Consideration to Implement Alternative Policies for HDB Flat Owners Seeking to Sell Their Flats before Minimum Occupation Period

Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Minister for National Development for HDB flat owners seeking to sell their flats before the minimum occupation period, whether HDB will consider implementing alternative policies such as a tiered gains tax on the unfulfilled occupation period.

Mr Desmond Lee: The Minimum Occupation Period (MOP) helps to ensure that flat owners purchase HDB flats with the intent of living in the flats themselves, instead of quickly reselling the flats for profit. This safeguards HDB flats for households with genuine housing needs. It also deters the speculative purchase of HDB flats, and thus helps to keep HDB flats affordable.

That said, for households facing extenuating circumstances, HDB can consider their appeals to sell their flat within their MOP on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the specific situation of the flat owners and their families. A waiver of the MOP can be granted on exceptional grounds, such as financial hardship, divorce, or the demise of the owner. In such cases, the flat owners may already be subject to the Seller's Stamp Duty, depending on when they purchased their flat and how long they have owned it. Imposing an additional gains tax may impose an unnecessary burden on these households and aggravate their difficulties.

For households that do not face extenuating circumstances, allowing them to sell their flat within their MOP, even with a tiered gains tax, would compromise the intent of the MOP to encourage owner-occupation. It would also favour wealthier households who can afford the gains tax, and may not sufficiently deter the speculative purchase of HDB flats, by buyers who are willing to accept the post-tax profits from quickly reselling their bought flats.