If your family needs a place to live and cannot rely on family support or other housing options, check HDB’s Public Rental Scheme (PRS). HDB assesses applications holistically, looking at household income, size, housing budget and individual circumstances. Use the actual circumstances of your family when enquiring instead of trying to decide from an old income figure alone.
Start with who needs housing, when your current arrangement ends and what other options you have already considered. HDB’s published family criteria and its information on ComLink+ can help you identify the right route. If your situation does not fit the standard examples, ask HDB how to present it and what records it needs.
- Check whether the Public Rental Scheme is the relevant route.
- List the people who need a home and their circumstances.
- Check how ComLink+ applies where there are children under 21.
- Explain housing options, the budget and actual deadlines.
- Keep a separate plan for immediate accommodation if needed.
Find the section you need
Start with family eligibility, the household information or what to do while a request is being assessed.
Chapters 1–3
HDB describes public rental as an option for people with no family support or other housing options. It is distinct from an owner renting out a flat on the open market and from a household applying to buy. If you are uncertain about the right route, explain the circumstances that brought you to the enquiry. It may help HDB identify which scheme or other assistance should be considered.
Use the current assessment approach
HDB says it looks at household income, household size, housing budget and individual circumstances holistically. The fact that one household was approved does not establish what will happen for another. Likewise, a figure from an older article does not settle whether HDB can consider your current request. Write down the facts HDB says it will assess and be clear where they have changed.
You can describe the situation without assuming an outcome. Identify the current place to stay, why it may be ending and the people who would need to move. Add the date and any evidence you have. If accommodation is available for a limited period, explain the limit rather than describing the household simply as housed or unhoused. It gives the person assessing the enquiry a clearer picture of the timeline.
HDB’s published Family Scheme criteria include a Singapore Citizen applicant aged at least 21 and another Singapore Citizen or Singapore Permanent Resident to form a qualifying family nucleus. HDB lists family arrangements for different circumstances, including spouses, certain parents and children, and siblings in the case of orphaned applicants. Check the exact criteria and the details for your household.
When the standard example does not fit
HDB says some households may also request rental housing, including certain unmarried single parents, non-citizen single parents with a Singapore Citizen child and divorced parents with shared care and control. HDB says it will consider those requests in the circumstances and in the best interests of the children. An enquiry is the useful first step where the household’s arrangements do not match a standard example.
HDB says that where there are children below 21, the application comes under the ComLink+ Rental Scheme, with the same eligibility conditions as the Family Scheme. Read HDB’s current information and ask what applies. Keep the children’s actual living and care arrangements clear. If any relevant record has changed, ask how to provide the latest evidence rather than submitting a description you know is out of date.
| Question | What to record |
|---|---|
| Who needs a home? | Household members, relationships and actual circumstances |
| When is it needed? | Current address and the date it may cease to be available |
| What else is available? | Family support and other housing options considered |
| What can the family sustain? | Income, budget and relevant commitments |
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List the family members who need housing, the relationships and any circumstances that affect where people live. Then list the current address and the date it is expected to become unavailable, if known. Explain what family support and other housing arrangements have been considered and why they may not work. Keep the reasons factual, including constraints that can be verified.
Give the housing budget a timeline
Record the household’s current income and the regular obligations that affect what it can afford. If income varies, explain the pattern and bring the information HDB requests. Put an expected change in work or costs next to its date. A monthly figure that applied several months ago may no longer explain the family’s circumstances. Use the official process to confirm what evidence HDB wants rather than sending sensitive records through an informal channel.
A short timeline can help. Start when the current housing began, mark the event that changed the situation and identify the next date that matters. For a family with children, add important practical constraints such as care and school travel where relevant. Keep confirmed and expected dates separate. This can make it easier to explain what support would be useful now and what the family needs longer term.
Make the reason for the enquiry easy to understand
An agency needs a description of the household rather than a folder of documents with no explanation. Prepare a short statement showing the people affected, current circumstances and next housing deadline. Add the details that explain why an arrangement is unavailable or cannot last. If a proposed option has a cost the household cannot sustain, write the expected amount and what it would leave for other necessary spending.
When describing family support, give the actual limits. A person may be able to stay with relatives for two weeks but have no practical arrangement after that. A second relative may be able to help with childcare without having space for the household. Describe both accurately. The same applies to a potential rental. An advertised price does not show whether it is suitable for the people who need to live there or whether it can be funded.
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An enquiry, submission, assessment and possible offer are different stages. Ask HDB which stage you are at and what happens next. Confirm the official channel and what to do if the household situation changes while a request is being assessed. Keep a dated record of information sent and any request for further documents.
Check where the family can stay while waiting
If your current arrangement is ending soon, explain the timing when seeking help. Do not plan around an assumed approval or move-in date. Identify where the family can safely stay while the case is reviewed, what it would cost and how long it is available. If the immediate situation is difficult, ask the relevant housing or social support agencies about options for the actual circumstances.
If a relative can offer a short stay, confirm the dates and any limits. If another arrangement would require payments, put those on a cash calendar. Ask the family members responsible for school, work or care whether the temporary plan is practical. These steps help you assess the period before any longer-term arrangement is confirmed.
Check affordability if HDB offers a flat
Ask for the actual rent, any deposit and the timing of payments. HDB publishes a separate rents and deposits guide for public rental. Use the information that applies to the household rather than planning around a price quoted for a different case. Keep the first payment and the recurring rent in different rows.
Add practical expenses such as moving, transport and essential items. Ask what must be arranged before taking possession and where to go if something is unclear. Consider who will check the route to school, work or care and which needs have to be addressed first. A household can be relieved to receive an offer while still needing a practical plan for the move and the first month.
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A parent and children have been staying with relatives, but the arrangement can only continue for a short period. The parent does not start by trying to find a single qualifying number online. They write down the household, the date the current arrangement ends and the other housing routes they have tried. They ask HDB whether the family should make a request and what information it needs.
Handle the next week and the next home separately
The parent confirms what support is available for the immediate period, then keeps the PRS enquiry and the temporary plan in separate rows. When an adviser asks why a different option is difficult, the parent can explain the actual cost and dates. If the current arrangement changes, the parent can report the updated circumstances instead of letting an old estimate stand.
Another household may have no fixed end date but cannot make the current arrangement work longer term. It records that fact, explains the practical constraints and asks how to proceed. Both households can prepare without assuming the same decision will be made. Each assessment depends on the facts and official requirements for that family.
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Read the request carefully and identify what fact it is meant to establish. Check whether HDB needs a document about a person, an amount, the current housing or an event date. If the information is unavailable, ask what else is appropriate. Keep the request and the response together so you can see what has already been addressed.
Ask a specific follow-up question
Instead of asking only whether the family qualifies, say what stage you have reached and which point remains unclear. Ask whether a changed household member, different income pattern or a revised move date needs an update. This gives HDB a concrete issue to answer. If family members need help understanding the next step, share only the information necessary and keep the official confirmation accessible.
After a response, update the family’s next date and the housing plan. A request for further information can leave both unchanged or require action soon. Do not treat it as a decision on the whole case. Record the actual result and any later steps once HDB confirms them.
Plan how you will communicate a change
Decide who will monitor the application and who can provide new information. A changed address, move deadline or household arrangement should be described with the date and the supporting facts. Ask HDB which channel it wants you to use. Keep private records in the official process and retain what was submitted.
If the household needs help organising information, ask an appropriate support worker or trusted person to assist, while making sure the people affected understand what is being submitted. A helper can keep dates and documents in order. The circumstances should still be described in the household’s own terms. After each update, review whether the immediate housing plan remains available and whether anyone who handles school or care needs to know.
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Can I check PRS just by comparing income?
HDB says it assesses income along with household size, housing budget and individual circumstances. Check the official criteria and give it the relevant facts.
What if a parent does not fit the standard family examples?
Check HDB’s published information on households that may still request housing, and ask how to present the actual circumstances.
Is ComLink+ a different eligibility test?
HDB says families with children below 21 apply under ComLink+ Rental and that its eligibility conditions are the same as the Family Scheme. Verify the current process for your household.
What should I prepare before contacting HDB?
- The people who need housing and their actual circumstances.
- The current arrangement and the date it may end.
- The other housing options and family support considered.
- Income and housing budget information.
- Questions about the next step and immediate accommodation.
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