The 15-month wait-out is gone. What it means if you are selling private to buy an HDB resale flat
Since 28 July 2026, private property owners and former owners can buy a non-subsidised HDB resale flat straight away, with no 15-month wait, as long as they do not take an HDB housing loan. They must still sell the private property within six months of completing the flat purchase. The 30-month wait still applies to a new HDB flat, a resale flat with CPF housing grants, a new EC from a developer, and any purchase with an HDB loan.
What changed on 28 July 2026
The 15-month wait-out was a cooling measure from 30 September 2022: a private owner had to sell, then wait 15 months, before buying a non-subsidised resale flat. Singapore citizens aged 55 and above moving to a 4-room or smaller resale flat were already exempt. HDB removed the wait with immediate effect on 28 July 2026, after the resale price index fell 0.1% in the first quarter and 0.3% in the second quarter of 2026.
What still applies
| Your purchase | Wait after selling private |
|---|---|
| Non-subsidised resale flat, bank loan or cash | None. Sell the private property within 6 months of completing the flat purchase |
| Resale flat with CPF housing grants | 30 months |
| New flat from HDB (BTO, SBF, open booking) | 30 months |
| New Executive Condominium from a developer | 30 months |
| Any flat with an HDB housing loan | 30 months |
You still need a valid HDB Flat Eligibility (HFE) letter before you take an option to purchase. The six-month disposal rule covers private property overseas as well as in Singapore.
The order of moves now
- Get the HFE letter, stating a bank loan or cash.
- Take the option on the resale flat and complete it.
- Sell the private property and complete that sale within six months of the flat completion.
Buying the flat before the private property is sold costs no ABSD when any buyer is a Singapore citizen: IRAS remits it in full on an HDB flat, automatically on HDB's approval. The gap you used to fund with rent is gone. What replaces it is a bridging question: for up to six months you hold both, so the flat's downpayment and the private property's loan run together. Bank loans for an HDB flat follow the bank's rules (75% loan-to-value on a first housing loan, the total debt servicing ratio of 55%, and the 30% mortgage servicing ratio for HDB flats), so the flat has to be financeable on your income alone while the private loan is still running.
Who this helps most
Owners of a condominium who want cash out for retirement without a year of renting in between, and couples whose children have left and who want a smaller home near family. It does not help a household that needs an HDB loan or a grant: that route still waits 30 months.
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Questions people ask
- Is the 15-month wait-out period still in force?
- No. HDB removed it on 28 July 2026 for private property owners and former owners buying a non-subsidised resale flat without an HDB housing loan.
- Can I take an HDB loan after selling my condo?
- Yes, but then the 30-month wait-out applies after you sell the private property. The wait was removed only for purchases without an HDB loan.
- How long do I have to sell my private property after buying an HDB resale flat?
- Six months from the completion of the resale flat purchase, for property in Singapore or overseas.
- I already hold an HFE letter under the old exemption for a 4-room or smaller flat. Can I buy a 5-room now?
- HDB says you may cancel and re-apply for a new HFE letter if you wish to buy a 5-room or larger non-subsidised resale flat.