HDB flats (public housing)Buying Singapore Property

HDB resale levy and wait-out: what do they cost?

The resale levy is a cash charge of S$15,000 to S$55,000. The wait-out is a delay. In July 2026 HDB removed the 15-month wait-out but kept the 30-month one.

By Propwise2 min read

The resale levy is a cash charge. A family pays between S$15,000 and S$55,000 when it buys a second subsidised flat or an EC.

The wait-out is a delay. It applies to people who own or recently owned private property.

In July 2026 HDB removed one wait-out (15 months) and kept the other (30 months).

Many readers mix the two rules. They catch different people and cost different things. One is a bill, and the other is a queue.

Resale levy and wait-out: two different rulesWho each rule catches, and what it asks for
RuleWho it catchesWhat it asks for
Resale levySecond-timers buying a second subsidised flat from HDB, or an EC from a developerA cash levy of S$15,000 to S$55,000 for families, set by the first flat
Wait-out, 30 monthsPrivate property owners buying a subsidised flat, a resale flat with a grant, an EC, or taking an HDB loanWait 30 months after disposing of the private property
Wait-out, 15 months (ended 28 Jul 2026)Private property owners buying a non-subsidised resale flat without an HDB loanWas 15 months. Now: sell the private property within 6 months of completing the purchase

Source: HDB, removal of the 15-month wait-out (October 2026).

The resale levy: a cash charge for a second subsidy

The levy applies to a second-timer who buys a second subsidised flat from HDB, or an EC from a developer. HDB sets the amount by the type of the first subsidised flat you sold.

HDB’s page on conditions after buying a new flat shows fixed amounts for a first flat sold on or after 3 March 2006 (page checked 4 October 2026).

Resale levy for a family, by the type of the first subsidised flat soldSingles pay half (the 3Gen row has no single rate)
  1. 2-room or 2-room FlexiS$15,000
  2. 3-roomS$30,000
  3. 4-roomS$40,000
  4. 5-roomS$45,000
  5. 3GenS$45,000
  6. Executive flatS$50,000
  7. Executive CondominiumS$55,000

Levy, S$

Source: HDB, conditions after buying a new flat (4 October 2026). For a first subsidised flat sold on or after 3 March 2006.

Two points from HDB’s page:

  • The levy applies to a second subsidised purchase. It does not apply when you buy a resale flat without grants.
  • An EC bought with the grant, or from tenders closed on or after 9 December 2013, carries a levy of S$55,000 for families and S$27,500 for singles after a wait of 30 months.

Example: a family sold a 4-room flat that it bought from HDB. It now books a new BTO flat.

The table gives a levy of S$40,000. A family selling an Executive flat would pay S$50,000.

The wait-out: a delay for private property owners

A wait-out is a period you must wait after you dispose of private property. Only then can you buy certain HDB flats. HDB’s July 2026 release describes two of them.

  • 30 months applies to subsidised flats from HDB, resale flats bought with housing grants, ECs from developers and HDB loans. HDB says it is unchanged.
  • 15 months applied to a non-subsidised resale flat bought without an HDB loan. It began on 30 September 2022 under a joint MAS, MND and HDB release. Citizens aged 55 and above who moved to a 4-room or smaller resale flat were exempt.

What changed in 2026

On 28 July 2026 HDB removed the 15-month wait-out with immediate effect. A private property owner can now buy a non-subsidised resale flat without an HDB loan with no waiting period.

The owner must sell any private property, in Singapore or overseas, within six months of completing the purchase. The HFE letter is still required. That is the HDB Flat Eligibility letter, the paperwork that says you may buy.

HDB’s release gives its reason: HDB resale prices fell 0.1% quarter-on-quarter in the first quarter of 2026 and 0.3% in the second.

The 30-month wait-out and the resale levy table were not part of this change.

How the resale levy and wait-out rules moved, 1979 to 2026Dates are the ones HDB, MND and Parliament give; some are month or year only
  1. 1Aug 1979Sell on the open market, pay 5%Owners who wanted another HDB flat could sell on the open market and pay a levy of 5% (HDB, Home, Truly).
  2. 2Sep 1982Graded levy by flat typeA graded levy replaced the 5%. By 1985 it was 10% to 15% of the resale price for smaller flats and 20% to 30% for bigger ones (Hansard, 23 Jul 1985).
  3. 3By Jul 1985Premium option for bigger flatsOwners of bigger flats could pay 10% more for the second flat instead of the levy (Hansard, 23 Jul 1985).
  4. 43 Mar 2006Fixed amounts by flat typeThe current table applies to a first subsidised flat sold on or after this date, from S$15,000 for a 2-room to S$55,000 for an EC for families (HDB).
  5. 529 Sep 2022Wait-outs set in a joint MAS, MND and HDB releaseA 15-month wait-out for non-subsidised resale flats from 30 Sep 2022. The 30-month wait-out for subsidised purchases was kept.
  6. 628 Jul 202615-month wait-out removedBuyers must now sell private property within 6 months of completing the purchase. The 30-month wait-out is unchanged.

Source: HDB, removal of the 15-month wait-out (October 2026). The levy table itself, as HDB shows it today, applies to first flats sold on or after 3 March 2006.

What it means in practice

The levy is a known sum. You can read it from the table once you know your first flat’s type.

The wait-out costs time, and the cost depends on your plan. An owner who buys a resale flat with a grant, or with an HDB loan, still waits 30 months. An owner who pays without those can now buy at once, but must sell the private property within six months.

Our guide on selling an HDB flat to buy a private property covers the other direction. For ECs, see are executive condominiums still attractive.

hdb resale

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