For many homebuyers in Singapore, purchasing an HDB flat isn’t just about owning a dream home. It’s also about making a good investment, one that will hopefully be able to give you a decent rental income or sale profits in future.
But HDB regulations are designed to ensure Singaporeans buy HDB flats first and foremost as homes rather than investments. These rules impose restrictions on how you can earn money from your flat in the first few years of ownership.
What is the Minimum Occupation Period (MOP)?
From the day you pick your keys, you are subject to a Minimum Occupation Period which usually lasts five years. Before the Minimum Occupation Period is up, you’ll be forbidden to do the following:
- Sell your flat on the open market
- Rent out your whole flat
- Invest in private property, whether in Singapore or overseas
While the MOP is generally 5 years, there are some exceptions. This table helps you to figure out how long your MOP will be.
Purchase Mode
|
Minimum Occupation Period
|
Flat purchased directly from HDB / BTO flat
|
5 years
|
DBSS flat purchased from developer
|
5 years
|
Flat purchased under Selected En bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS)
|
Either 7 years from date of flat selection, or 5 years from date of occupation
|
Flat purchased under SERS with Portable SERS Rehousing Benefits
|
5 years
|
Resale flat purchased on open market with CPF Housing Grant
|
5 years
|
1-room resale flat purchased on open market without CPF Housing Grant
|
No MOP
|
2-room or larger resale flat purchased from open market without CPF Housing Grant on or after 30 Aug 2010
|
5 years
|
Renting your rooms before your MOP is up
Before the MOP is up, you are required to live in it. That means you may not rent out the entire flat.
You ARE, however, allowed to rent out rooms in your flat, provided you continue to live there. Effectively, that means you need to occupy at least one bedroom in the flat.
But be careful not to rent out your rooms for periods of less than 6 months. HDB rental must be of a duration of at least 6 months, otherwise you risk having your flat confiscated (!) for breaking the rules. And don’t even think of putting your rooms on Airbnb, as the consequences are graver than for private property owners who flout the rules.
Also note that if HDB officers decide to inspect your flat, you must be able to prove you’re living there. So at all times, make sure there is a room you can show is your own.
Start renting out your entire flat when the MOP ends
Once the MOP is over, you can start putting up your entire HDB flat for rent. This is an option if you’re fine with moving back in with your parents or in-laws, or if you have another property you plan to move into.
Note that renting out your entire flat to one tenant will not necessarily earn you more than renting out rooms separately if you have a fairly large flat, although it will certainly be more convenient since you will only have to deal with one rental contract.
For instance, if you have a 4-room or larger flat and are renting out at least 3 of the rooms separately, you could well have earned the same amount or more than you would renting out the entire flat.
Also note that HDB subletting is forbidden for tenants. That means that unlike private property tenants, your tenants are not allowed to further rent out your flat to others.
Sell your flat on the resale market when the MOP ends
Despite the fact that the property market has been in the doldrums for a while, BTO flat buyers are still likely to see their property values rise significantly in the first five years of occupation.
That’s because BTO flats are not just heavily subsidised through grants but also much cheaper at the time of purchase due to the waiting time when they’re being built.
So if you’re hoping to make some money by selling your flat, start monitoring resale prices in your area once the MOP ends.
April 9, 2018
Source: MONEYSMART