If you are planning to rent out your Housing & Development Board (HDB) flat, we request you to go through the revised new occupancy cap. To avoid overcrowding, a new provision has been where a four-room or larger HDB flats can be rented out to a maximum of only six unrelated people, which was before nine people per house.
For in three-room living quarters of commercial properties, the total number of occupants has been reduced to six from eight. Families with more than six members can continue to rent whole HDB flats, however, new lessees have to follow the new rule.
This new rule will be put into action from May 1. Officials are expecting this will help maintain "a conducive living environment" in Singapore's public housing estates.
Property analysts said that the revised cap will not impact landlords as the number of the affected homeowners is very meagre. Only 11percentt of this landlord has more than six tenants in the flat, according to The Straits Times.
HDB has laid out rules for renting flats in its website.
Only Singapore citizens can rent out the flat after fulfilling the 5-year Minimum Occupation Period.
Flats owners have to make sure of these followings:
- Only the authorised tenants are staying in the flat
- The number of tenants does not exceed the maximum number allowed
- Your tenants do not further rent out the flat to others, create nuisance, or misuse the flat
- Your tenants are legally residing in Singapore
- Your tenants comply with all the covenants in the lease and the provisions of the Housing & Development Act. You are responsible for all infringements (if any) committed by them
People can contact the HDB branch service line at 1800-225-5432 in case of any query. Further information can also be available at commercial properties enquiry line 1800-866-3073. These lines remain open from 8 am to 5 pm on weekdays.
