Who can buy a resale flat, and when can you sell it
Two sets of rules apply to every resale purchase: the eligibility conditions for buying, and the five-year minimum occupation period that starts when you collect the keys.
Before looking at prices or loans, check that you are eligible to buy a resale flat at all. It is also worth knowing, before you buy, how soon you would be allowed to sell. This guide covers both.
Eligibility to buy
There are a few conditions to meet. Most first-time households meet them without difficulty, but one or two can rule a purchase out completely.
| Gate | What is required |
|---|---|
| Household | Form a valid scheme - a family nucleus, an engaged couple (Fiance/Fiancee Scheme), or a single Citizen aged 35 and above buying on their own or with other singles |
| Citizenship | At least one buyer must be a Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident |
| Age | 21 and above, or 35 and above if buying alone as a single Citizen |
| Income | No income ceiling to buy with your own financing - ceilings apply only if you want CPF grants or an HDB loan |
| Other property | You must not own another flat or property, and must dispose of any private property within 6 months of buying |
| The flat itself | It must have room under the block's Ethnic Integration Policy and Permanent Resident quotas for your household |
The last condition is about the flat rather than about you. Under the Ethnic Integration Policy, each block and neighbourhood has limits on the share of flats held by each ethnic group, and a separate quota for Permanent Resident households. A flat can be unavailable to you because the quota for your group in that block is full, so check this before you settle on a particular unit.
The rules for buyers who own or used to own private property have been relaxed: from July 2026 HDB removed the 15-month wait-out period for those buying a non-subsidised resale flat without an HDB loan. If this applies to you, check the current conditions with HDB, as these rules change often.
When you can sell: the 5-year MOP
When you complete the purchase, a Minimum Occupation Period (MOP) of 5 years begins. Only time you actually live in the flat counts, so periods when you rent out the whole flat or do not live there do not count towards it. What changes when the MOP is over:
Sell the flat on the open market
Rent out the whole flat (renting spare rooms is fine)
Buy any private residential property, here or overseas
Sell to any eligible buyer
Rent out the entire flat
Go on to buy private property
The MOP matters to buyers in two ways. Most resale flats come on the market because the seller has finished their own five years. And once you complete, your own five years start, which is worth thinking about if you might need to move, buy private property or sell the flat before then.
Checks before you make an offer
- Check that your household qualifies under a scheme. For example a family nucleus, an engaged couple, or a single Citizen aged 35 or over.
- Check the block's ethnic and PR quotas. Make sure your household fits within the Ethnic Integration Policy and PR limits for the unit you want.
- Income limits apply to grants and loans, not to buying. There is no income ceiling for the purchase itself. The ceilings decide your grants and whether you can take an HDB loan.
- Deal with any other property. You cannot own another flat, and private property must be sold within 6 months. If you used to own private property, check the current rules.
- Think beyond completion. Your own 5-year MOP starts when you collect the keys, so consider your plans over that period.
Once you know you are eligible, the town pages have median prices by flat type for all 26 towns.