Guides › The HDB MOP
HDB Minimum Occupation Period (MOP), explained
The HDB Minimum Occupation Period: five or ten years, when it starts, what it stops you doing, Plus and Prime rules, SERS, transfers, and SSD after the MOP.
For owners and buyers. Rules checked against HDB, IRAS, CPF and MAS on 19 September 2026; sources at the foot.
What the MOP is
The Minimum Occupation Period is the time you must physically live in your HDB flat. Until it is met, you and the occupiers may not sell the flat on the open market, rent out the whole flat, apply for an HFE letter for another flat, or buy private property in Singapore or overseas.
Worked example: MOP by completion year, and a buyer's flat five years on
A block's completion year sets its MOP year: blocks HDB completed in 2021 reach the five-year MOP through 2026. Flatworth counts 109 such blocks holding about 13,756 flats in 14 towns, led by Punggol with 3,222. For a resale buyer the five years start at their own purchase, and the Buyer's Report shows the flat at the point they may sell it or rent out the whole flat.
The arithmetic for Blk 328 Tampines St 32
| Remaining lease today | 67 years 4 months |
|---|---|
| After a resale buyer's 5-year MOP | 62 years 4 months |
| Buyers who could then use CPF in full | aged 33 and above |
| Value then, on lease decay alone | S$943,000 |
| Value then, if the town's trend continues at half strength | S$1,016,000 |
Projections on today's record, not forecasts. For your own flat, MyHDB Page shows your MOP date.
Try it on your flatSee every block reaching MOP in 2026
Captured from flatworth.com on 19 September 2026 for Blk 328 Tampines St 32, an Executive flat on level 10 (147 sqm, 67 years 4 months of lease left), on sales to September 2026 and rentals to August 2026. An illustration on public records, not anyone's own flat; the live figures move as new sales register. Indications from Flatworth's own analytics on public records, not an HDB or bank valuation; Flatworth is not an HDB-appointed valuer.
How long it lasts
| Flat | MOP |
|---|---|
| Unclassified and Standard flats, new or resale | 5 years |
| Plus and Prime flats, new or resale | 10 years |
| DBSS flats | 5 years |
| Fresh Start Housing Scheme flats | 20 years |
| SERS replacement flats, sites announced on or after 7 April 2022 | 5 years from collecting the keys |
When it starts, and what does not count
It starts on the legal completion of your purchase; for a resale flat, that is the resale completion. Any time you do not live in the flat does not count, including time when the whole flat is rented out with HDB's approval. Check your own date on MyHDB Page under My Flat, Purchased Flat, Flat Details and Minimum Occupation Period.
Blocks reaching MOP in 2026 and 2027
Every block completed in 2021 and 2022, by town, with flat types and the first resale prices: MOP 2026 and MOP 2027. Each owner's own date depends on when they completed their purchase.
What the MOP stops you doing
| Until the MOP is met | The rule |
|---|---|
| Sell the flat on the open market | Not allowed |
| Rent out the whole flat | Not allowed; for Plus and Prime flats, never allowed |
| Rent out bedrooms | Allowed with HDB's approval in 3-room or bigger flats while you live there; not in a 3Gen flat during the MOP |
| Apply for an HFE letter for another flat | Not allowed |
| Buy private property, in Singapore or overseas | Not allowed |
Plus and Prime flats
Plus and Prime flats, new or resale, carry a ten-year MOP. Prime includes Prime Location Public Housing (PLH) flats sold before the October 2024 sales exercise; flats sold before then and not classified as Standard, Plus or Prime are unclassified and carry five years. Owners of Plus and Prime flats may never rent out the whole flat, even after ten years. And on selling a Plus or Prime flat bought from HDB, the owner returns a percentage of the resale price or valuation, whichever is higher, set when the flat was launched; this does not apply to one bought on resale.
Transfers, part-share sales and older purchases
After a transfer of ownership, the MOP for renting runs from the transfer date, and after a resale of part of the share, the owners must meet a fresh MOP. A non-subsidised flat bought on the open market before 30 August 2010 may be rented out after three years rather than five. SERS replacement flats on sites announced before 7 April 2022 take the earlier of 7 years from selecting the replacement flat or 5 years from collecting the keys; on sites announced on or after that date, 5 years from collecting the keys.
Grants that tie you to the MOP
If you received the Proximity Housing Grant, the parents or child who helped you qualify must keep living with you, or within 4 km, throughout the MOP. Grants for resale buyers.
After the MOP: selling without SSD
For a flat bought on or after 4 July 2025, Seller's Stamp Duty applies only to sales within four years, so a sale after a five-year MOP carries none. Selling still takes time: the Intent to Sell must be registered at least 7 days before you grant an OTP, and completion comes about 8 weeks after HDB accepts the resale application, so owners who plan to sell at MOP often start a couple of months ahead. Selling your HDB flat.
Moving up to private property
Past MOP and thinking of moving up to private property? See condo prices by district on Headroom.
Sell, rent out, stay or move up
Freedom Age sets the paths side by side for one household, including staying put: Deciding what to do with your HDB flat at MOP.
Price a flat that has just reached MOPFree for any block and level.
Questions people ask
Can I rent out a room during the MOP?
Yes, in a 3-room or bigger flat with HDB's approval, while you live in the flat. Not in a 3Gen flat during the MOP, and not in 1- or 2-room flats.
Is there Seller's Stamp Duty after the MOP?
Not for a flat bought on or after 4 July 2025 and held past its five-year MOP: SSD applies only to sales within four years.
What is the MOP for Plus and Prime flats?
Ten years, new or resale, and the whole flat may never be rented out.
How long is the HDB MOP?
Five years for most flats, new or resale; ten years for Plus and Prime flats; twenty years for Fresh Start flats.
When does the MOP start?
On the legal completion of the purchase; for a resale flat, the resale completion. MyHDB Page shows your own date.
Does renting out the flat count towards the MOP?
No. Periods when the whole flat is rented out, even with HDB's approval, do not count.
Can I buy a private property during the MOP?
No. Buying private property, in Singapore or overseas, must wait until the MOP is met.
Sources
The rules on this page were read on the official pages below on 19 September 2026. HDB, IRAS, CPF and MAS change them from time to time; the official page is the authority for your case.
More guides
Selling your HDB flatRenting out your HDB flatHDB valuation and COVBuying an HDB resale flatPrices and rents by townMOP by year
About the data
Source: HDB resale flat prices, data.gov.sg. Data as of September 2026. Source: HDB rental approvals, data.gov.sg. Data as of September 2026.
Contains information from HDB resale flat prices accessed on 16 September 2026 from data.gov.sg which is made available under the terms of the Singapore Open Data Licence version 1.0. Contains information from HDB rental approvals accessed on 16 September 2026 from data.gov.sg which is made available under the terms of the Singapore Open Data Licence version 1.0.
Flatworth is independent of HDB, URA and SLA, which do not endorse it. HDB publishes resale prices as indicative, and every figure here is an estimate, not a valuation. How the figures are made. Spotted an error? Tell us and we correct it within 48 hours.