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GCB · High value 2026

Singapore GCB guide: what Good Class Bungalows really cost (who can buy one)

By Winfred Quek · 10 minute read · Last reviewed May 2026

Last reviewed May 2026

Quick answer: Landed residential property, including bungalows, is restricted under the Residential Property Act, and a foreign person needs approval from the Singapore Land Authority to buy it. BSD applies to the purchase price at the IRAS residential rates, with a top rate of 6% on the amount above $3,000,000.

Reviewed 13 October 2026 · Sources linked below

Key Takeaways

  • SLA: foreign persons need approval to buy restricted landed residential property such as a bungalow, and approval is assessed case by case.
  • IRAS: BSD on residential property runs from 1% to 6%, with 6% on the amount above $3,000,000.
  • IRAS: ABSD for a Singapore citizen is 0% on a first residential property, 20% on a second and 30% on a third.
  • MAS: maximum loan to value is 75% with no outstanding housing loan, 45% with one and 35% with two or more.

Who can buy restricted landed property

SLA's guidance lists bungalow and detached houses, terrace and semi-detached houses, vacant residential land and strata landed houses outside an approved condominium development as restricted. A foreign person needs SLA approval to buy them, and SLA assesses each application case by case.

Stamp duty

BSD on residential property is tiered: 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 amount above $3,000,000.

ABSD for a Singapore citizen is 0% on a first residential property, 20% on a second and 30% on a third.

Financing

MAS sets the maximum loan to value for housing loans by the number of outstanding housing loans: 75% with none, 45% with one and 35% with two or more. Lower limits apply where the loan tenure exceeds 30 years (25 years for HDB flats) or runs beyond the borrower's age of 65.

The total debt servicing ratio limit is 55% of gross monthly income for property loans.

Sources & References

How does this apply to your own numbers?

General rules only take you so far. What actually decides your move is your financing, your timeline, and what you already own. A Property Portfolio Analysis maps your real position, so you are deciding on your own figures rather than a rule of thumb.

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