Summary
More than 18,000 HDB flats were selected for the Home Improvement Programme (HIP) in May 2026, with more than S$253 million set aside, the Housing & Development Board (HDB) said on 15 May.
For Singapore Citizen households, Essential Improvements are fully funded by the government, and optional items cost as little as 5% of their price, depending on flat type, HDB says. HIP goes ahead only if at least 75% of eligible citizen households vote for it.
What this means for HDB owners and buyers
Which flats qualify
HIP began in 2007 for about 320,000 flats built up to 1986 that had not been through the Main Upgrading Programme. In August 2018 it was extended to about 230,000 flats built between 1987 and 1997, HDB says. About 512,000 flats, or 9 in 10 eligible flats, have been selected so far, and close to 409,000 have completed HIP works, HDB said in May.
What the programme covers
| Package | Who pays (citizen households) |
|---|---|
| Essential Improvements | Government, in full |
| Optional Improvements, such as the toilet upgrade | Owner pays 5% to 12.5% |
| Enhancement for Active Seniors (EASE) | Owner pays 5% to 12.5% |
Sources: HDB, 15 May 2026; HDB's HIP page.
You can turn down the toilet upgrade only if your toilet passes a water test, which floods the floor to at least 10 mm for four hours at no cost to you, HDB's booklet says. If the test shows a leak into the flat below, the upgrade becomes compulsory. Skip the test, or skip the upgrade after failing it, and you are fully responsible for future leak repairs for six years; after that, the owners above and below share responsibility for ceiling leaks under the lease.
What it costs
| Flat type | Owner's share | Owner pays, full optional package | Government pays |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-, 2- and 3-room | 5% | S$599.50 | S$11,390.50 |
| 4-room | 7.5% | S$899.25 | S$11,090.75 |
| 5-room | 10% | S$1,199.00 | S$10,791.00 |
| Executive | 12.5% | S$1,498.75 | S$10,491.25 |
HDB estimates including 9% GST, for a citizen household taking every optional item with a fire-rated door and alarm device. HDB says the final amount is set only when works are complete. Sources: HDB's HIP page; HDB, Annex B to its 15 May 2026 release.
Permanent resident households have to pay the full upgrading cost, though not for optional or EASE items they decline, and they cannot vote in the poll, HDB says.
The vote and the timeline
Because the 75% threshold counts eligible citizen households, not votes cast, a household that does not vote does not help reach it. Permanent resident households cannot vote.
After a successful poll, owners have six weeks to choose their optional and EASE items, according to HDB's booklet. Inside each flat, works take 10 working days or less, and a typical precinct takes about 1.5 to 2 years, HDB says.
When the bill arrives
HDB bills only after the upgrading works in the whole precinct are complete and the costs are finalised, and it bills whoever owns the flat on the billing date.
Illustration: a 4-room flat in a selected block
Illustration only. ProprKey calculation using HDB's published estimates.
- A citizen household that takes every optional item pays about S$899.25, and the government pays about S$11,090.75 of the S$11,990 package.
- A permanent resident household in the same block, which pays the full upgrading cost under HDB's rules, would pay the whole S$11,990 for the same items.
- If 100 eligible citizen households are polled, at least 75 must vote yes for HIP to proceed.
What to do next
- Look up your block on HDB's HIP page for polling dates and results, and return your vote: https://www.hdb.gov.sg/managing-my-home/upgrading-and-redevelopment/home-improvement-programme-hip
- If your block could be polled soon, check its status before you renovate the toilet or replace the main door yourself.
- Before you opt out of the toilet upgrade, ask whether your toilet is likely to pass the water test.
- Buying an older resale flat? Ask the seller whether the block has been polled, upgraded or billed, since HDB bills whoever owns the flat on the billing date. Compare older flats for sale: https://proprkey.com/en/properties?segment=buyer&mode=buy
- For work beyond the HIP, compare verified renovation contractors: https://proprkey.com/en/pros?segment=trades