HDB guide · Maisonettes
By Winfred Quek, Associate Marketing Consultant · CEA R073319H · Crestbrick Pte Ltd (L31010886H) · Published 13 July 2026
Facts verified: 13 July 2026 · Construction eras and lease ages vary by estate · Sources attributed below
Walk through some of Singapore's older estates, Bedok, Tampines, Ang Mo Kio, Toa Payoh, and you will still find blocks with maisonette units, recognisable from the outside by the way windows are stacked across two levels within a single address. HDB has not built new maisonettes for decades, which means every one you can buy today is a piece of older housing stock, and the decision to buy one comes with a distinct set of trade offs that a standard flat purchase does not.
What actually defines a maisonette
A maisonette is a flat built across two internal levels, connected by a staircase within the unit itself, as opposed to a single level flat where every room sits on one floor. HDB built maisonettes and executive maisonettes mostly from the late 1970s through the early 1990s, offering more total floor area than the standard flat types of the same era, with the upper level typically housing the bedrooms and the lower level the living and dining space.
Because the flat type was discontinued from new construction decades ago, there is a fixed and shrinking supply of maisonettes, all of it now transacting on the resale market. That scarcity is part of what keeps buyer interest alive for the type, alongside the genuine appeal of the extra space and the more house like feel a two storey layout gives a flat.
Maisonette versus jumbo flat: not the same thing
These two get confused constantly, and the distinction matters for how you value and finance either one. A maisonette was purpose designed and built as a two storey unit from the outset. A jumbo flat, by contrast, is formed when two adjacent flats, usually side by side on the same floor, are combined into a single larger unit, sometimes through a doorway or knocked through wall connecting them rather than an internal staircase. A jumbo flat stays on one level; a maisonette does not.
| Feature | Maisonette | Jumbo flat |
|---|---|---|
| Layout | Two internal levels, internal staircase | Single level, two combined flats |
| How it was created | Purpose built by HDB, mostly late 1970s to early 1990s | Formed later by combining two adjacent units |
| Mobility for seniors | Staircase is a genuine long term concern | No internal stairs, easier to age in place |
| Current availability | Fixed, older resale stock only | Depends on the estate and whether combinable units still exist |
The internal staircase: the honest trade off for elderly buyers
I have worked with several long time maisonette owning families who reach exactly this point: the layout that felt spacious and even luxurious when the kids were young becomes the reason a parent eventually needs to right size to a single level flat. If that describes your own situation, or a parent's, my right sizing for retirement guide walks through how to plan that transition, including the studio and 2 Room Flexi options built specifically without an internal staircase.
Lease age and what it means for financing
Because maisonettes were mostly built decades ago, their remaining lease is meaningfully shorter than a flat completed in the last twenty years. That shorter lease affects the same mechanics that govern any ageing flat: the CPF Withdrawal Limit is calculated against the lease remaining relative to the youngest buyer's age, and bank loan tenure is capped by the lease as well, both of which can restrict how much financing is available and over what period. If you are structuring a purchase with CPF and a bank loan together, run the numbers on the specific block's remaining lease early, since a maisonette that looks attractively priced on a per square foot basis can come with more restrictive financing than a standard flat of similar age in the same estate. My HDB lease decay guide covers how this plays out in more detail.
How maisonettes tend to price against a standard flat of similar size
The extra floor area in a maisonette does support a higher price than a smaller flat of a different type in the same block, but the fair comparison is against a standard flat with a similar total floor area, not against price per unit in isolation. Once you account for the older lease most maisonettes carry and the staircase trade off, the effective premium a maisonette commands over an equivalent sized single level flat tends to be narrower than the raw space difference alone would suggest, and it varies meaningfully by estate, by how well the specific block has been maintained, and by how much buyer demand in that estate values the extra space against the lease age. Do not anchor to a rule of thumb percentage; price it against genuinely comparable recent transactions in the same estate.
Who a maisonette still suits
- Growing families who want space without a private property price tag. The two storey layout can offer a genuinely house like feel at HDB resale pricing, which is the enduring appeal.
- Buyers comfortable with the lease age trade off. If the remaining lease and financing constraints work for your holding horizon, the space premium can be worthwhile.
- Not, generally, buyers planning to age in place long term. The internal staircase is a real limitation that a single level flat does not have, and it is worth confronting honestly rather than assuming you will adapt.
Frequently asked questions
What is an HDB maisonette?
An HDB maisonette is a two storey flat, purpose built with an internal staircase connecting the two levels within the unit, typically offering more floor area than a standard single level flat in the same block. HDB stopped building new maisonettes decades ago, so every maisonette on the market today is an older resale unit.
Is a maisonette the same as a jumbo flat?
No. A maisonette was purpose designed and built as a two storey unit within a single address. A jumbo flat is formed when two adjacent flats, usually on the same floor, are combined into one larger unit, sometimes by knocking through a shared wall rather than by an internal staircase. They solve a similar space problem through different construction.
Are maisonettes good for elderly owners?
Generally no, or at least not without adaptation. The internal staircase that defines a maisonette becomes a genuine mobility concern as owners age, which is why many long time maisonette owning families eventually consider right sizing to a single level flat rather than ageing in place in a two storey unit.
How old are HDB maisonettes typically?
Most maisonettes were built from the late 1970s through the early 1990s, before HDB phased the flat type out of new construction. That means every maisonette on the resale market today carries a meaningfully shorter remaining lease than a newer standard flat, which affects both financing and long term value.
Do maisonettes sell for a premium over a standard flat?
The extra floor area does support a higher price than a smaller single level flat of a different type, but the fair comparison is against a standard flat of similar total floor area, not against price per unit alone. Once you account for the older lease and the staircase trade off, the premium a maisonette commands is narrower than the raw floor area difference might suggest, and it varies by estate and by buyer profile.
Weighing a maisonette purchase or an eventual right size?
The lease age, financing limits and long term mobility trade off all need to be modelled against your specific numbers and horizon. A Property Portfolio Analysis puts the real math behind the space.
Book a free analysis callWinfred Quek is Associate Marketing Consultant at Crestbrick Pte Ltd, advising Singapore upgraders, investors and families. CEA R073319H. The information on this page is general and does not constitute financial, investment or mortgage advice. Lease terms, construction eras and financing rules can vary by block and are subject to change; verify all details with HDB and your bank before making any purchasing decision.