Penthouse Condos in Singapore: Pricing, Space and Resale

By Winfred Quek · CEA R073319H · Published 26 October 2026

Facts verified: 26 October 2026 · Sources listed below

Penthouse listings get attention for the terrace, the ceiling height and the view. They also attract assumptions: that the price per square foot is special, that the unit is easy to sell, that the rules differ. This page separates what official sources actually say from marketing language. It gives no price for any project and no forecast. For general background on unit size choices, see small unit versus big unit and psf versus quantum. The glossary entry on penthouses is the short definition.

What counts as a penthouse?

There is no official definition that I could find. I searched the full text of the Land Titles (Strata) Act, the Building (Strata Management) Act and URA's page on balconies and roof terraces for flats and condominiums on 26 October 2026, and none uses the word. They describe balconies, private enclosed spaces and private roof terraces instead. URA's property market search for private residential transactions offers four property types, which are Landed Properties (Non Strata), Strata Landed, Apartments and Condominiums, and Executive Condominiums. A penthouse sits inside the Apartments and Condominiums group and is not separately identified on that search form.

In practice, developers and agents apply the word to a top floor or roof level unit, often larger, sometimes with a terrace, pool or higher ceiling, and sometimes laid out on two levels. Different projects use it differently. So treat the label as a prompt for questions, not as a category with fixed features:

• Is the unit on the top storey, or does it only carry a premium name?
• Does it have a private roof terrace, and is that terrace part of the unit's strata area?
• Is it on one level or two, and how do the floor plan and area compare with other large units in the same project?
• What does the strata title plan show for the unit, and what do the by laws say about the terrace?

The part that is defined: the private roof terrace

URA describes a Private Roof Terrace (PRT) as a semi outdoor area at the roof level of a strata unit that forms part of the private strata area of units sold to homeowners. For flats and condominiums URA says private roof terraces may be allowed on the flat roof of a building and not on top of the attic level. Covers are allowed subject to SCDF requirements and height controls, covers are approved up front as part of the development application, and homeowners choose from approved designs and need MCST clearance before installing one. Structures must stay open sided as seen from the external facade, and where a storey height control has been maxed out, structures cannot exceed 5 metres at any point.

Two practical points follow. First, a terrace that URA treats as part of the private strata area is part of what you buy and not a shared facility, which affects what you can do with it and what you pay for. Second, you cannot assume every roof level space in an older project was set up this way. URA also notes that a PRT approved before 12 January 2013 may not have been counted towards the development's gross floor area, so older projects may differ. Read the approved plans and the strata title plan, not the brochure.

On maintenance, the Building (Strata Management) Act defines common property to include structural elements and the waterproof membrane attached to an external wall or a roof. The management corporation is under a duty to keep common property in good and serviceable repair. A terrace finish inside your own lot is a different matter from a shared membrane or structure underneath it. Where a space is not part of a lot, the Act allows an exclusive use by law, with the owner's written consent, for up to one year by ordinary resolution, over one year to 3 years by special resolution, and over 3 years by a 90% resolution, and that by law must say who carries out the maintenance. Our page on what strata title means sets out the framework.

Source: URA, Balconies, Private Enclosed Spaces, Private Roof Terraces and Indoor Recreation Spaces (last updated 6 July 2026), https://www.ura.gov.sg/guidelines/development-control/development-control-handbooks/residential/flats-condominiums/balconies-pes-prt/, checked 26 October 2026.

Source: Singapore Statutes Online, Building (Strata Management) Act 2004, sections 2, 29 and 33, https://sso.agc.gov.sg/Act/BSMA2004, checked 26 October 2026.

How to check prices without relying on a headline number

I am not quoting a penthouse price, because I did not find an official source that publishes penthouse prices as a category. The practical route is to look at actual transactions in the same project and compare like with like. URA's public Property Market Information search covers private residential property transactions with caveats lodged or Options to Purchase issued within the last 60 months. URA says new sale transactions are based on developers' Options to Purchase and resale and subsale transactions on caveats lodged with SLA. It also says lodging a caveat is not mandatory, so some transactions may not appear. Resale and subsale data are updated on Tuesdays and Fridays and new sales on Fridays. URA points to its REALIS subscription for more detailed statistics.

So a sensible approach is:

1. Search the project under Apartments and Condominiums for the sale types you care about.
2. Identify the transactions that match the unit in size and floor position. Do not average a penthouse with standard units.
3. Note how few comparable transactions there may be. A thin set of data means a wide range of reasonable values.
4. Get a formal valuation view from the bank before relying on a number. Our page on when a bank valuation is lower than the price explains the gap risk, and the valuation tool helps you organise comparables.

Source: URA, Private Residential Property Transactions (Property Market Information), https://eservice.ura.gov.sg/property-market-information/pmiResidentialTransactionSearch, checked 26 October 2026.

Stamp duty: the same rules as any condo

A penthouse is residential property, so Buyer's Stamp Duty and Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty apply as usual. IRAS says BSD is computed on the purchase price or market value, whichever is higher. For residential property from 15 February 2023 the rates are 1% on the first $180,000, 2% on the next $180,000, 3% on the next $640,000, 4% on the next $500,000, 5% on the next $1,500,000, and 6% on the remaining amount.

Illustrative example with assumed prices, not a market claim. On an assumed purchase price of $4,000,000, the first $3,000,000 attracts $119,600 and the remaining $1,000,000 at 6% adds $60,000, so BSD is $179,600. On an assumed $6,000,000 it is $119,600 plus 6% of $3,000,000, which is $180,000, giving $299,600. Because the top rate is 6%, each extra dollar above $3,000,000 carries 6 cents of BSD.

ABSD is separate and depends on the buyer. IRAS lists, for purchases on or after 27 April 2023, no ABSD for a Singapore Citizen buying a first residential property, 20% for a second and 30% for a third or subsequent. For Singapore Permanent Residents it is 5% for a first, 30% for a second and 35% for a third or subsequent. Foreigners pay 60% on any residential property and entities 65%. ABSD is computed on the higher of the purchase price or market value, and the property count includes properties owned wholly, partially or jointly. See how stamp duty stacks and the BSD calculator to run your own case.

Source: IRAS, Buyer's Stamp Duty (BSD), https://www.iras.gov.sg/taxes/stamp-duty/for-property/buying-or-acquiring-property/buyer's-stamp-duty-(bsd), checked 26 October 2026.

Source: IRAS, Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty (ABSD), https://www.iras.gov.sg/taxes/stamp-duty/for-property/buying-or-acquiring-property/additional-buyer's-stamp-duty-(absd), checked 26 October 2026.

Resale: general considerations, not predictions

I have no resale statistics to quote for penthouses, and I will not invent any. These are general points to weigh, each of which you can test on a specific unit.

• Fewer direct comparables. Each penthouse tends to differ in layout, terrace and view, so a valuer or buyer has fewer near identical sales to anchor on.
• A larger total price. A bigger quantum can mean a narrower pool of buyers who can fund it and qualify for a loan, and a longer period to find the right one. It also means a bigger BSD bill for the next buyer, and for a buyer who already owns property, ABSD.
• Bank valuation and financing. If a bank values below the agreed price, the buyer has to cover the gap from other funds, subject to the lender's terms. See the CPF valuation limit page for how CPF use is capped.
• Running costs. The Act says contributions are shared in proportion to share value, so the monthly charge follows the unit's share value in the schedule of strata units, not the word penthouse. Ask for it. See condo maintenance fees.
• Tenure. Remaining lease affects every unit in the building. See freehold versus leasehold.
• Terrace upkeep and rules. Cover approvals, MCST clearance and by laws affect how usable the terrace is to the next buyer.

If you are a seller, condo resale market trends covers the wider market and what to read in it. Winfred can go through the comparables for a specific unit with you.

Frequently asked questions

Is there an official definition of a penthouse in Singapore?

I did not find one. The word does not appear in the two strata Acts or in URA's flats and condominiums page on roof terraces, searched on 26 October 2026. The defined term is the private roof terrace. URA's private residential transaction search also lists no penthouse category. Check the unit's approved plans and strata title plan for what it actually includes.

Do penthouses pay higher stamp duty?

No special rate applies. IRAS charges Buyer's Stamp Duty on the higher of price or market value at progressive residential rates, with 6% on the amount above $3,000,000. A higher price therefore means a bigger BSD bill. ABSD depends on the buyer's profile and property count, not on the unit type.

Is a private roof terrace part of the unit?

URA describes a private roof terrace as part of the private strata area of units sold to homeowners. Older projects may differ, and exclusive use by laws can apply to other spaces, so confirm against the strata title plan and the by laws.

Where can I check what penthouses have sold for?

URA's Property Market Information search covers private residential transactions with caveats or developer Options to Purchase in the last 60 months. It has no penthouse filter, so identify comparable transactions in the same project by size and floor, and note that not every sale has a caveat.

Winfred Quek, CEA R073319H, Crestbrick Pte Ltd (L3010886H). General information as at 26 October 2026, not legal, financial, tax or property advice. Figures are from IRAS and URA pages and may change. The stamp duty example uses assumed prices. This page makes no price forecast.