This guide will help you with the process of renting out your HDB flat in the open market.

Requirements to take note of

Homeowner's requirements

To rent out your whole flat:

Citizenship Flat owners who wish to rent out their whole flat must be a Singapore Citizen (SC). Singapore Permanent Residents are not allowed to rent out their flat.  Minimum Occupation Period If you bought your flat new from HDB or bought a resale flat with a housing grant from CPF: You must have occupied your flat for at least 5 years.  If yours is a resale flat: You must have occupied your flat for at least 5 years. (For resale flats bought before 30 Aug 2010, the minimum occupation period is 3 years)

To rent out bedrooms only:

Only bedrooms from HDB flats that are 3-room or larger can be rented out.  Flat owners are required to seek HDB’s approval before renting out their bedroom(s). Applications to rent out bedrooms maybe submitted online via HDB’s e-services. The outcome of the application will be made known immediately. An administrative fee is payable with each application, at $10 per bedroom.

Non-Citizen (NC)^ Rent Out Quota

Renting out of flat to one or more non-Malaysian NCs is subject to the NC Rent Out Quota. The NC Rent Out Quota is set at 8% and 11% at the neighbourhood and block level respectively. It will apply to tenants who are Singapore Permanent Residents and foreigners, but will not apply to Malaysians. The NC Rent Out Quota also does not apply to the renting out of bedrooms.

When the NC Rent Out Quota in a neighbourhood and/or block is reached, flat owners there cannot apply to rent out their flat to any non-Malaysian NCs. They can only rent out their flat to Singaporeans and Malaysians.

Flat owners can use the e-Service in the HDB InfoWEB to enquire if their flat can be rent out to non-Malaysian NCs.

^ This refers to Singapore Permanent Residents and foreigners (excluding Malaysians for both groups).

Minimum renting out period:

6 months per application. Renting out on a short-term basis is not allowed.

Maximum renting out period:

3 years per application. However, if one or more of the tenants is a non-Malaysian NC, the maximum renting out period is 2 years.

Maximum number of tenants allowed

To prevent overcrowding, the number of tenants you can have in your flat is limited by your flat type. Please note that 1- and 2-room flats can only be rented out whole — individual bedrooms of 1- and 2-room flats cannot be rented out.

Flat type	Total number of occupants*
1-room	4 persons
2-room	4 persons
3-room	6 persons
4-room	6 persons
5-room	6 persons
Executive	6 persons
* For room renting out cases, the total number of occupiers includes the flat owner, authorised occupiers and tenants.

Your responsibilities as landlord

As landlord, you must do the following:

 

• Rent your flat only to eligible tenants
• Ensure that your tenants are staying in Singapore lawfully (while the tenancy contract is in force)
• Ensure that your tenants do not rent out the flat to other persons
• Make sure that your tenants comply with all the covenants in the lease and the provisions of the Housing and Development Act. You are responsible for all infringements, if any, by your tenants
• Inform HDB of any changes in the tenancy
• If you are only renting out your bedrooms: The owners and all authorized occupiers must continue to live in the flat with the tenants during the period of renting out. In the event that the owners and all authorized occupiers do not live in the flat, the registration for the renting out of bedrooms shall be revoked automatically and the renting out will be deemed as renting out of the whole flat without HDB’s approval and action will be taken against the flat owners under the Housing & Development Act.
• Ensure that your tenants vacate the premises when:
  • The tenancy contract is terminated
  • You are no longer eligible to rent out your flat
  • Your flat is repossessed by HDB

The property tax will be revised when you rent out your HDB flat. For the applicable property tax rate and the procedure to notify IRAS, please refer to IRAS' website.

Step 1: Advertise your flat

Advertise your flat on the Internet, newspapers, or through an estate agent.

Step 2: Check Non Citizen Rent Out Quota

To check if the flat can be rent out to all or only Singaporeans/Malaysians

Step 3: Check if your tenant is eligible

You may rent your HDB flat to the following types of tenants:

• Singapore citizens
• Singapore permanent residents
• Non-citizens holding the following passes (validity period at least 6 months):
  1. Employment pass
  2. S pass
  3. Work Permit holders from Construction, Marine and Process sectors must be Malaysians. Work Permit holders from the Manufacturing sector must also be Malaysians if renting a whole HDB flat.
  4. Student pass
  5. Dependant pass
  6. Long term social visit pass

If your potential tenant is a foreigner, please verify their immigration status on ICA's website. You may also check their employment pass or S pass validity on MOM's website.

You may not rent your HDB flat to parties who own other HDB properties, unless

• The parties are divorced / legally separated (you may only rent to 1 party of the divorced / legally separated couple).
• Your tenants rent out their property within 1 month of renting a flat/bedroom from you.
• If they own an executive condominium unit elsewhere, your tenants must meet their minimum occupation period before they can rent from you.

Step 4: Obtain approval from HDB or notify HDB

If renting out your whole flat:	Prior approval from HDB is required. You may apply online. Please note that if the flat owner is overseas during the period of renting out, there must be a properly appointed Attorney to act for him/her in the management of the flat.
If renting out your bedrooms only:	Prior approval from HDB is required. You may apply online. You must also notify HDB of tenancy terminations, subsequent renewals, and changes to your tenants’ particulars within seven days of these changes.