Singapore CPF housing limits and accrued interest refunds

CPF housing use depends on valuation, loan type and remaining lease, with a separate refund obligation when the home is sold.

Usage cap basis

Lower of purchase price and valuation at purchaseCPF Board, housing usage limits

Bank-loan cap

120% of that value, subject to retirement-sum and lease conditionsCPF Board, housing usage limits

Full-lease benchmark

Remaining lease covers youngest CPF user until age 95CPF Board, housing usage limits

General housing refund

CPF principal used plus accrued interestCPF Board, property refunds

Valuation and bank-loan limits

The usage cap is based on the lower of purchase price and valuation at purchase. For bank-financed HDB or private property, usage can continue to 120% of that value after each owner sets aside the Basic Retirement Sum, subject to lease conditions. CPF Board, housing usage limits (opens in a new tab).

HDB loans and shorter leases

For resale HDB flats with HDB loans, OA savings can continue to be used for the remaining housing loan once the Basic Retirement Sum is set aside. New HDB flats with HDB loans allow use for the full purchase price. If the remaining lease cannot cover the youngest CPF user to age 95, a prorated limit applies and cannot be exceeded by setting aside the retirement sum. CPF Board, housing usage limits (opens in a new tab).

What accrued interest means

Accrued interest is interest the withdrawn savings would have earned had they remained in CPF. CPF Board, accrued interest on housing savings (opens in a new tab).

Refunding on sale

Generally, a sale requires refunding CPF principal used plus accrued interest. Property pledges and certain pre-2013 arrangements affect the requirement. If a market-value sale leaves insufficient proceeds after the housing loan, the refund is limited to those proceeds without a cash top-up for the shortfall. CPF Board, property refunds (opens in a new tab).

Scope

This is general information, with no housing-use calculation or refund estimate. Individual property, lease, retirement and historical circumstances determine the applicable treatment.

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