Property Terms
Property Terms
Short, plain explainers for the terms that decide how much you can borrow, what you pay in duty, and when you can sell.
Financing & eligibility
Total Debt Servicing Ratio (TDSR)
TDSR limits your total monthly debt repayments — the new mortgage plus every other loan — to 55% of gross monthly income.
Mortgage Servicing Ratio (MSR)
MSR limits your monthly home-loan repayment alone to 30% of gross monthly income — on top of TDSR.
Loan-to-Value (LTV)
LTV is the maximum a bank can lend as a percentage of the lower of price or valuation — 75% on a first housing loan.
Stamp duties
Buyer's Stamp Duty (BSD)
BSD is a tiered duty paid on every property purchase — 1% to 6% of the price or valuation, whichever is higher.
Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty (ABSD)
ABSD is an extra duty on residential property, on top of BSD, set by the buyer's profile and the number of homes they will own.
Seller's Stamp Duty (SSD)
SSD is a duty on private residential property sold within a holding period from when it was bought.
HDB rules & selling
Minimum Occupation Period (MOP)
The MOP is the period you must physically occupy an HDB flat before you can sell it or buy private property — normally five years.
Cash Over Valuation (COV)
COV is the gap between the price you agree and the property's valuation — payable entirely in cash.
CPF Accrued Interest
CPF accrued interest is the interest your CPF OA did not earn because you used the money for a property, which you must refund on sale.