Getting married and applying for a BTO may be the grand dream for many young Singaporean couples, but the reality of the situation is that sometimes, the BTO can’t be built in time. Enter the Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme, or PPHS, which allows couples and children to cheaply rent a flat while awaiting the completion of their BTO.
It sounds like a deal too good to be true. Perhaps it is, but for some, it’s a cost-efficient way of having your own couple’s hideaway━if you can live with some of the issues that PPHS flats come with.
What is a PPHS HDB flat?
@musicianmandy we have our own affordable temporary home!! #pphs #hdbrental #bto
Before we get into what current and former PPHS tenants have to say about these flats, a PPHS flat is a temporary housing solution for couples and families with a household income under $7,000, as they await the completion of their new BTO. PPHS flats can be rented for a maximum of 3 years, subject to renewal if your BTO is still incomplete.
You can view the list of flats available for application on the HDB website. This list is updated on the 1st of even months in the year━February, April, June, et cetera. You’ll have to take note of the site expiry date on the PPHS flat, and ensure that it’s at least 4 months after the estimated completion date of your BTO.
Prices for a PPHS flat range from $400 for a 2-room flat to $1,500 for a 4-room apartment at time of writing. As with BTO applications, you pay a non-refundable administrative fee to submit your application, which is followed by a computerised ballot for a queue number.
If you’re successful, you’ll be invited to pick your flat━if you’re married with a Singaporean child aged below 18, are expecting parents, or intend to share the flat with another household that fulfils one of the above requirements, you enjoy priority allocation.
When you’ve picked a flat, you will have to visit HDB Hub to sign the tenancy agreement, collect your keys, and make payment for the first month’s rent, a one-month rental deposit, and a stamp fee.
@smallfamilybigopinions Things I wish I know before renting under PPHS #PPHS #HDB #fyp
Why you should take up a PPHS HDB flat
@nmardh Reply to @d.yvhh Made our own “room” so we’ll have a bigger space for the hall 😁!!!! #fypシ #singapore #houseoftiktok
We spoke to Tricia, who rented her PPHS flat in Commonwealth 2 years ago, about her experience. “It was a no-brainer, because we really wanted our own space after we’d gotten married,” she shared.
On whether she would recommend renting a PPHS HDB flat to other newly wed couples or young families━”Absolutely! I would 100% recommend doing so, and would do this all over again for the main advantage of living with your spouse. It feels really nice to live independently with your spouse, and have your own space to return to at the end of each day.
The rent is so cheap as well, and I got to live in Commonwealth, where the market rental rates are a lot more than the $550 that I pay monthly for my 2-room flat. It’s been much more convenient than I expected to live here in this rather central region.”
Tricia’s empty flat on handover.
Image credit: Tricia
If you look at the PPHS flat as a blank slate which you have almost complete liberty to makeover, it could well be a trial run for the eventual design of your BTO flat when it’s ready. The only catch is that you’ll have to use movable pieces of furniture, and cannot knock down the walls.
@ella_shylla Someone once told me.. “It’s not the house. It’s the people living in the house that makes a Home. So it’s ok to leave in a small house. So long your surrounded with love & care for one another. Big houses are always empty anyways”. ❤️ #hdbrentalflat #singapore #fyp #singaporehdbrental #2roomhdbrentalflat #sengkangwestway
Tricia shared that she’s seen other units install ceiling fans, paste on vinyl flooring, and add additional electrical outlets, which you might consider if you’re going to rent for a longer term.
Lots of loose furniture and plants have transformed Tricia’s flat into a cosy sanctuary.
Image credit: Tricia
Why you might not want to rent a PPHS HDB flat
Comes completely empty & unfurnished
@sourdoughbutter We called HDB for help and they told us the cracks are just superficial. No need to worry. #HDB #pphs #rental #fumigation
The flat comes to you with absolutely nothing━though some might comment that it comes with a bag of problems━and that includes fixtures like air conditioners. Here comes the next issue: if you do install any of these, you’ll have to remove them before you hand the unit back to HDB, the installation and hacking of which will all add on to the costs of living in a PPHS flat.
@sourdoughbutter Reply to @shawnn88 The August rain formed a painting on our kitchen wall. #pphs #hdb #rental
♬ Monkeys Spinning Monkeys – Kevin MacLeod & Kevin The Monkey
Selecting units without seeing them
However, there seems to be mixed sentiment online regarding the amenities that you will get in your unit. Some units come furnished with water heaters and new toilet fixtures; others have none. Since you’re picking the unit blind, it really boils down to Lady Luck when it comes to the flat you have picked. In Tricia’s words, “not every flat looks like (mine); we got very lucky with ours━there weren’t any major defects or issues after HDB had refurbished the flat before passing it over to us.”
@millymeera temporary place before our forever home ✨#hdbrental #rentalflatsg #tiktoksg
Seeking permission before modifications
You’ll also need to seek approval from your HDB branch before you commence any modification works to the flat, including the installation of window grilles and aircons. That’s not all━since many of the PPHS flats are rather mature, they may not come with electrical sockets that are compatible with modern AC units, so you’d need to put in extra cash to upgrade these.
The toilet situation in Tricia’s PPHS flat.
Image credit: Tricia
Higher maintenance required
As with everything as they get on in years, a PPHS flat comes with a greater need for maintenance. Tricia found herself having to purchase dehumidifiers because of the collection of humidity within the flat, which led to their furniture getting mouldy, and them having to dispose of and replace their furniture.
In addition, the toilets in Tricia’s apartment need to be cleaned and aired very frequently because of the lack of ventilation, leading to bacterial and mould growth, and paint peeling. She also warns of water leakage problems, which she found herself encountering a number of times.
Things to take note of before renting a PPHS HDB flat
The corridor outside Tricia’s flat.
Image credit: Tricia
Many of these flats are old, and with all old flats come their own set of issues: poor ventilation, leaky pipes, elderly neighbours with their own quirks and eccentricities, cluttered corridors, less-well-maintained estates and so on.
Recce locations before selecting your unit
Lemon8 user @maitingrituals recommends recce-ing the units and locations available before making your choice━they also suggest that you manage your expectations with regards to the state of the flat. Tricia echoes this sentiment; she found that picking the unit was tough because of how they could only view the outside of the units on offer.
Go to HDB with a shortlist
Other users on Lemon8 and TikTok also advise that you go for your HDB appointment with a shortlist of your preferred units, as you’ll have to pick a flat once you’re there and there’s no telling what other applicants immediately before you have chosen. For Tricia, this meant maximising her options by shortlisting units in Commonwealth, which had the most number of flats for rent in her exercise.
@sourdoughbutter Reply to @qijuly My first experience when I moved in last year. I’m your best real life example. Rmb to tape your chute. #hdb #pphs #rental
If you’re pest-averse, you might want to be careful about picking a very old estate that predates 1989, where rubbish chutes were installed within each flat. During routine fumigations, pests are bound to flee, and if your chute is not well sealed, the pests will end up dying en masse in your flat. As such, one thing you might want to consider putting on your to-do list, if you’re moving into a pre-1989 PPHS HDB flat, is checking the integrity of the rubbish chute.
The reality of living in a PPHS HDB flat as told by homeowners
@musicianmandy Replying to @Jessieblahx it’s empty, we have to furnish it ourselves. Thank you to family, friends, carousell and olio for helping to furnish our temporary home 🏠 #rental #pphs
Living in a PPHS flat means you and your partner are that much closer to settling down in your very own BTO apartment. There are definite pros and cons to living in these cheaply rented flats, and as most who’ve been there and done that share, you won’t know what you’re getting until you’ve unlocked the door to your flat of choice.
The good news is that you can now apply for a PPHS (Open Market) Voucher if you really don’t want to stay in an old PPHS flat. If you’re eligible, you can receive a reimbursement of $300 a month, for a maximum duration of 12 months, which will help to offset your rental of a room or flat on the open market.
For more reads:
- Toh Yi maisonette sells for $1.5m, highest HDB resale transaction in Bukit Timah
- July 2025 BTO launch
- Buying a condo as a 24-year-old single in Singapore
Cover image adapted from: Desmond Lee, Our PPHS
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