Singapore removes 15-month wait-out period for HDB resale flat buyers

Singapore has removed, with immediate effect, the 15-month wait-out period that required private residential property owners to wait before buying a non-subsidised resale flat from the Housing and Development Board (HDB), National Development Minister Chee Hong Tat announced on Tuesday, 28 July 2026.

Private residential property owners (PPOs) and former owners who buy a non-subsidised HDB resale flat without an HDB housing loan will no longer be subject to the wait-out period, HDB said in a statement issued the same day.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Ministry of National Development (MND) said the change follows several quarters of price moderation in the HDB resale market, which is showing signs of stabilisation.

Background to the measure

The 15-month wait-out period was introduced on 30 September 2022 as part of a package of property cooling measures. It required PPOs to wait after disposing of a private property before buying a non-subsidised resale flat.

The measure was intended to moderate demand and prioritise access to public housing for first-time buyers, then Minister for National Development Desmond Lee told Parliament on 20 October 2022, in response to questions from several MPs.

Singapore citizens aged 55 and above were exempted from the wait-out period if they moved from private property to a four-room or smaller non-subsidised resale flat, to support retirement right-sizing.

Since its introduction, HDB has processed about 1,800 appeals annually for waivers of the wait-out period, MND said in a written parliamentary response last year. The figure has been stable in recent years, with about one in four appeals succeeding, mainly involving households in financial difficulty or with no alternative housing options.

Earlier Hansard records show that between 30 September and 30 November 2022, HDB received 1,284 appeals, of which 902 had been processed by February 2023, with a success rate of about 38 per cent. Most successful appellants had already committed to a purchase before the measure took effect.

Why the measure is being lifted now

HDB said its Resale Price Index declined by 0.1 per cent in the first quarter of 2026 and by 0.3 per cent in the second quarter, marking two consecutive quarters of decline.

This followed five consecutive quarters of slower or no price growth between the fourth quarter of 2024 and the fourth quarter of 2025, according to the board.

HDB also cited a rising number of new flats completing their Minimum Occupation Period (MOP) and entering the resale market. Flats reaching MOP are projected to rise from 8,000 units in 2025 to 13,500 in 2026, 15,000 in 2027 and 19,500 in 2028.

"The Government has therefore assessed that the 15-month wait-out period can now be removed," HDB said.

What changes for buyers

Those who already hold a valid HDB Flat Eligibility (HFE) letter and whose purchase plans are unchanged are not affected, HDB said. Applicants with HFE applications being processed will have their eligibility updated automatically.

Buyers with pending appeals for a waiver no longer need to wait for HDB's reply and may apply for an HFE letter directly, with HDB reaching out to them separately.

PPOs and former owners who previously qualified for the four-room exemption and hold a valid HFE letter may cancel and reapply if they now wish to buy a five-room or larger resale flat, HDB said, adding that it will contact them by email.

PPOs must still dispose of their private residential properties, in Singapore or overseas, within six months of completing an HDB resale flat purchase.

What remains unchanged

The longer wait-out period of 30 months, which applies to PPOs and former owners buying subsidised flats, Executive Condominium units from developers, or taking an HDB housing loan, remains in place. That measure has applied since 1975.

HDB said it would continue to monitor the property market and adjust policies "to ensure they remain relevant" to keeping public housing affordable, accessible and inclusive.