En bloc in Singapore: the proposed 70% and 65% thresholds

En bloc in Singapore would get easier for older condos under the Land Titles (Strata) (Amendment) Bill 2026: the Bill proposes 70% consent, instead of 80%, for a collective sale of a development aged 40 to 59 years, and 65% for one aged 60 or older. These thresholds are proposals, not rules in force. We could not confirm on an official page that the Bill has passed, the Ministry of Law says the commencement date "will be announced, when ready", and its press release list showed no such announcement on 1 November 2026.

This guide is for owners of an ageing condo and for buyers planning their next new launch, from official pages read on 1 November 2026. General information, not legal, tax or financial advice.

What would change under the proposed en bloc rules?

The Bill, as the Ministry of Law and the minister set it out, pairs lower thresholds for older developments with more protection for owners who do not want to sell.

1. Two new age bands: 70% for developments aged 40 to 59 years, 65% from 60 years. Younger developments keep the 1999 thresholds.
2. A higher bar to start: forming a collective sale committee would need a requisition from 35% of owners by share value or number of units, up from 20% by share value or 25% by units.
3. A shorter window: six months instead of 12 to collect signatures to the collective sale agreement.
4. A longer cool-off: after a failed attempt, the restriction period would rise from two years to three. The minister said a first attempt inside it would still need 50% support to requisition a meeting, and any later one the development's overall consent threshold.
5. More for objectors: a court-ordered increase to an objector's proceeds could reach 0.5% of the sale proceeds for each unit, or S$2,000 for each unit, whichever is higher, up from 0.25%.
6. Non-strata estates: private non-strata developments whose flat owners hold long leases but not the land could sell by majority consent. The minister said the Ministry's scan found five, all on land owned by the Minister for Finance: Neptune Court, Townhouse Apartments, Orchard Court, One Tree Hill Mansions and Paterson Court.

A sale would still need a Strata Titles Board or High Court order, and the minister said it cannot proceed if an objector would suffer financial loss or receive too little to redeem their mortgage.

When would the new thresholds apply?

Only from a commencement date that has not been announced. The Ministry's release turns on one event, the first signature to the collective sale agreement:

• No first signature before commencement: most of the changes would apply, including the new thresholds.
• First signature already taken: the existing framework would continue, so owners who signed under 80% would not be moved to 70% midstream.
• Signatures being gathered on commencement day: the committee could call a general meeting to end the old agreement and start a new one under the new rules, with seven months from commencement to reach the threshold. The speech describes this opt-in for developments aged 40 and older, "if it is passed".

Neither page says how a development's age is counted for the bands, so ask your management corporation or the committee's lawyer which date they use.

Which condos would it affect?

The minister told Parliament that about one in 20 non-landed private homes is 40 years or older, "around 20,000 dwelling units in close to 250 developments", and that the number will grow. He tied the proposal to upkeep: modernising one lift starts from S$120,000, replacing one costs S$200,000 to S$300,000, and maintenance fees and sinking fund contributions are raised as a development ages, "in some cases by as much as 50%". To set that age against the lease, see our guide to a lease's remaining years.

Does seller's stamp duty apply to an en bloc sale?

Yes, if the sale falls inside your holding period. IRAS's seller's stamp duty page (last updated 13 August 2026) sets three rules:

• The date of disposal is when the collective sale contract with the buyer is executed, "often times also the date of successful bidding".
• Objectors pay too: "All owners (consenting or not)" sold within the holding period pay SSD within 14 days of the contract.
• The clock is four years for homes bought on or after 4 July 2025: 16% in the first year, then 12%, 8% and 4%.

A lower threshold could bring a sale forward, so a recent buyer of an ageing unit should count the years now; our seller's stamp duty guide explains the clock.

Buying a new launch before the en bloc money arrives: an illustrative couple

Siti and Wei Jie, both citizens, accepted the option on a unit in a 41-year-old condo on 1 March 2026; it is their only home. Suppose, hypothetically, the Bill's rules commence and a collective sale contract is executed on 1 September 2027, with S$2,100,000 apportioned to their unit, and they want a S$2,000,000 new launch. All figures are illustrative, our arithmetic on IRAS's rates.

• SSD: one year and six months is the 12% band: S$252,000 if charged on their apportioned proceeds (IRAS uses the higher of price or market value; which applies to an en bloc share is for their lawyer). After 1 March 2030, none.
• Buying the new launch first: the condo still counts, so it is a second property: 20% ABSD (IRAS, last updated 27 August 2026), S$400,000, plus S$69,600 of BSD on IRAS's BSD tiers (last updated 9 October 2026).
• Getting the ABSD back: the married couple remission (last updated 13 August 2026) needs the old home sold within six months after the new launch's TOP or CSC, whichever is earlier. IRAS says an extension "will not be acceded to", and an en bloc can stall before the Board or in court.
• Buying after the contract: IRAS's FAQ says a citizen who has "contracted to sell" an only home before accepting the next option pays no ABSD. That an executed collective sale contract counts is our reading; ask IRAS first.

On completion, CPF Board's guide to sales proceeds (last updated 30 November 2025) says owners who used CPF refund "the CPF principal amount withdrawn and its accrued interest", credited to the Ordinary Account below 55 and usable for the next home. Rerun the duty with our BSD and ABSD calculator.

A checklist for owners in a 40-year-old condo

1. Ask the management corporation how the development's age is counted, and whether a requisition is circulating.
2. Find your option acceptance date and when your SSD holding period ends.
3. Remember that, under the Bill, the first signature would decide which rules apply; read the apportionment method with your own lawyer before signing.
4. Set your mortgage balance and CPF refund against a realistic share of proceeds.
5. Planning a new launch? Decide whether to buy before or after the collective sale contract, and get IRAS's view on the ABSD count.

More for the next purchase: the replacement-home refund guide, using CPF for a new launch and the research topic page.

Common questions