Guides › Renting out your HDB flat
Renting out your HDB flat: the rules, and what flats rent for
Who may rent out an HDB flat, the MOP, tenant rules, quotas and fees, the tenant cap from 2029, and what flats rent for by type and town from HDB's approvals.
For landlords. Rules checked against HDB, IRAS, CPF and MAS on 19 September 2026; sources at the foot.
What HDB flats rent for
Median monthly rent across 37,012 rental approvals HDB registered in the twelve months to September 2026, and the gross yield against the median resale price of the same flat type. Your block and level move this; get the rent estimate for your flat.
| Flat type | Median rent a month | Approvals | Gross yield at median price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-room | S$2,350 | 1,116 | 7.58% |
| 3-room | S$2,850 | 12,195 | 7.77% |
| 4-room | S$3,300 | 13,475 | 6.29% |
| 5-room | S$3,500 | 8,359 | 5.68% |
| Executive | S$3,800 | 1,856 | 4.98% |
Worked example: what one flat would earn rented out
Flatworth estimates Blk 328 Tampines St 32 would rent for S$4,100 a month, from 34 restated rentals: 4 in the block over the last 12 months and 30 within 500 metres. Against a sale estimate of S$952,000, that is a gross yield of 5.17%. The Flat Report sets five years of rent against selling now, after vacancy, agent fees and upkeep.
The arithmetic
| A year's rent at the estimate | S$4,100 × 12 = S$49,200 |
|---|---|
| Gross yield | S$49,200 ÷ S$952,000 = 5.17% |
| Five years' rent | S$246,000 |
| Less vacancy, half a month a year | −S$10,250 |
| Less tenancy agent fees, half a month a year | −S$10,250 |
| Less upkeep and conservancy, S$120 a month | −S$7,200 |
| Net rent over five years | S$218,300 |
Before tax, loan interest and any return the sale proceeds could earn elsewhere. The report adds the flat's projected change in value over the five years, +S$64,000 on half the town's recent trend, which puts holding about S$282,300 ahead of selling now.
Try it on your flatOpen the full sample Flat Report
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.
Who may rent out the whole flat
Only Singapore Citizen owners. Permanent Resident owners may not rent out the whole flat, though they may rent out bedrooms. The flat must have met its five-year MOP. Plus and Prime flats may never be rented out whole, even after their ten-year MOP; their bedrooms may be, with approval.
The rules while it is rented
| Rule | What HDB sets |
|---|---|
| HDB approval | Needed before you rent out, through MyHDB Page or the app. S$18 for each whole-flat application; S$9 per bedroom. |
| Minimum period | 6 months for each tenant. |
| Maximum period per approval | 3 years if every tenant is Singaporean or Malaysian; 2 years if any tenant is a non-Malaysian non-citizen. Each renewal is a new application. |
| Non-Citizen Quota | Whole-flat rentals to non-Malaysian non-citizens are capped at 8% of flats in the neighbourhood and 11% in the block. Once reached, only Singaporeans and Malaysians may rent a whole flat there. The quota does not apply to bedrooms. |
| Most tenants in a whole flat | 1- and 2-room: 4. 3-room: 6. 4-room and bigger: 8, going back to 6 for rental periods beyond 31 December 2028. The cap does not apply to one family unit. |
| Who may be a tenant | Citizens, Permanent Residents, and non-citizens on an Employment Pass, S Pass, Work Permit, Student Pass, Dependant's Pass or Long-Term Visit Pass with at least 6 months' validity. Tourists may not. |
| Changes | Tell HDB within 7 days of any change of tenants. |
| Not allowed | Short-term letting, and letting to tourists, for filming or for storage. |
Renting out bedrooms instead
Owners of 3-room and bigger flats, Citizens or Permanent Residents, may rent out bedrooms with HDB's approval while they live in the flat themselves. A 3-room flat may let 1 bedroom with 6 occupants in all; a 4-room or bigger flat 2 bedrooms with 8 occupants, going back to 6 after 31 December 2028. Occupants include the owners. 1- and 2-room flats may not let bedrooms, and 3Gen flats may not during their MOP.
Rent it out, or sell?
Letting the whole flat pauses your MOP clock, and a flat loses a little value each year to lease decay while you collect rent. The Flat Report nets five years of rent against selling today, for your own flat: it gives the rent to ask, the town's rental record and your yield. Renting it out to fund retirement? Freedom Age covers the rules and sums for owners aged 55 and over: Renting out your HDB flat for retirement income.
What a 4-room rents for, town by town
Median monthly rent for 4-room flats in HDB's rental approvals over the 12 months to September 2026, among 26 towns with at least 30 approvals: the five highest and the five lowest. Each town links to its page; every town's rents and yields.
| Town | Median rent | Approvals |
|---|---|---|
| Central Area | S$4,450 | 204 |
| Queenstown | S$4,150 | 433 |
| Clementi | S$4,000 | 427 |
| Bukit Merah | S$3,900 | 711 |
| Kallang/Whampoa | S$3,800 | 434 |
| … | ||
| Yishun | S$3,100 | 809 |
| Choa Chu Kang | S$3,100 | 600 |
| Woodlands | S$3,100 | 720 |
| Sembawang | S$3,100 | 345 |
| Bukit Panjang | S$3,000 | 407 |
How to get HDB's approval
You are a Singapore Citizen owner, the MOP is met (5 years; 3 years for a non-subsidised flat bought on the open market before 30 August 2010), and it is not a Plus or Prime flat.
A Citizen or PR, or a holder of an Employment Pass, S Pass, Work Permit, Student Pass, Dependant's Pass or Long-Term Visit Pass with at least six months left. Work Permit holders in construction, manufacturing, marine and process must be Malaysian. Tourists may not be tenants.
If any tenant is a non-Malaysian non-citizen, the flat must fit the Non-Citizen Quota: 8% of the neighbourhood and 11% of the block. Once it is reached, only Singaporeans and Malaysians may rent there.
Before the tenancy starts. S$18 per application.
Report any change within 7 days. Each renewal is a new application: up to 3 years at a time with only Singaporean or Malaysian tenants, 2 years if any tenant is a non-Malaysian non-citizen.
Plus and Prime flats
Owners of Plus and Prime flats may not rent out the whole flat, even after the ten-year MOP. They may still rent out bedrooms, with HDB's approval, while living in the flat. The MOP explained.
Tenant limits change after 2028
A 4-room or bigger flat may house up to 8 tenants today, but for any rental period running past 31 December 2028 the cap returns to 6. The same applies to bedroom rentals, where the 8-occupant limit for a 4-room or bigger flat, owners included, also returns to 6. The cap does not apply when all the tenants are one family unit. A two- or three-year tenancy signed now will cross that date, so size it to the lower cap.
No short stays
HDB flats may not be let short-term, to tourists, for commercial filming or for storing goods. Every whole-flat tenancy is at least six months per application.
Get my rent estimateFree for any block and level. The Flat Report, S$39, compares renting out with selling.
Questions people ask
Can I rent out my Plus or Prime flat?
Not the whole flat, even after the ten-year MOP. Bedrooms may be rented with HDB's approval while you live there.
Can I rent out my HDB flat on Airbnb?
No. Short-term letting and letting to tourists are not allowed; the minimum is six months per application.
Does renting out the whole flat count towards the MOP?
No. Periods when the whole flat is rented out are excluded from the MOP.
Can a PR rent out an HDB flat?
Not the whole flat. Only Singapore Citizen owners may rent out a whole HDB flat. A Permanent Resident owner may rent out bedrooms of a 3-room or bigger flat with HDB's approval, while living in it.
When can I rent out my HDB flat?
After it has met its five-year MOP. Plus and Prime flats can never be rented out whole.
What is the minimum rental period for an HDB flat?
Six months for each tenant. Each approval lasts up to 3 years, or 2 years if any tenant is a non-Malaysian non-citizen.
How many tenants can I have in an HDB flat?
Up to 8 in a 4-room or bigger flat (6 for rentals running past 31 December 2028), 6 in a 3-room flat and 4 in a 1- or 2-room flat, unless they are all one family.
How much does HDB charge to rent out a flat?
S$18 for each whole-flat application and S$9 per bedroom.
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 flatHDB valuation and COVBuying an HDB resale flatThe HDB MOPPrices 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.