Tool

HDB Lease Decay Check: When Should You Sell Your Flat?

PropertyHQ teamUpdated
Elderly couple looking out at a city skyline
Time the sale while most buyers can still use their full CPF. Photo: Gian Paul Guinto on Unsplash

At a glance

Time
Under a minute, 4 questions
Full CPF rule
Remaining lease must cover the youngest buyer to age 95
No CPF
Below 20 years of lease left
Lease Buyback
Owners aged 65 and older

The rule that drives lease decay

Since May 2019, a buyer can use their full CPF and take a full HDB loan only if the flat’s remaining lease covers the youngest buyer to age 95. A buyer aged 30 needs 65 years left. A buyer aged 40 needs 55. With less lease than that, CPF use and the HDB loan are scaled down, and below 20 years they’re not allowed at all.

So the lease doesn’t cost you money directly. It shrinks the pool of buyers who can pay full price, and that shows up in the price.

Reading your result

The check shows the lease left when you plan to sell, the youngest buyer who can still use their full CPF, and the year your flat passes 60 years left, a point where many owners find prices soften. If you’re staying for good, it shows whether the lease outlasts you and what the Lease Buyback Scheme offers from 65.

Every HDB block page shows the lease start year and recent prices, so you can see how your block compares with newer ones nearby.

Common questions

Where do I find my block's lease start year?

Every block page on this site shows it, from HDB's records. It's usually a year or so before the block was completed.

Do flats really lose value after 60 years left?

There's no rule that says so, but it's a common pattern. Below 60 years, buyers under 35 can use less CPF and borrow less from HDB, so fewer buyers can afford the flat and prices tend to soften faster.

What's the Lease Buyback Scheme?

Owners aged 65 and older can sell the tail end of the lease back to HDB, keep 15 to 35 years depending on age, and use the proceeds to top up their CPF Retirement Account. They keep living in the flat.

Get a free valuation

Tell us your block and flat type. We'll send recent prices for your block and nearby blocks, and what a sale would leave you after your loan and CPF refund.

We'll reply on WhatsApp. Your details go only to our agent and are never sold. See our privacy notice.

Sources

Facts on this page were checked against these sources on 13 October 2026.

  1. CPF: Using CPF when the lease doesn't cover the youngest buyer to age 95
  2. HDB: Housing loan from HDB (remaining lease to age 95)
  3. HDB: Lease Buyback Scheme