What does HDB MOP eligibility mean?
HDB MOP is an abbreviation for HDB’s Minimum Occupation Period, which is a restriction that prohibits you from selling or renting out the entire apartment for the first few years after you move in (usually five years). You are also not permitted to purchase another private property during the MOP.
The HDB MOP helps to deter homeowners from immediately “flipping” their freshly bought units for a profit. This policy is set in place to prevent the artificial inflation of public housing prices.
It should be noted that the HDB MOP begins on the day you receive your keys and only covers the time you are staying in the unit.
Before you can sell your apartment, you must meet a number of qualifying requirements. Register an Intent to Sell on the HDB Resale Portal to see if you are eligible to sell your apartment.
What is the process of HDB MOP eligibility?
You will be notified of the current Ethnic Integration Policy (EIP)/ Singapore Permanent Resident (SPR) quota for your apartment after registering an Intent to Sell on the HDB Resale Portal. Through your Intent to Sell on the HDB Resale Portal or the EIP/ SPR quota e-Service, you can keep track of the monthly changes.
Updated on the 1st of every month, the EIP/SPR quota will apply to finished resale applications* that are sent in within the same month.
*A resale application is only complete when HDB gets the required supporting papers and both the buyers’ and sellers’ portions of the resale application.
How does the EIP and SPR quota apply here?
When selling an HDB apartment, the Ethnic Integration Policy (EIP) quota must be met. Non-Malaysian SPR families must also fulfil the SPR quota.
You will be qualified to sell the HDB apartment considering the following;
- The number of households belonging to your ethnicity continues to exist within the boundaries of your block and neighbourhood after the sale of your apartment.
- The number of SPR households for non-Malaysian residents stays within the SPR quota.
- You and the buyer share the same ethnicity and family citizenship.
If flat owners face difficulties selling their flats at a fair price after the EIP quotas have been met, they can seek assistance by contacting the relevant authorities through the e-Feedback form.
Can I sell my flat despite the HDB MOP?
The following are some exemptions in situations involving bankruptcy, divorce, and other special cases:
- Bankruptcy
If selling your apartment and moving into a less expensive one will help you escape bankruptcy, HDB may allow you to do so. However, its process may vary for a Singaporean and a non-Singaporean;
- Under the Housing and Development Act, if a Singapore Citizen is one of the owners of an HDB apartment, the sale of the flat does not require approval from the Official Assignee.
- If none of the flat owners is a Singaporean citizen, they must first obtain approval from the Official Assignee before selling the apartment.
- Divorce
Divorce is a major reason most individuals sell their HDB apartments before the MOP expires. In this instance, the parties can sell the property and split the revenues.
For HDB to examine your application, you must submit the following documents:
- A writ of judicial separation
- Certificate of interim judgment as well as Certificate of Making Interim Judgment Final
- If you are a Muslim, you will need a divorce certificate and a court of law’s decision.
- Others
Aside from divorce and bankruptcy, the HDB also considers the following features when permitting you to sell your house early:
- When a family’s sole breadwinner is unable to work due to disability or death, they may be permitted by HDB to sell their flats before the MOP expires.
- In cases of a terminal illness. However, HDB will first assess your case.
- When there is a loss or renouncement of citizenship. You may, for example, decide to relocate permanently to another country. In such cases, HDB may allow you to sell your home before the scheduled time and also retrieve your CPF funds.
