MoneySmart Travel Insurance Lucky Draw Winners 2023
June 28, 2023
Am I eligible to sell?
You are eligible to sell if you fulfill the Ethnic Eligibility and SPR Quota.
BEFORE SELLING A RESALE FLAT
Check whether:
(a) You have met the Minimum Occupation Period. You can get a confirmation from the HDB Branch by applying on-line at the HDB InfoWEB at www.hdb.gov.sg / e-Services / Selling a Flat / Request for Confirmation of Eligibility to Sell Your HDB Flat;
(b) You have an alternative home to move to;
(c) You have sufficient funds if you are buying another flat;
(d) You have any outstanding lease administration issues to be settled with the Branch;
(e) Your flat is affected by any Upgrading/Estate Renewal Programme. If the upgrading works have been completed, you have to check when the bill will be served as this will determine the party liable to pay for the upgrading cost. You may check the schedule of billing dates for the completed precincts at the respective Branches or from HDB’s website at www.hdb.gov.sg
Click on the FAQ below to find out more
The MOP is the period of time that you are required to physically occupy your flat before you can sell it on the open market.
The MOP is calculated from the date you collect the keys to your flat. It excludes any period where you do not occupy the flat, such as when the whole flat is rented out or when there has been an infringement of the flat lease.
The MOP duration depends on the purchase mode, flat type, and date of flat application:
Yes. One of the eligibility conditions before a flat owner can sell an HDB flat in the open market is meeting the minimum occupation period. The length of occupation period depends on the mode of purchase and the flat type.
More information on Minimum Occupation Period.
You may wish to start your selling journey by registering an Intent to Sell using the HDB Resale Portal. Upon registration of your Intent to Sell, you will be able to view if you have met the Minimum Occupation Period (MOP), the EIP/SPR quota for the flat, the status of upgrading, as well as recent transacted prices of flats nearby.
Alternatively, you may submit a Request for Confirmation of Eligibility to Sell Your HDB Flat. A confirmation letter will be sent to your HDB flat address in about 2 weeks’ time.
If you have rented out your flat, you must exclude this period of renting out when computing the minimum occupation period. You have to make up for the period of renting out by returning to live in your flat for the equivalent length of time.
HDB flats are provided to meet the housing needs of Singaporeans and are for owner occupation. They are not meant for speculation or short-term profit. Hence, flat buyers are required to stay in their flat for a Minimum Occupation Period (MOP) before they can sell their flat in the open market.
To further reinforce the principle of owner-occupation, the MOP for resale of non-subsidised flats is increased to 5 years. With the increase in MOP for resale of non-subsidised flats, the resale market will also more accurately reflect the demand from buyers who are buying flats for homeownership purposes.
You need to ensure that your flat sale is within the EIP and SPR quota for your block/ neighbourhood.
Ethnic Integration Policy (EIP)
The EIP ensures a balanced ethnic mix in HDB estates, thereby helping to promote racial integration and harmony.
Singapore Permanent Resident (SPR) quota
If you belong to a non-Malaysian SPR family (i.e. households with no Singapore Citizens (SCs) or Malaysian SPRs), you can sell a particular resale flat if the EIP and SPR quotas have not been reached. The SPR quota ensures that SPR families can better integrate into the local community. Malaysians are excluded from this quota because of their close cultural and historical similarities with Singaporeans.
How the EIP and SPR quota work
You will not be able to sell a particular flat if the sale causes your block/ neighbourhood’s EIP and/ or SPR quota to exceed.
There is no restriction on the sale and purchase of an HDB flat if:
- The proportion of the buyer’s ethnic group/ SPR quota is within the prescribed block/ neighbourhood limits
- The buyer and you are of the same ethnic group and/ or citizenship type
Eligibility enquiry service
The ethnic proportions and SPR quota are updated on the 1st of every month, and are applicable for resale applications submitted to us for that same month.
You can view the EIP/SPR quota of your flat after you have registered your Intent to Sell using the HDB Resale Portal. Alrernatively, buyers can check a buyer’s eligibility to buy a flat under the EIP/SPR quota.
In cases of bankruptcy or divorce, additional requirements may have to be met before the flat can be sold off.
Bankruptcy
Under the Housing and Development Act, as long as any of the HDB flat owners is a Singapore Citizen, the consent of the Official Assignee is not required in the event that the flat owners wish to sell the flat.
In cases where none of the flat owners are Singapore citizens, they will have to obtain the consent of the Official Assignee before they sell their flat.
Divorce
If you go through a divorce after meeting the MOP, you can sell the flat if all eligibility conditions are met.
You need to produce the following documents:
- Writ for Judicial Separation (previously known as Deed of Separation); or
- Interim Judgment (previously known as Decree Nisi) and Certificate of Making Interim Judgment Final (previously known as Decree Nisi Absolute); or
- Divorce Certificate (for Muslims); and
- Order of Court (if any).
An official English translation of these documents by an interpreter of the Supreme Court or Family Justice Courts is required if the documents are not in any of the 4 official languages.
Find out more on how to retain your flat after a divorce.
This policy is implemented to ensure a balanced ethnic mix in the public housing estates. It maintains the ethnic proportions at the neighbourhood and block limits.
EIP is not based on nationality but the ethnic group of the buyers or sellers and occupiers of the household. If buyers and sellers are couples of different ethnic groups, they can opt to classify their household under either ethnic group. For individuals whose parents are of different ethnic groups, they can also have the same flexibility.
In the administration of the EIP, the HDB will use the first race component of the double-barrelled race. Hence there is no advantage given to applicants of double-barrelled race compared with those of mixed parentage and having a singular race.
HDB will only recognise the records registered with ICA in administration of the EIP. Those with a double-barrelled race who wish to make changes to their race must comply with ICA’s requirements on such changes. Details on the policy and registration procedures can be found on ICA’s website at www.ica.gov.sg.
Residents moving in and out of a particular neighbourhood and block, either from resale or transfer of flats, will affect the ethnic composition. HDB updates the ethnic proportions on a monthly basis, based on the ethnic composition statistics in each neighbourhood and block.
The objective of the SPR Quota is to prevent the formation of immigrant enclaves and facilitate assimilation of immigrants within the HDB estates to promote social harmony. Such objectives are relevant regardless of the nationalities of our immigrants. Furthermore, given the SPRs come from diverse ethnic backgrounds and countries of origin it is not practical to implement a quota along nationality lines.
The SPR Quota is intended to ensure social harmony and cohesion, and prevent the formation of foreigner enclaves. Malaysians are excluded from the quota due to our close historical and cultural links.
Only few neighbourhoods across various towns are affected with the implementation of the SPR Quota. Thus, the non-Malaysian SPRs would still have ample choices when buying homes within public housing estates.
The SPR Quota is part of the Government’s on-going review of public policies to ensure that SPRs integrate with the local community and prevent the formation of immigrant enclaves.
The SPR quota takes into account the composition of SCs and SPRs in Singapore, and their respective demand for public housing.
Compared with the Malay and Chinese, both the Indian and Others racial groups have much smaller population bases.
If Indian and Others are administered as separate ethnic groups, the respective ethnic limit would be lower than the combined limits for the neighbourhood and block level respectively. Grouping Indians and Others together thus gives more flexibility to these minority groups in the administration of the EIP.
If you are selling your flat to eligible buyers of the same ethnic group, there is no restriction. This is because the buyer will not further increase the ethnic group’s proportion.
But if the eligible buyers are of a different ethnic group, please check with HDB on the ethnic eligibility of the buyers before signing the Option to Purchase and offering the Option to the buyers.
You can check the eService> Ethnic Group Eligibility & SPR Quota of Buyers as the ethnic proportion status is updated on the 1st of every month.