Singapore Condo vs. Apartment: Still Confused About the Differences?

For newcomers to Singapore, the local terms “residential” and “apartment” can be a major source of confusion. If you open an English dictionary, “Apartment,” “Condo,” “Flat,” and “Unit” can all refer to an apartment.

If you’re coming to Singapore from abroad, you’ve likely heard the earnest advice from foreign real estate agents on avoiding pitfalls when investing in property: “Never buy an apartment.” In other countries, an apartment often refers to a commercial property type without a 70-year lease. However, it is crucial to note that Singapore’s housing classification is entirely different.

Types of Housing in Singapore

Property types in Singapore are mainly divided into: HDB flats, Executive Condominiums (ECs), and private residential properties. Private residences are further divided into landed properties and non-landed properties (i.e., apartments). Among these, private apartments (known as Apartment/Condominium in English) also have their own distinctions.

HDB flats are built by the Housing & Development Board (HDB); Executive Condominiums are built and sold by private developers but regulated by HDB. Both are sold on 99-year leases. Private residences built by private real estate developers can have 99-year leases, 999-year leases, or freehold tenure. This classification of property types in Singapore corresponds to different purchasing conditions.

Confused? Let’s break it down further.

1. HDB Flats

Singapore’s public housing is known as HDB flats, the most common type of residence in the country. About 77.2% of Singapore resident households live in an HDB flat (SingStat, 2025), and more than nine in ten HDB households own the flat they live in. Singapore’s overall home-ownership rate was 90.8% in 2024. A small share of HDB stock is public rental housing, which should not be confused with flats their owners rent out. Renters. By building housing at cost and selling it to the people, Singapore has essentially achieved its “home for every citizen” goal, boasting one of the highest homeownership rates globally.

It’s very common for HDB flats in the same location to have a price difference of 50%. Compared to private condominiums, HDB flats are more basic and lack quality-of-life amenities.

2. Executive Condominiums (EC)

The Executive Condominium (EC) is a type of housing introduced by the Singapore government that sits between HDB flats and private condominiums. This housing type targets specific groups of Singaporean citizens and is therefore subsidized by the government. The main buyers are middle-income individuals who exceed the income ceiling for HDB flats but find private condominiums financially straining, essentially serving as an upgrade from HDB housing.

Executive Condominiums are governed by the HDB but are built and sold by private developers. ECs have facilities almost identical to private condominiums, but their prices are lower than the private condo market rate. As part of public housing, ECs have certain eligibility restrictions, primarily targeting Singaporean citizen families with a monthly household income not exceeding S$16,000 or single Singaporeans aged 35 and above.

Despite the purchasing restrictions, the most significant feature of an EC is that once the Minimum Occupation Period (MOP) is met it can be resold to Singapore Citizens or Permanent Residents. For EC sites whose land tender closed on or after 8 May 2026 the MOP is 10 years (with full privatisation at 15 years); projects from earlier tenders keep the 5-year MOP and 10-year privatisation. Confirm which set applies to a specific project with the developer or HDB. Under the earlier rules full privatisation came at 10 years; under the new rules it is 15. Only once fully privatised may an EC be sold to anyone, including foreigners and companies.

3. Private Apartments/Condominiums

Private apartments are privatized residential properties in Singapore. The difference from public housing is that purchasing public housing means buying the “leasehold” of the unit, which does not include the “land title.” The common land tenures in Singapore are mainly 99-year leasehold, 999-year leasehold, and freehold. Due to limited land resources, 999-year and freehold tenures are now less common, with most new launches on the market being 99-year leaseholds.

Private condominiums generally come with standard facilities, including a swimming pool, tennis court, gym, function room, children’s playground, 24-hour security, and parking.

In terms of design and amenities, private condominiums are not significantly different from the aforementioned ECs, as both are developed and sold by private developers. The biggest difference is the price advantage of ECs, which are about 20% to 30% cheaper than comparable private condominiums. However, the buying and selling of private condominiums are much more flexible. Foreigners can purchase these types of apartments without restrictions.

What’s the difference between a Condominium and an Apartment?

Here we want to specifically mention the difference between a condominium and an apartment. In conversation, it’s easy to get them confused.

You might hear a real estate agent tell you: “These two projects are similar in every way, but one is an Apartment, and the other is a Condo. The Condo is more expensive.” Seemingly similar private residences, some are classified as Condominiums, while others are Apartments.

According to the Urban Redevelopment Authority’s (URA) definition, both apartments and condominiums are non-landed private residences. The main difference lies in their land size and the number of facilities. A private residential project must have a site area of at least 1,000 square meters to be classified as an apartment; it must be at least 4,000 square meters to be classified as a condominium. Condominiums are also required to allocate more space for common areas and recreational facilities.

Overall, condominiums are usually larger than apartments and have more comprehensive facilities. However, with the emergence of many small-scale private residential projects in recent years, the line between these two property types has become increasingly blurred. The best way to accurately determine if a project is a condominium or an apartment is to search for its classification information on the URA website.

Besides apartments, other property types can also be easily confused with condominiums, such as Cluster Housing and Townhouses. Although they fall under Strata Sub-divided Housing, these two types of private residences are actually landed properties. The only difference is that the land title is shared by all unit owners, and they typically share facilities such as swimming pools, parking lots, security, children’s playgrounds, and barbecue pits.

4. Landed Properties

Landed properties in Singapore refer to what we commonly call villas or bungalows. Because land is scarce, foreigners are generally not allowed to buy landed residential property. Approval from the Singapore Land Authority (SLA/LDAU) is possible in principle but is granted only rarely and on strict conditions. One practical exception: a strata-landed home — a townhouse or cluster house — that sits within an approved condominium development is not treated as restricted property, and a foreigner may buy it without approval.

The Most Common Dilemmas When Buying Property in Singapore

We hope that after reading this article, you have a basic understanding of residences and apartments in Singapore.

Among my clients, one of the most common dilemmas is “Should I buy a condo?” Many also struggle with choosing between a “99-year leasehold or freehold” and “a new launch or a resale property.” At their core, these dilemmas are all asking about “the value of the property,” “its potential for appreciation,” and “whether it’s worth spending more on a high-end property.” We need to conduct specific research and analysis for each particular development.

Eligibility rules and quotas change with policy, so always confirm the current position with HDB, URA or SLA before signing anything.

Official sources

• URA — Flats & Condominiums: Site Area
• SLA — Foreign Ownership of Property (restricted residential property)
• HDB — Couples and Families (eligibility and citizenship conditions)
• HDB resale flat prices dataset (data.gov.sg)

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