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How to sell your HDB flat: the steps, the timeline and what you receive
How to sell an HDB flat: Intent to Sell, the OTP, HDB's valuation, the resale application and completion, with the fees, SSD, levies and your cash proceeds.
For sellers. Rules checked against HDB, IRAS, CPF and MAS on 19 September 2026; sources at the foot.
Before you start: can you sell?
You may sell on the open market once your flat has met its Minimum Occupation Period (MOP), five years for most flats and ten for Plus and Prime flats. The MOP counts from the legal completion of your purchase and leaves out any time the whole flat was rented out. Check your date on MyHDB Page under My Flat, Purchased Flat. The MOP explained.
Worked example: pricing one flat from its own sales
Flatworth priced Blk 328 Tampines St 32 from 26 registered Executive sales in the last 12 months: 2 in the block and 24 within 500 metres, each with a remaining lease within 5 years and a size within 20 sqm of this flat. Every sale was brought to today and to this flat's storey, size and lease, and the middle of the restated sales is the Flatworth Estimate, S$952,000. The Flat Report turns that into three prices to hold: list at S$994,000, work to close at S$967,000, walk away below S$935,000.
The arithmetic, step by step
| What the comparables sold for, weighted | S$940,556 |
|---|---|
| Brought to today's price level | +S$10,069 |
| Level 10 against the comparables' storeys | +S$13,225 |
| Size | −S$3,013 |
| Remaining lease | −S$2,113 |
| Mix and weighting | −S$6,724 |
| Flatworth Estimate | S$952,000 |
At the S$967,000 target, a buyer whose HDB valuation lands at the Flatworth Estimate pays S$15,000 in cash over valuation; at the S$994,000 list price it is S$42,000. That cash is what a buyer negotiates against, so know it before the first viewing.
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.
The steps and the timeline
The order HDB sets for an HDB resale, and how long each step takes.
On the HDB Flat Portal. It is free, valid for 12 months, and you must register it yourself even if you use a salesperson. You may grant an Option to Purchase no earlier than 7 days after registering.
Know your number before a buyer's salesperson tells you theirs. Across Singapore, 10,811 4-room flats were resold in the twelve months to September 2026 at a median of S$630,000; your own flat's estimate is free.
On HDB's prescribed form. The buyer pays an option fee of S$1 to S$1,000. The option runs 21 calendar days and expires at 4pm on the 21st day. While it runs you may not grant an OTP to anyone else.
By the next working day after the Option date, if the buyer uses CPF or a housing loan. The fee is S$120, the outcome usually takes about 10 working days, and you must let HDB's assigned valuer inspect the flat within 3 working days of being told.
After the valuation outcome, within the option period, paying an exercise fee that brings the two fees to no more than S$5,000.
Each of you submits your portion within the days agreed on page 4 of the OTP and within 7 calendar days of each other, or the application lapses. The fee is S$80 each (S$40 for 1- and 2-room flats).
HDB tells both sides within 28 working days if the application is in order. The resale documents are ready about 3 weeks after acceptance.
About 8 weeks after HDB's acceptance, the earliest possible date. You hand over the flat and receive your sale proceeds. HDB may let you stay up to 3 more months only if you have committed to buy a completed property and the buyer agrees.
What you receive: your sale proceeds
HDB works out your cash proceeds as the resale price, less these, in this order when you have a bank loan: the outstanding loan, then the CPF you used with accrued interest, then the deposit you already received and any levies or upgrading costs.
| Deduction | What it is |
|---|---|
| Outstanding housing loan | Paid off first, to HDB or your bank. |
| CPF refund with accrued interest | Every dollar of CPF used for the flat, plus the interest it would have earned, goes back to your CPF account. If the flat sells at market value you need not top up any shortfall in cash. |
| Deposit already received | The option and exercise fees the buyer paid you, up to S$5,000. |
| Resale levy, if it applies | Only if you later buy a second subsidised flat from HDB; see below. |
| Upgrading costs, if any | Outstanding upgrading costs, and a 10% upgrading levy for owners who have had upgrading two or more times. |
The resale levy
A levy applies only when an owner who bought a subsidised flat goes on to buy a second subsidised flat from HDB. If you are buying a resale flat or private property next, you do not pay it. For a first subsidised flat sold on or after 3 March 2006:
| Flat sold | Family | Single |
|---|---|---|
| 2-room or 2-room Flexi | S$15,000 | S$7,500 |
| 3-room | S$30,000 | S$15,000 |
| 4-room | S$40,000 | S$20,000 |
| 5-room | S$45,000 | S$22,500 |
| 3Gen | S$45,000 | not applicable |
| Executive | S$50,000 | S$25,000 |
Seller's Stamp Duty
It applies to HDB flats too. For flats bought on or after 4 July 2025, selling within 1 year costs 16% of the price or market value, whichever is higher; within 2 years 12%; within 3 years 8%; within 4 years 4%; after 4 years nothing. An owner who has met the five-year MOP is past all of these.
Cash over valuation (COV)
If you agree a price above HDB's valuation, the buyer pays the difference in cash; it cannot come from a loan or CPF. That is why the valuation matters to your sale even though you do not request it. HDB valuation and COV explained.
The Option to Purchase: the rules that bind both sides
Only HDB's own OTP form may be used; any other agreement about the sale is not valid under the Housing and Development Act. The buyer pays an option fee of S$1 to S$1,000 when you grant the OTP, then an exercise fee that brings the two to no more than S$5,000. The option runs 21 calendar days, weekends and public holidays included, and lapses at 4pm on the 21st day: granted on 1 April, it expires at 4pm on 22 April. While it runs you may not grant an OTP to anyone else, and you may grant the first one no earlier than 7 days after registering your Intent to Sell. The Intent to Sell is free, must be registered by an owner personally even if you use a salesperson, and stays valid for 12 months.
Who can buy: the ethnic and PR quotas
Your buyer must fit within the Ethnic Integration Policy quota for your block and neighbourhood and, for a non-Malaysian PR household, the PR quota of 8% of the block and 5% of the neighbourhood. HDB updates the quotas on the 1st of each month, so a buyer who fits today may not fit next month. Check the quota for your block with HDB before you list: it can narrow who is able to buy your flat.
Seller's Stamp Duty on an HDB flat
SSD applies to HDB flats as to any home. For a flat bought on or after 4 July 2025, IRAS charges it on the higher of the price and the market value if you sell within four years. Under these rates a flat sold after a five-year MOP carries none. For a SERS replacement flat, the holding period starts from the Agreement for Lease.
| Sold within | SSD |
|---|---|
| 1 year | 16% |
| 2 years | 12% |
| 3 years | 8% |
| 4 years | 4% |
| After 4 years | None |
Other amounts that can come off the price
Two less common deductions. If your household benefited from the Main Upgrading Programme two or more times (Singapore Citizens), or from MUP Batch 6 or earlier (PR households), a 10% upgrading levy applies, on the higher of the selling price and 90% of the market value. And if you bought a Plus or Prime flat from HDB, you return to HDB a percentage of the resale price or valuation, whichever is higher, set when the flat was launched; this does not apply to a Plus or Prime flat you bought on resale.
Staying on after completion
Completion is about eight weeks after HDB accepts the application, and HDB will not bring it forward. Deferring it needs both sides' written consent within a week of HDB's acceptance letter. If you have committed to buy a completed property in Singapore, the buyer may agree to let you stay on for up to three months after completion, with a S$20 administrative fee paid by the buyer; there is no extension beyond three months. If you are buying next, read buying an HDB resale flat, and see what flats like yours sell for on the town pages.
What your proceeds could do next
Buying a condo with the proceeds? Headroom shows what condos in each district sell and rent for, and what owners have made on them: headroom.sg/condo. Selling to move somewhere smaller in retirement? The Silver Housing Bonus can add cash for eligible owners who move to a smaller flat and top up their CPF. Freedom Age explains who qualifies and how much. Selling part of your remaining lease for monthly income instead? Freedom Age compares the Lease Buyback Scheme with selling outright.
Price my flat before I listFree: the Flatworth Estimate and Range for your block and level. The Flat Report adds a list price, a target and a floor, S$39.
Questions people ask
Do I pay Seller's Stamp Duty on an HDB flat?
Only if you sell within four years of buying, for purchases on or after 4 July 2025: 16%, 12%, 8% or 4% by year. A flat sold after its five-year MOP carries none.
Can I stay in my flat after it is sold?
For up to three months after completion, only if you have committed to buy a completed property in Singapore and the buyer agrees.
Is there a fee to register an Intent to Sell?
No. It is free, an owner must register it personally, and it stays valid for 12 months.
How long does it take to sell an HDB flat?
From granting the Option to Purchase, allow up to 21 days for the option, then up to 28 working days for HDB to accept the resale application, then about 8 weeks to completion. Registering your Intent to Sell must come at least 7 days before you grant the option.
Can I sell my HDB flat before the MOP?
Not on the open market. The five-year MOP (ten years for Plus and Prime flats) must be met first, counted from the legal completion of your purchase.
Do I have to return my CPF when I sell my HDB flat?
Yes. The CPF you used, with accrued interest, goes back to your CPF account from the sale proceeds. If the flat sells at market value you do not have to top up a shortfall in cash.
Who pays for the HDB valuation?
The buyer requests it and pays the S$120 fee, by the next working day after the Option date. You must let HDB's assigned valuer inspect the flat within 3 working days of being told.
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.
- HDB: eligibility for selling a flat (MOP)
- HDB: Intent to Sell
- HDB: Option to Purchase (seller)
- HDB: Request for Value
- HDB: resale application process
- CPF: refund when selling or transferring property
- HDB: housing loan from financial institutions (order of deductions)
- IRAS: Seller's Stamp Duty for residential property
More guides
Renting out 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.