Executive Condominium (EC)

How ECs work

ECs sit between HDB flats and private condominiums. They are built and sold by private developers on land sold through the Government Land Sales programme, and have condominium facilities such as pools and gyms. Because buyers receive a housing subsidy, HDB sets rules on who can buy, how long they must live there and who they can sell to.

An EC moves through three stages:

1. New: sold by the developer only to eligible households, under HDB’s eligibility rules.
2. After the MOP: can be sold on the open market to Singapore citizens and permanent residents.
3. Fully private: can be sold to anyone, including foreigners and companies.

Old and new rules

Which rules apply depends on when the project’s land tender closed.

Rule	Tender closed before 8 May 2026	Tender closed on or after 8 May 2026
Minimum occupation period (from TOP)	5 years	10 years
Fully private after	10 years	15 years
Units reserved for first-time buyers	70%, for the first month after launch	90%, for the first two years after launch
Deferred Payment Scheme	Could be offered	Not allowed

Separately, the household income ceiling rises from $16,000 to $18,000 a month for new units in EC sites with tenders closing on or after 24 August 2026.

Example

You buy a new unit in an EC whose land tender closed in 2025, and the project receives its TOP on 1 June 2028.

Milestone	Date
MOP met; can sell to citizens and PRs	1 June 2033
Fully private; can sell to anyone	1 June 2038

For a project whose tender closed after 8 May 2026 with the same TOP date, those dates would be 1 June 2038 and 1 June 2043.

Buying an EC: what to check

• Income: your household must be within the ceiling that applies to that project.
• Loan limits: bank loans for new ECs are subject to both the MSR and the TDSR.
• Your current flat: if you own an HDB flat, you must sell it within 6 months of collecting your EC keys.
• Private property: you can’t buy private residential property until the EC’s MOP is met.

Common mistakes

• Assuming every EC has a 5-year MOP. Projects whose land tender closed on or after 8 May 2026 have a 10-year MOP.
• Treating an EC like a private condo from day one. Resale is restricted until the MOP, and sales to foreigners until full privatisation.
• Using the wrong income ceiling. The $18,000 ceiling applies only to sites with tenders closing on or after 24 August 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Can foreigners buy an EC?

Not when it is new or during the early years. After the MOP, an EC can be sold to Singapore citizens and permanent residents. Only once it becomes fully private, after 10 years (or 15 years for newer projects), can it be sold to foreigners and companies.

Can I rent out my EC?

You can rent out bedrooms during the MOP if you register them with HDB within 7 days. You can rent out the whole unit only after the MOP.

Do I pay a resale levy when I sell an EC?

Only if you later buy another subsidised flat from HDB or another EC from a developer. HDB sets the levy at $55,000 for families and $27,500 for singles. If you buy a resale flat or private property instead, no levy applies.

How do I know which rules apply to an EC project?

It depends on when the project's land tender closed. The developer and HDB can confirm whether a project falls under the rules for tenders closing on or after 8 May 2026.

Related terms

• Minimum Occupation Period (MOP)
• Mortgage Servicing Ratio (MSR)
• Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty (ABSD)
• Total Debt Servicing Ratio (TDSR)
• Government Land Sales (GLS)
• Temporary Occupation Permit (TOP)
• Resale Levy

Sources

1. Eligibility for buying an executive condominium (HDB)
2. Conditions after buying an executive condominium (HDB)
3. Strengthening the Executive Condominium Housing Scheme and supporting first-time home buyers (8 May 2026) (MND)
4. Macroprudential policies in Singapore (MAS)