Renting a home

Renting an HDB flat or room

Citizens, PRs and foreigners holding an Employment Pass, S Pass, Work Permit, Student Pass, Dependant Pass or Long-Term Visit Pass valid for at least 6 more months can rent an HDB flat or room; tourists cannot. You must rent for at least 6 months. A foreigner or PR who is not Malaysian can rent a whole flat only where the block and neighbourhood are under HDB’s non-citizen quota; renting a room has no quota. Before you pay, check that the owner has HDB’s approval and has registered you as a tenant.

Checked against official sources on 22 October 2026

Who can rent an HDB flat or room

  • Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents.
  • Foreigners living in Singapore on an Employment Pass, S Pass, Work Permit, Student Pass, Dependant Pass or Long-Term Visit Pass that is valid for at least 6 months on the day the owner applies to HDB.
  • Work Permit holders in construction, marine and process jobs must be Malaysian. Manufacturing Work Permit holders must be Malaysian to rent a whole flat.
  • Tourists cannot rent an HDB flat or room.
  • You cannot rent if you own another HDB flat or rent a public rental flat, unless you are divorced or legally separated, or you are allowed to rent out your own flat and do so within a month. Owners of an executive condo still in its 5-year MOP cannot rent either.

A whole flat or a room

  • Whole flat: the owner lives elsewhere, and only a Singapore Citizen owner who has met the minimum occupation period can rent it out. The non-citizen quota applies.
  • Most tenants allowed in a whole flat: 4 in a 1-room or 2-room flat, 6 in a 3-room flat and 8 in a 4-room or bigger flat. The limit does not apply when all the tenants are one family. The 8 falls back to 6 for any rental running past 31 December 2028.
  • Room: the owner and their family must live in the flat with you. Only 3-room and bigger flats can rent out rooms: 1 room in a 3-room flat and 2 in a 4-room or bigger flat, in bedrooms HDB built. The whole flat may hold 6 people (3-room) or 8 people (4-room and bigger), owners included.

The non-citizen quota

When any tenant of a whole flat is a PR or foreigner who is not Malaysian, the flat counts towards HDB’s quota: 8% of flats in the neighbourhood and 11% in the block. Once either is full, only Singaporeans and Malaysians can rent whole flats there. Owners and tenants can check a flat with HDB’s quota e-service, also on HDB Map. Renting a room does not count towards the quota.

How long you can rent for

Every HDB rental is at least 6 months; short stays are not allowed. HDB approves a rental for up to 3 years when all the tenants are Singaporeans or Malaysians, and up to 2 years when any tenant is a non-Malaysian PR or foreigner. The owner reapplies for each renewal.

Check before you pay

  1. Check that the agent is real: search the phone number in the listing on CEA’s Public Register. If you deal with the owner directly, ask for proof that they own the flat.
  2. View the flat in person. Nobody needs a payment to arrange a viewing.
  3. For a whole flat, ask for HDB’s confirmation that the owner can rent it out. For either kind, ask for HDB’s approval letter and its terms.
  4. Add a clause that the agreement holds only if the owner gets HDB’s approval.
  5. Pay the owner directly by a traceable method, such as a crossed cheque or a bank transfer.
  6. From 2 days after approval, check HDB’s e-service that you are listed as an authorised tenant. Only authorised tenants may live in the flat.

Rent, deposit and stamp duty

Rent is usually paid monthly, from the day the tenancy starts. The deposit is usually 1 month’s rent for a 1-year lease and 2 months’ rent for a 2-year lease, paid on signing with the first month’s rent; HDB advises against paying more up front. Stamp duty on the agreement is 0.4% of the total rent for a lease of up to 4 years. The agreement says who pays it; when it says nothing, the tenant pays.

Find an HDB flat to rent

See HDB flats for rent across Singapore, by town, with the asking rent and the flat’s size.

See HDB flats for rent

Questions

Can a foreigner rent an HDB flat?

Yes, with an Employment Pass, S Pass, Work Permit, Student Pass, Dependant Pass or Long-Term Visit Pass valid for at least 6 months. Some Work Permit holders must be Malaysian. A non-Malaysian foreigner can rent a whole flat only where HDB’s non-citizen quota for the block and neighbourhood is not full; a room has no quota.

Can I rent an HDB flat for 3 months?

No. The minimum is 6 months for both whole flats and rooms, and short-term stays are not allowed.

How many people can rent an HDB flat?

Up to 4 tenants in a 1-room or 2-room flat, 6 in a 3-room flat and 8 in a 4-room or bigger flat, unless all the tenants are one family. The 8 falls back to 6 for rentals running past 31 December 2028.

How do I know the owner may rent out the flat?

Ask for HDB’s approval letter, and for a whole flat HDB’s confirmation that the owner is eligible. After approval, HDB’s e-service shows whether you are an authorised tenant.

Who pays stamp duty on an HDB tenancy agreement?

Whoever the agreement names. When it names nobody, the tenant pays. It must be paid within 14 days of signing.

Sources

Rules and fees change. Check the linked official pages before you commit, and ask a lawyer about your own sale or purchase.

Related guides

Tenancy agreement and deposit checklist

What to check before signing a tenancy agreement in Singapore: CEA’s standard templates, the deposit, the clauses to agree, stamp duty within 14 days, and how to avoid rental scams.

Stamp duty on a tenancy agreement

Work out the stamp duty on a lease or tenancy agreement in Singapore: 0.4% of the total rent, who pays, the 14-day deadline and the penalties for stamping late.

Renting out a room or the whole home

Room or whole-unit rental in Singapore: HDB’s bedroom limits and occupant caps, URA’s 3-month minimum and occupancy cap for condos and landed homes, and how each affects property tax.