Gov.sg 9th June 2020
Do I really own my HDB flat?
Yes, you do. HDB buyers who purchase a new 99-year lease flat own the rights to their flats for 99 years, just like buyers of 99-year leasehold private properties. We re-lease the facts to you.
by Gov.sg
Why have 99-year leases for HDB flats?
Residential properties with 99-year or shorter leases are not unique to Singapore, or to public housing. Cities like Hong Kong have residential properties sold on 50-year leases and Canberra has a 99-year leasehold system.
In land-scarce Singapore, the leasehold system allows land to be recycled and re-developed, to meet the needs of future generations of Singaporeans. If flats are sold on a freehold basis, there won’t be enough land to build new flats for future generations, and our society will become divided between those who own a property and those who do not.
Since 1967, all sites for private residential land in Singapore have also been sold on leases of not more than 99 years. Flats sold on a full 99-year lease are more than sufficient to cover you and your loved ones for life.
Do I really own my HDB flat, or am I just renting the flat from HDB?
HDB flat buyers who purchase a new 99-year lease flat own the rights to their flats for 99 years. Likewise, buyers of a 99-year leasehold private property own the rights to their property for the duration of their lease, and would also regard themselves as home owners.
There’s a difference between renting and owning a flat. Here’s a summary:
This article is by www.gov.sg. Click here for the original article.
A version of this article appeared in the website of www.Gov.sg on June 9th, 2020, with the headline 'Do I really own my HDB flat?