Debated in Parliament on 25 Sep 2025.
Ms Cassandra Lee asked the Minister for National Development (a) in the past three years, how many appeals has HDB allowed for sale of HDB flats before the minimum occupation period (MOP); (b) how many approvals are given to families that have outgrown their homes; and (c) whether the Ministry will review its MOP waiver position in light of the longer MOP under the new flat classification framework.
From 2022 to 2024, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) approved requests from about 1,700 households to sell their flat before meeting their Minimum Occupation Period (MOP). Of these, about 50 approvals were given to families who needed a bigger flat due to growing family size.
The MOP remains important to safeguard HDB flats for households with genuine housing needs and helps to keep HDB flats affordable for Singaporeans.
The majority of Singaporean households live in their flat for 10 years or more before it is sold. Under the new flat classification framework, an MOP of 10 years for Prime and Plus flat owners strikes a good balance between strengthening the owner-occupation intent and allowing flat owners the flexibility to move due to changes in their life circumstances, such as to buy a larger apartment as their families grow.
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