme
What is the minimum age to buy a HDB flat as a single person?
For unmarried or divorced individuals, the minimum age is 35.
Can I buy a PLH flat as a single?
Unfortunately singles will not be able to ballot for or buy PLH model flats on the resale market.
Can multiple singles co-buy a HDB flat?
Yes, you can, by using HDB’s Joint Singles Scheme.
Can singles buy a resale HDB flat?
Yes, singles can buy resale HDB flats. They can purchase any flat type, including 2-room, 3-room, 4-room, 5-room, and Executive flats, from the open market, provided they meet the eligibility criteria.
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