Singapore CPF OA Housing Withdrawal Limits 2026 Calculator

VL, WL, and the BSL

Three limits cap CPF OA use for property: Valuation Limit (VL) = lower of purchase price or property valuation; Withdrawal Limit (WL) = 120% of VL; and from 2024, the Basic Retirement Sum Liability (BSL) requires you to set aside the Basic Retirement Sum in OA+SA before using CPF beyond the VL for private property. The combined effect: most buyers use OA freely up to the VL, then need cash from VL to WL.

Lease Pro-Ration Rules

CPF use is capped based on remaining lease. Lease ≥ 60 years: full usage allowed (up to VL). Lease 30-59 years: pro-rated — you can use only (lease/60) × VL. Lease < 30 years: no CPF allowed at all. This rule discourages buying older HDB flats and ageing leasehold private properties with CPF, since the OA contribution might exceed the remaining property life. Many 1970s-built HDB blocks now hit the 30-year minimum, locking out CPF buyers.

Refunds When You Sell

When you sell a property bought with CPF, the principal CPF used plus accrued interest must be refunded to your OA from sale proceeds. Accrued interest is the interest you would have earned if the money had stayed in OA — typically 2.5% per year, compounded. After 20 years, the accrued interest can equal the original principal. This is why "CPF used + interest" often exceeds the property value at older HDB sales, leaving the seller with negative cash.

Strategic CPF vs Cash Mix

Maxing out CPF use saves cash today but reduces your retirement OA, which earns 2.5% guaranteed. If your mortgage rate is 3-4% (2026-27 levels), using CPF saves more interest than the OA would have earned — making CPF use the optimal choice. If you ever face a property loss-on-sale, the CPF interest-accrual rule means a smaller portion of CPF will need to be refunded since less was used.

Sources: cpf.gov.sg, iras.gov.sg, mom.gov.sg, hdb.gov.sg. Last updated: May 2026.