Freehold vs 99-Year Leasehold Condo in Singapore
Tenure is the most argued-about line on a Singapore condo listing, and most of the argument happens without numbers. This page puts our own entry price per square foot side by side with the rules that genuinely change between freehold and 99-year leasehold, so the choice can be made on facts rather than folklore.
What the numbers actually say
Tenure is the single most argued-about line on a Singapore condo listing, and most of the argument is conducted without numbers. Here is what our own stock actually shows, alongside the rules that genuinely change depending on which one you buy.
What our own listings show
Across the 19 new launch developments we are currently marketing — 75 unit types with a published size and price — this is how entry psf falls by tenure.
| Tenure | Unit types | Median psf | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 99-year leasehold | 59 | $2,721 | $2,079 – $3,991 |
| Freehold | 12 | $2,630 | $2,310 – $6,559 |
| 999-year leasehold | 4 | $3,278 | $3,220 – $3,447 |
The freehold median sits below the 99-year median. That is not a statement about which tenure is worth more — it is a statement about where the stock happens to be. Our freehold new launches are in D20, D05 and D02; our 99-year stock includes D01, D03 and D09, where land is dearer whatever the tenure. District moves psf further than tenure does. If you take one thing from this page, take that.
The same picture, project by project
| Project | District | Tenure | Entry psf |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sora | D22 | 99-yr | $2,079 |
| Narra Residences | D23 | 99-yr | $2,195 |
| Artisan 8 | D20 | Freehold | $2,310 |
| The Hillshore | D05 | Freehold | $2,381 |
| Hudson Place Residences | D05 | 99-yr | $2,411 |
| Chuan Park | D19 | 99-yr | $2,493 |
| Union Square Residences | D01 | 99-yr | $2,702 |
| Zyon Grand | D03 | 99-yr | $3,065 |
| Newport Residences | D02 | Freehold | $3,201 |
| The Robertson Opus | D09 | 999-yr | $3,220 |
| River Green | D09 | 99-yr | $3,321 |
Entry psf is the lowest we currently hold in that project. The full 19-project breakdown by bedroom type is on our new launch condo psf page.
What actually changes when you change tenure
| Freehold / 999-year | 99-year leasehold | |
|---|---|---|
| Stamp duty | Identical | Identical |
| ABSD | Identical | Identical |
| Loan-to-value cap | Same MAS limits | Same MAS limits, but lenders set their own view on remaining lease |
| CPF usage | No lease-based restriction | Pro-rated if the remaining lease does not cover the youngest buyer to age 95; none at all below 20 years remaining |
| Seller's Stamp Duty | Identical — four years from exercise | Identical |
| Collective sale | Possible; owners hold the land outright | Possible, but the lease position affects what a developer will pay and a lease top-up needs state approval |
| Supply | Almost all new government land sales are 99-year, so freehold stock is mostly older or from private redevelopment | The bulk of new launches |
CPF rules: CPF Board. Loan-to-value and tenure limits: MAS. Stamp duty: Ministry of Finance.
The CPF rule that catches people out
This is the one concrete, dated way a shorter lease costs you money, and it applies at purchase, not at some distant point in the future.
- If the remaining lease covers the youngest buyer to age 95, CPF Ordinary Account use is not restricted by the lease.
- If it does not, CPF use is pro-rated. CPF's own worked example: two 25-year-old buyers, a 65-year remaining lease and a $550,000 property gives a maximum CPF use of $495,000, or 90%.
- Below 20 years remaining, no CPF may be used at all.
On a new launch this rarely binds, because the lease is fresh. On older leasehold resale stock it decides how much cash you need on completion, so work it out before you make an offer rather than after.
Source: CPF Board.
What we will not tell you
We will not tell you which tenure will be worth more later. Nobody knows, and a salesperson who says otherwise is guessing at your expense. What we will do is show you the comparable transactions for the specific development you are looking at, the remaining lease on the exact unit, the CPF position for your ages, and what your banker will actually lend against it. Then the choice is yours to make on facts.
How to decide
- Holding it for a long time, or passing it on? The lease-decay and CPF questions matter more to you, so a longer tenure removes a variable.
- Buying a home for the next ten to fifteen years? Location, layout and the monthly cost will dominate the outcome far more than tenure will.
- Working to a fixed cash budget? Run the CPF pro-ration first. On older leasehold it can move the cash you need by tens of thousands.
- Comparing two specific units? Compare psf in the same district first. Our data shows tenure moves psf far less than district does.
Where this fits
For entry psf across all 19 new launches by bedroom type, see our new launch condo psf comparison. For the full cost of buying, including the CPF limits in detail, see condo buying costs in Singapore. For how buying off a plan differs from a completed unit, read new launch versus resale, and for what the floor area actually includes, condo floor plans explained. Every project we are marketing is compared on the new launch condo hub.
Compare a specific project
Rates and rules on this page are current as at September 2026 and come from the official sources linked beside each section. Prices and sizes are indicative and move with availability. Nothing here is tax, legal or financial advice — check your own position with your conveyancing lawyer and your banker. Finest SRI is part of SRI Pte Ltd, agency licence L3010738A; every listing is handled by a CEA-registered salesperson.