1966 the oldest HDB lease you can still buy
3 blocks on Teban Gardens Road in Jurong East carry a lease that began in 1966. On a 99-year term they run out in 2065, about 39 years from now. Another 111 blocks across Singapore still carry a 1960s lease.
A 99-year lease signed in 1966 runs out in 2065, the year Singapore turns 100. The flat and the country have been running on almost the same clock. That is worth remembering when lease decay gets discussed as if it were only a spreadsheet problem.
Keith Teo, CheckHowMuch
The oldest leases still trading
Every block below began its lease before 1970. They are ordered by lease start, then by median resale price. Years left is calculated from a 99-year term against Aug 2026.
| # | Block | Lease start | Expires | Years left | Median price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blk 38 Teban Gardens Road | 1966 | 2065 | 39 | $235,000 |
| 2 | Blk 37 Teban Gardens Road | 1966 | 2065 | 39 | $241,000 |
| 3 | Blk 39 Teban Gardens Road | 1966 | 2065 | 39 | $286,500 |
| 4 | Blk 55 Lorong 5 Toa Payoh | 1967 | 2066 | 40 | $212,500 |
| 5 | Blk 54 Lorong 5 Toa Payoh | 1967 | 2066 | 40 | $241,000 |
| 6 | Blk 94 Lorong 4 Toa Payoh | 1967 | 2066 | 40 | $242,000 |
| 7 | Blk 58 Lorong 4 Toa Payoh | 1967 | 2066 | 40 | $247,500 |
| 8 | Blk 22 Balam Road | 1967 | 2066 | 40 | $250,000 |
| 9 | Blk 56 Lorong 4 Toa Payoh | 1967 | 2066 | 40 | $256,000 |
| 10 | Blk 19 Balam Road | 1967 | 2066 | 40 | $260,000 |
| 11 | Blk 24 Balam Road | 1967 | 2066 | 40 | $260,000 |
| 12 | Blk 92 Commonwealth Drive | 1967 | 2066 | 40 | $260,000 |
| 13 | Blk 92 Lorong 4 Toa Payoh | 1967 | 2066 | 40 | $260,000 |
| 14 | Blk 63 Circuit Road | 1967 | 2066 | 40 | $268,000 |
| 15 | Blk 66 Circuit Road | 1967 | 2066 | 40 | $270,000 |
| 16 | Blk 61 Lorong 5 Toa Payoh | 1967 | 2066 | 40 | $270,000 |
| 17 | Blk 90 Commonwealth Drive | 1967 | 2066 | 40 | $272,900 |
| 18 | Blk 95 Lorong 4 Toa Payoh | 1967 | 2066 | 40 | $275,500 |
| 19 | Blk 86 Commonwealth Close | 1967 | 2066 | 40 | $276,500 |
| 20 | Blk 20 Balam Road | 1967 | 2066 | 40 | $279,000 |
| 21 | Blk 28 Hoy Fatt Road | 1967 | 2066 | 40 | $280,000 |
| 22 | Blk 23 Balam Road | 1967 | 2066 | 40 | $280,000 |
| 23 | Blk 65 Circuit Road | 1967 | 2066 | 40 | $280,000 |
| 24 | Blk 62 Circuit Road | 1967 | 2066 | 40 | $281,000 |
| 25 | Blk 95 Commonwealth Drive | 1967 | 2066 | 40 | $282,500 |
| 26 | Blk 87 Commonwealth Close | 1967 | 2066 | 40 | $285,000 |
| 27 | Blk 89 Commonwealth Drive | 1967 | 2066 | 40 | $285,000 |
| 28 | Blk 21 Balam Road | 1967 | 2066 | 40 | $286,500 |
| 29 | Blk 82 Commonwealth Close | 1967 | 2066 | 40 | $287,000 |
| 30 | Blk 28 Jalan Bukit Merah | 1967 | 2066 | 40 | $292,500 |
Showing the 30 oldest of 114 blocks with a 1960s lease. Each block links to its full transaction record. This table ranks by when a lease started. For blocks ranked by how many years are left, which is the figure that governs financing, see HDB blocks with the shortest remaining lease.
Where Singapore's oldest leases are
The 1960s stock is concentrated in the older estates ringing the city. Geylang, Toa Payoh, Queenstown hold 98 of the 114 blocks between them.
| Town | Blocks with a 1960s lease | Earliest lease | Median price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Geylang | 36 | 1967 | $270,000 |
| Toa Payoh | 31 | 1967 | $275,500 |
| Queenstown | 31 | 1967 | $315,000 |
| Bukit Merah | 8 | 1967 | $314,000 |
| Kallang/Whampoa | 5 | 1969 | $311,000 |
| Jurong East | 3 | 1966 | $241,000 |
How old is Singapore's HDB stock?
Lease start decade for all 9,733 blocks with a recorded resale. The 1980s building boom still dominates the resale market, which means the bulk of Singapore's flats will reach the end of their leases in the 2080s.
About this analysis
Source: HDB resale transactions published on data.gov.sg,
covering January 2017 to Aug 2026. Lease start is HDB's own lease_commence_date field.
Years left assumes the standard 99-year term and is measured against Aug 2026.
"Oldest" means the oldest lease among blocks with at least one recorded resale since 2017. A flat with an older lease could exist without having changed hands in that window, so this is the oldest lease you could actually have bought, not necessarily the oldest lease in existence.
One caveat worth stating plainly. Among the 23 recorded sales at the 1966 blocks, a single transaction carries a lease start of 1981 in HDB's data. Its own remaining-lease figure points to an expiry in 2065, which is consistent with 1966 and not with 1981, so we treat the 1981 value as a data-entry error. Every other transaction at those blocks agrees on 1966.
Median price is the median of each block's median recorded resale price, not a per-transaction median, so it describes the typical block rather than the typical sale. Blocks with few transactions will be noisier.
Frequently asked questions
What is the oldest HDB flat in Singapore?
The oldest HDB leases still changing hands began in 1966, at 3 blocks on Teban Gardens Road in Jurong East. On a 99-year lease those run to 2065, leaving about 39 years as of Aug 2026. Older flats exist, but this is the oldest lease among blocks with a recorded resale since 2017.
How many HDB blocks still have a 1960s lease?
114 blocks, across 6 towns: Geylang (36), Toa Payoh (31), Queenstown (31), Bukit Merah (8), Kallang/Whampoa (5), Jurong East (3). Together they account for 2,538 recorded resale transactions since 2017, and 92 of the 114 have sold within the last two calendar years.
What happens when an HDB lease runs out?
The flat returns to the state and the owner receives no compensation, because the lease has been fully consumed. HDB has said most flats will be returned at the end of their 99 years. This is why remaining lease, not age, is the figure that matters when you buy.
Can you still get a bank loan or use CPF on a very old flat?
It gets harder as the lease shortens. CPF usage and loan quantum are tied to whether the remaining lease covers the youngest buyer to age 95, so a flat with roughly 39 years left restricts how much CPF and financing a younger buyer can apply to it. Check the current CPF and HDB rules before committing, as the thresholds are set by policy and change.
Are old HDB flats a bad buy?
Not automatically, but the maths differs from a newer flat. A shorter lease means a lower entry price and, usually, a location closer to town. It also means the asset is consuming its remaining value faster and will be worth nothing at expiry. Whether that trade is sensible depends on how long you intend to hold it and what you would otherwise pay nearby.
Check the lease on your own block
Search any of Singapore's 9,733 HDB blocks to see its lease start, years remaining, and full transaction record.