TDSR caps all your debts at 55% of income. MSR caps HDB and EC loans at 30%. LTV caps the loan against the price. This works out all three — and tells you which one is really holding you back.
TDSR 55% · MSR 30% · Stress-tested at 4% · HDB loan LTV 75% from 20 Aug 2024Only TDSR applies. No MSR on private property.
Bonus, commission, freelance, rental and dividend income are variable — only 70% of it counts.
Banks count 3% of the outstanding balance as a monthly obligation. The credit limit itself doesn't matter.
Enter a price and the full cash outlay is worked out for you.
HDB resale buyers often pay 1%. Commission attracts 9% GST.
Leave blank to use our estimate. Typical: legal S$2,500–4,000, valuation S$300–800.
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WhatsApp 8838 8838TDSR limits all your monthly debt repayments — the new home loan plus car loans, personal loans, credit cards and everything else — to 55% of your gross monthly income. It applies to every property loan from a bank.
Two things catch people out. Banks stress-test the new loan at 4% a year even if the rate you're offered is far lower, so the qualifying instalment is much higher than what you'd actually pay. And only 70% of variable income counts — bonus, commission, freelance, rental and dividends all take a 30% haircut.
MSR caps just the home loan instalment at 30% of gross monthly income. It applies only to HDB flats and Executive Condominiums bought directly from a developer. Private property has no MSR.
For HDB and EC buyers both rules apply, and MSR almost always bites first. That's the single biggest reason an upgrader can borrow more for a private condo than for a new EC on the same income.
| Rule | Caps | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| TDSR 55% | All debts combined | Every bank property loan |
| MSR 30% | The home loan only | HDB flats, EC from developer |
| LTV | Loan vs property price | Every housing loan |
| Housing loan | Max LTV | Minimum cash |
|---|---|---|
| 1st property | 75% | 5% |
| 2nd property | 45% | 25% |
| 3rd or subsequent | 35% | 25% |
Each tier drops by 5 percentage points if the tenure runs beyond 30 years (25 for HDB) or past age 65. An HDB-granted loan is capped at 75% LTV, reduced from 80% on 20 August 2024.
Yes, and it's usually the single biggest lever you have. A car instalment reduces your TDSR ceiling dollar for dollar.
A S$1,200 monthly car payment removes S$1,200 from the amount available for your home loan. Stress-tested at 4% over 30 years, that is roughly S$250,000 less you can borrow. If you are close to the limit and have the cash to settle the car, settling it before you apply moves the number more than anything else on this page.
Clearing the balance helps. Cancelling the card does not.
Banks count roughly 3% of your outstanding balance as a monthly obligation. A S$10,000 balance costs you about S$300 a month of TDSR room, which at 4% over 30 years is around S$63,000 of borrowing capacity. Clear it and you get that back.
But an unused card with a S$50,000 limit costs you nothing. Singapore banks assess the balance, not the limit. Closing long-held cards shortens your credit history for no TDSR gain, so pay them down and leave them open.
Six things genuinely move the number, roughly in order of impact.
| # | What to do | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clear the car loan | Removes the instalment from your debts dollar for dollar |
| 2 | Clear credit card balances | Each S$10,000 outstanding costs about S$300/month of room |
| 3 | Add a co-borrower | Raises the income base; tenure uses income-weighted average age |
| 4 | Stretch the tenure | Lowers the instalment — but watch the 5-point LTV drop past 30 years or age 65 |
| 5 | Pledge liquid assets | A four-year pledge converts eligible assets into recognised income |
| 6 | Show 12 months of variable income | Consistent commission history is treated more favourably |
One honest caveat: none of these change what you can afford. They change what a bank will lend. Borrowing to your ceiling leaves nothing for a rate rise, a job change or a repair bill.
MAS requires a medium-term interest rate floor for the affordability test, currently 4% per annum for residential property, or the prevailing rate if higher. It exists so borrowers can still service the loan if rates rise. At a 4% floor the qualifying instalment can be around 60% higher than what you actually pay at today's rates.
Only 70% counts. Bonus, commission, freelance earnings, rental income and dividends all take a 30% haircut before entering the TDSR or MSR calculation.
Yes, but it cuts both ways. A longer tenure lowers the monthly instalment and raises the TDSR ceiling — but if the tenure exceeds 30 years (25 for HDB) or runs past age 65, the LTV cap drops by 5 percentage points, so you need a bigger downpayment.
Not for an owner-occupied home loan, provided you aren't increasing the loan or cashing out. Investment property refinancing is assessed differently.
Banks use an income-weighted average age across borrowers to set the maximum tenure. A significantly older co-borrower with a small income share pulls the average up less than you might expect.
Either way, we're only a message away. No obligation — happy to walk through your numbers and what your options actually are.
WhatsApp 8838 8838Estimates based on MAS rules current in 2026. Individual banks apply their own credit assessment, and pledged assets, guarantors and income-weighted average age can change the outcome. Confirm with a bank or mortgage broker before committing.