Renting out spare bedrooms in an HDB flat offers immediate rental income without waiting to fulfill the 5-year Minimum Occupation Period (MOP), but it comes with strict statutory conditions that differ significantly from whole-unit leasing.
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### 1. Statutory Rules for Renting Out Bedrooms
* **Mandatory Owner Occupation:** You (the flat owner) and your authorized occupiers **must physically reside in the flat** throughout the tenancy. Locking up one bedroom, living elsewhere (or overseas), and leasing the other rooms is legally classified as **unauthorized whole-flat subletting**, which can lead to hefty fines or compulsory acquisition by HDB.
* **Eligible Flat Types & Room Caps:**
* **3-Room Flat:** Maximum **1 bedroom** can be rented out (occupancy cap: 6 persons total).
* **4-Room, 5-Room & Larger Flats:** Maximum **2 bedrooms** can be rented out (occupancy cap: up to 8 persons under prevailing guidelines).
* *1-room and 2-room flats cannot rent out bedrooms.*
* **Minimum Lease Term:** Strictly **6 consecutive months**. Short-term, weekly, or tourist stays are prohibited.
* **Prior HDB Approval:** The tenancy must be registered online via the HDB Flat Portal before the tenant moves in (administrative fee is S$9 per bedroom).
* **No Non-Citizen Subletting Quota:** Unlike whole-flat renting, room rentals are **not restricted by the block/neighborhood Non-Citizen Subletting Quota**, though tenants must still hold valid Singapore passes (minimum 6 months validity).
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### 2. Prevailing Rental Benchmarks (Per Bedroom)
| Room Type | Outer / Non-Mature (e.g., Punggol, Sembawang) | City Fringe / Mature (e.g., Bedok / Chai Chee, Queenstown) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Common Room (Single)** | **S$800 – S$1,000 / mo** | **S$950 – S$1,200 / mo** |
| **Common Room (2 Pax)** | **S$1,050 – S$1,250 / mo** | **S$1,200 – S$1,450 / mo** |
| **Master Bedroom (Attached Bath)** | **S$1,300 – S$1,550 / mo** | **S$1,500 – S$1,800+ / mo** |
*Utilities (PUB) and Wi-Fi are typically included, with air-conditioning usage capped (e.g., 8–10 hours per night).*
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### 3. Landlord Setup & Tenancy Terms to Establish
1. **House Rules:** Agree upfront on air-con operational hours, cooking policy (light cooking vs. no cooking), visitor/overnight guest rules, and laundry schedules.
2. **Deposit & Agreement:** Collect 1 month's security deposit for a 1-year lease, execute a standard CEA Room Tenancy Agreement, and carry out joint inventory sign-off.
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Gan Eng Joo Onassis 颜荣裕, REALTOR®
MSc BIT (Middlesex, England, United Kingdom); BBA (South Australia)
CEA Reg No: R021244C | Singapore Line:
(+65) 88899918
Email: onassis@sgagent.com
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