Oral Answer by Ministry of National Development on subletting of flats within Minimum Occupation Period
May 9, 2016
Dr Lim Wee Kiak: To ask the Minister for National Development
(a) over the last three years, how many HDB flats have been approved annually for subletting within the Minimum Occupation Period;
(b) what is the duration of the subletting approved by HDB; and
(c) how many applicants have been allowed to renew their sublettings after the first approval.
Answer:
Flat owners have to fulfil the Minimum Occupation Period (MOP) before they can sublet their flats. However, some may have specific reasons to sublet their flats within the MOP, for example, because of full-time work assignments overseas. In such cases, they will have to put up an application to HDB, which will then assess the request on a case by case basis. Each approval to sublet within MOP is for short periods of one or two years. When these flat owners reoccupy the flat, they will have to make up for the period of subletting to fulfill the MOP.
Over the last 3 years, HDB granted an average of 785 approvals each year to flat owners to sublet their flats within the MOP. This is about 2% of the total subletting approvals each year. Of these approved cases for sub-letting, an average of about 110 cases were granted an extension each year.