Wills for HDB owners: what you can and can't leave behind
HDB rules around inheritance are stricter than private property. Here's what they mean for your will.
Leong Jun Jie, Founder & Estate Planner · View credentials
Published 4 May 2026, last updated 6 July 2026· 6 min read
In Singapore, your will decides who inherits your HDB flat, but only within HDB's eligibility rules. Your beneficiary still has to qualify under the same scheme as you (e.g. citizenship requirements, family nucleus rules), and how you hold the flat matters as much as what your will says.
Key takeaways
- Your will controls your HDB flat only within HDB's eligibility rules, your beneficiary must still qualify.
- Joint tenancy: the surviving owner automatically gets the whole flat, whatever your will says. Tenancy-in-common: each owner's share passes under their will.
- If a beneficiary doesn't qualify, HDB generally expects the flat to be sold or transferred to an eligible person within about 6 months, confirm the current policy with HDB.
What's the difference between joint tenancy and tenancy-in-common?
Most married couples hold their HDB as joint tenants. When one passes away, the survivor automatically gets the whole flat, your will doesn't change that. If you hold as tenants-in-common, each owner's share goes via their will.
| Joint tenancy | Tenancy-in-common | |
|---|---|---|
| When one owner dies | The survivor automatically owns the whole flat | The deceased owner's share passes under their will |
| Does your will control it? | No, survivorship applies regardless of the will | Yes, for your own share |
If you're not sure which you have, log in to HDB's e-Services or look at your title deed. Raintree asks you about this during our will-writing flow.
What if your beneficiary doesn't qualify?
If you leave your HDB flat to someone who doesn't meet HDB's rules, they'll typically need to sell it or transfer it to an eligible person. HDB generally expects this to be resolved within about 6 months, though it varies by case, confirm the current policy with HDB directly. Plan for this, naming a backup beneficiary is wise.
Whatever plan you choose, our partner law firm's review checks this before signing.
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