You can use CPF Ordinary Account savings for a home up to a CPF housing limit, in full only if the remaining lease covers the youngest buyer to age 95, and you refund what you used plus accrued interest when you sell.
Reviewed by the Swee Homes data desk on 9 Oct 2026. Sources: CPF Board, MAS. Next check due 7 Jan 2027.
What CPF OA savings can pay for
OA savings can be used to buy a HDB flat, or buy or build private and residential properties in Singapore. OA savings can also be used for downpayment and housing loan taken for the property purchase, stamp and legal fees, loan taken for the construction of your house and the purchase of vacant land (for private properties only), as well as Home Protection Scheme premiums (for HDB flats only).
For HDB or DBSS flats, OA savings may be used for: direct payment of the purchase price to HDB, the DBSS developer or sellers; repayment of the housing loan in part or whole and/or the monthly instalments of the housing loan; stamp duty, legal fees and other related costs of the purchase or mortgage; and the costs of upgrading under the HDB Main Upgrading Programme and the Town Council Lift Upgrading Programme.
The amount of CPF savings to be withdrawn each month for instalment payments shall not exceed the amount required for the monthly repayment of the housing loan.
You have to be insured under the CPF Home Protection Scheme if you are using your CPF savings to service the housing loan for your HDB flat or DBSS flat.
What CPF cannot pay for
For HDB or DBSS flats, CPF savings cannot be used for: booking fees, option fees or deposit; resale levy; construction works, improvements, repairs and/or renovation; monthly service and conservancy charges, rates, taxes and other charges; repayment of non-housing loans and miscellaneous costs (penalties, insurance charges); and any purchase price above the lower of the purchase price or the valuation price of a resale flat at the time of purchase.
For private residential properties, CPF savings cannot be used for: option fees to developers or sellers; construction works, improvements, repairs and/or renovation; monthly service and conservancy charges, rates, taxes and other charges; repayment of non-housing loans and miscellaneous costs (penalties, insurance charges); and any purchase price above the lower of the purchase price or the valuation price of a resale private property at the time of purchase.
When a resale flat is sold above HDB's valuation, the price above the market valuation is known as Cash Over Valuation (COV). You cannot use your Ordinary Account monies to pay for the COV and can only use cash.
How much of the downpayment must be cash
For a first bank housing loan at 75% loan-to-value, 5% of the price must be paid in cash and the remaining 20% downpayment can be paid using CPF savings. (HDB housing loan: the minimum downpayment is 20% of the purchase price, which can be fully paid using Ordinary Account savings.)
MAS sets a higher minimum cash downpayment in other cases: 10% where the bank loan is at 55% loan-to-value (no outstanding housing loan), and 25% where the borrower already has one or more outstanding housing loans.
The CPF housing limit: how much you can use
CPF applies a cap on how much OA savings can go into one property. The amount of CPF Ordinary Account (OA) savings you can use depends on: remaining lease of the property; type of property; loan type; and whether it is your first or subsequent property. CPF savings used to pay for stamp duty, legal fees and upgrading costs are not included in the CPF housing limit.
If the remaining lease of the property covers the youngest buyer using CPF until age 95, you can use your CPF OA up to the lower of the purchase price or the valuation price of the property at the time of purchase.
The cap works differently by property and loan type. In the first case below, T&C means CPF's terms and conditions for using CPF under the housing scheme.
New HDB flat purchased directly from HDB with an HDB loan: you and your co-owners (if any) may use your respective OA savings for the full purchase price of the flat, including any housing loan taken. (T&C: with no loan, up to the purchase price or such amount as may be required by HDB; with an HDB loan, up to the purchase price or the housing loan taken.)
Resale HDB flat with an HDB loan: you and your co-owners (if any) may use your respective OA savings up to the lower of the purchase price and the valuation price at the time of purchase. Once this limit is reached, you can continue to use your OA savings for the remaining housing loan if you have set aside your respective Basic Retirement Sum (BRS) in your CPF accounts.
HDB flat or private property with a bank loan: you and your co-owners (if any) may use your respective OA savings up to the lower of the purchase price and the valuation price at the time of purchase. Once this limit is reached, you can continue to use your OA savings up to 120% of the lower of the purchase price and the valuation price at the time of purchase if you have set aside your respective BRS in your CPF accounts.
For private residential property bought from 1 September 2002 with a remaining lease that can cover the youngest owner using CPF till age 95: up to the lower of the purchase price or the valuation price if you cannot set aside the BRS; up to an additional 20% of that lower price if you can set aside the BRS. For property bought before 1 September 2002 the second case is up to the housing loan taken.
Going above the limit: the Basic Retirement Sum condition
Above the first limit, CPF allows more OA usage only when you set aside your Basic Retirement Sum (BRS). This applies in two cases. For a resale flat with an HDB loan, you can keep using OA savings for the remaining housing loan. For a bank loan, you can use OA savings up to a higher cap.
For members age 55 and above, the Basic Retirement Sum (BRS) is half of the Full Retirement Sum (FRS) which depends on the year you turn 55 and will remain the same for life. For members below 55, the BRS is half of the prevailing FRS in the year. Savings from your Retirement Account or Special Account and OA can be used to meet the requirement.
The remaining lease rule
The age 95 test in the housing limit section decides whether you get the full limit. When the lease falls short, a reduced limit applies.
If the remaining lease cannot cover the youngest buyer using CPF until age 95, you and your co-owners can use your respective OA savings only up to a percentage of the lower of the purchase price or the valuation price at the time of purchase. When the total CPF usage for all owners reaches this pro-rated limit, you will not be able to use further OA savings for the property, regardless of whether you have set aside your Basic Retirement Sum.
CPF gives the reduced limits as a table. It is written out here as text.
Table 1, maximum CPF usage as a percentage of the lower of the purchase price or valuation price, for property bought from 10 May 2019 whose lease does not cover the youngest owner till age 95. Remaining lease 70 years and above: 100% at ages 25, 35, 45 and 55. Remaining lease 60 years: 80% at age 25, 100% at ages 35, 45 and 55. Remaining lease 50 years: 60% at age 25, 75% at age 35, 100% at ages 45 and 55. Remaining lease 40 years: 40% at age 25, 50% at age 35, 67% at age 45, 100% at age 55. CPF calls this a rough guide, by age of the youngest owner using CPF.
For HDB flats, DBSS flats and private residential property bought from 10 May 2019 whose lease does not cover the youngest owner till age 95, no CPF savings can be used if the remaining lease is 20 years or less at the time of purchase.
Earlier purchases follow different dates.
For HDB or DBSS flats bought from 1 July 2013 but before 10 May 2019 (and private property bought from 19 July 2005 but before 10 May 2019) with a remaining lease of less than 60 years but at least 30 years, CPF usage is capped at a percentage of the lower of the purchase price or valuation price, computed from the remaining lease when the youngest eligible owner reaches age 55. Age plus remaining lease must be at least 80 years at the time of purchase. No CPF savings can be used if the remaining lease is less than 30 years.
A second or later property
For a second or subsequent property, you can only use your OA savings after setting aside the BRS or FRS, up to the CPF housing limit of the property. Set aside the BRS if the buyer has at least one property that can last him till age 95; set aside the FRS if the buyer has no property that can last him till age 95.
If you intend to sell your existing property (such that your new property would be your only property using CPF), you are given a 6-month grace period to do so, during which you do not have to set aside the applicable BRS or FRS. The grace period runs 6 months from the Temporary Occupation Permit date if the new property is under construction, or 6 months from the completion of purchase if it is a completed property.
What goes back to CPF when you sell
When the property is sold, transferred or otherwise disposed of during your lifetime regardless of your age, you are required to refund to your CPF account(s) the CPF principal amount withdrawn together with the accrued interest (P+I). If you are aged 55 or above and had pledged the property to make up your retirement sum, you will also be required to refund the pledged amount.
The interest part works like this.
The mandatory amount to refund includes funds used to pay for the property and any interest you would have earned if the funds had remained in your CPF account.
CPF also states the current Ordinary Account interest rate.
Ordinary Account interest rate from 1 October 2026 to 31 December 2026: 2.5% per annum. Reviewed quarterly, this rate is computed based on the 3-month average of major local banks' interest rates (subject to the legislated minimum interest of 2.5% per annum).
All CPF savings withdrawn for the property are secured by a CPF Charge against the property, imposed immediately upon release of the savings. The Charge stays in force until all CPF monies released for the property, including the interest accrued, are refunded into your CPF account(s).
Upon the sale or transfer of your property, the sale proceeds will be used to pay off the outstanding housing loan and refund the CPF amount used for your property and accrued interest, regardless of the Manner of Holding. Manner of Holding is CPF's term for how the owners hold the property.
You can check the amount to be refunded in the "What Happens If" section of your Home ownership dashboard, as if you were to sell your property now.
Where the refund goes, and special cases
If you are below 55, your housing refunds will be credited to your Ordinary Account (OA). If you are above 55, your housing refunds will first be used to top up your Retirement Account (RA) to meet your required retirement sum and the balance refunds will remain in your OA. CPF's wording here is 'below 55' and 'above 55', so a member who is exactly 55 should read CPF's refund page.
If you are aged 55 and above and plan to buy a 3-room or smaller HDB flat, you can use your RA savings in excess of your Basic Retirement Sum for your next property purchase if: you purchase the flat within 3 years after selling the previous property; the new flat costs less than what you sold the previous property for; and you have not been issued with a CPF LIFE plan, so there are available savings in your RA.
Your required CPF refund is less than P+I if you were aged 55 or older before 1 January 2013 and set aside your Full Retirement Sum before 1 January 2013. If you continued to use your CPF from 1 January 2013, only the principal used from 1 January 2013 and the accrued interest need to be refunded.
CPF refunds may take up to 15 working days to be credited to your CPF accounts.
If the sale price is not enough
If you have sold the property at market value but the selling price is not enough to cover the outstanding housing loan and the required CPF housing refund, you will only need to refund the selling price less the outstanding housing loan to your CPF account. You do not need to top up the shortfall in cash, as long as the property is sold at market value.
Option money you receive
Any option money (such as an option fee or option exercise fee) you receive from the buyer in cash is considered part of the selling price and must be refunded to your CPF account before the transaction can be completed.
The voluntary housing refund
A voluntary refund puts money back into CPF before any sale. CPF describes its effect on a later sale as follows.
If you have used your OA savings for your property, you can make a voluntary housing refund. The earlier you refund your CPF savings, the less you will need to refund upon the sale or transfer of the property, and you may receive more cash proceeds when you sell. After a voluntary refund you can re-use the refunded CPF savings for the various CPF approved schemes.
A voluntary housing refund can be made from the CPF website (my cpf digital services) or in the CPF Mobile app under Services, Voluntary Housing Refund, with Singpass login.
Common questions
Can I use CPF for the downpayment and the monthly instalments?
Yes. OA savings can pay the downpayment and the housing loan instalments. The amount of CPF savings to be withdrawn each month for instalment payments shall not exceed the amount required for the monthly repayment of the housing loan.
What can CPF not be used for when buying a home?
It cannot pay for fees such as option fees, for renovation, for monthly service and conservancy charges, or for Cash Over Valuation, which must be paid in cash.
How does the remaining lease affect how much CPF I can use?
It decides whether you get the full CPF housing limit or a reduced one. For HDB flats or DBSS flats bought from 10 May 2019, and private residential property bought from 10 May 2019, the full limit applies when the remaining lease can cover the youngest owner using CPF for the property till age 95.
How much do I refund to CPF when I sell my home?
You refund the CPF principal you used plus the accrued interest. You can check the amount to be refunded in the "What Happens If" section of your Home ownership dashboard, as if you were to sell your property now.
Which CPF account does the refund go into?
It goes into your Ordinary Account if you are below 55. If you are above 55, it first tops up your Retirement Account to the required retirement sum.
How much CPF should I use on my purchase?
How much you can use is CPF Board's rule, set out on this page; how much you should use is a household decision this page does not make. Freedom Age works through it with your own numbers.
Try the tool: the HDB lease-left calculator.
Where to go next
- Freedom Age: a household housing and retirement planning tool
- CPF Board: refund when selling or transferring property
Related guides
- How does an HDB resale flat purchase run, step by step?
- How much can I borrow for a home, and what are the loan limits: TDSR, MSR and LTV?
- How much stamp duty will I pay on a home?
- What is Seller's Stamp Duty (SSD), and how long must I hold a home to avoid it?
- When can I sell my HDB flat? (the Minimum Occupation Period)
About the data
Every figure on this page has its source and the date we checked it. We are not affiliated with any government body. General information, not financial advice.