| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Agency | HDB |
| Applicant access | Individuals with Singpass; UEN-registered businesses with Corppass; Authorised individual filers; Authorised business filers |
| Processing estimate | Immediate |
| Validity | Valid for the duration of the home-office business; may be revoked for breaches. |
Scope and eligibility
The HDB scheme covers residential flats and living quarters of HDB commercial properties. Only owners or persons HDB has authorised to live there, including eligible occupiers/tenants, may apply. The business must meet the applicable conditions for that housing category.
Application steps
- Confirm the housing category, applicant's right to reside and the permitted business criteria
- apply through the appropriate individual/business route or authorised filer
- pay the one-time S$20 fee and maintain compliance.
Documents to prepare
- No routine initial attachments are listed
- HDB can request further records.
Fees and validity
| Fee item | Published amount |
|---|---|
| One-time permit, including GST | S$20 |
Valid for the duration of the home-office business; may be revoked for breaches.
Important details and examples
The directory describes processing as immediate. Use HDB's separate linked conditions for residential flats and commercial-property living quarters; private residential homes instead use URA's scheme.
Operating conditions
- Continue to reside at the property and keep office activities entirely inside it. Non-owners need the owner's prior written consent.
- No more than two non-residents may work there, counting employees, partners and directors.
- Only administrative work is allowed at home; no customer visits, physical-goods sales, residential signage or disruptive solicitation.
- Avoid noise, odour, dust, waste or additional traffic that disturbs residents.
- Keep electrical/structural loads within residential limits; no hazardous chemicals, dangerous substances or unauthorised building works.
- Install at least an 8A/34B ABC dry-powder extinguisher and a standalone smoke detector in the office area. This applies even without employees.
- Obtain other required agency licences/approvals; a breach may revoke the home-office permission.
HDB application examples
- HDB permits an administrative office/address for a business whose operational activity is otherwise excluded, if the excluded activity occurs elsewhere and no clients visit the flat. This is not permission to carry out that activity at home.
- A separate application is required for each business/company at the same flat; each must belong to an eligible resident owner, occupier or tenant. Goods storage and loading/unloading are prohibited.
- An individual can apply before ACRA registration, but check whether the relevant business authority needs its name/UEN on the permit. Owners can check listed occupiers through MyHDB.
Business examples
| Type | Examples |
|---|---|
| Administrative examples | Accountancy, architecture, consultancy, design, technology and trading-office administration (excluding car trading). |
| Activities not allowed as home-office operations | Customer-facing beauty/massage, food catering/restaurants, retail, manufacturing, repairs, commercial classes and maid/employment-agency operations are among the listed exclusions. |