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What are PBDs
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PBDs are specially designed and built with features to meet the needs of foreign employees:
- Amenities, e.g. minimarts, dedicated cooking areas, etc.
- Services, e.g. laundry, remittance, etc.
- Recreational facilities, e.g. gym, outdoor games courts, etc.
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We highly recommend you to:
- Sign a written tenancy agreement with the dormitory operator.
- Provide ways for employees to highlight problems with the housing to the dormitory operator, and work with the dormitory operator to rectify them.
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What are HDB flats
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Public housing flats managed by the Housing and Development Board (HDB), which may be rented out as a whole flat or by rooms, subject to HDB's approval. |
| Allowed to house |
The following foreign employees are allowed to rent HDB flats:
- Employment Pass holders
- EntrePass holders
- Personalised Employment Pass holders
- S Pass holders
- Work Permit (WP) holders who either:
- Are Malaysians, or
- Work in the services sector.
- Non-Malaysian WP holders from the manufacturing sector are allowed to rent bedrooms, but not the whole flat.
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The number of bedrooms that flat owners can rent out and the maximum number of tenants and occupants allowed in each flat depends on the flat type as shown below.
Whole flat
| Flat type |
Max number of occupants |
| 1-room or 2-room |
4 |
| 3-room |
6 |
| 4-room or bigger |
6 |
From 22 January 2024 to 31 December 2026, HDB will
raise the occupancy cap from 6 to 8 occupants for
4-room or bigger HDB flats.
Bedrooms
| Flat type |
Max number of bedrooms |
| 1-room or 2-room |
Not allowed |
| 3-room |
1 |
| 4-room or bigger |
2 |
Note: Flats rented from HDB cannot be sublet.
For more info, refer to the HDB website.
What you need to do
Before you can register your employee's address using OFWAS or EP eService, you must:
- Ensure that the HDB flat owner registers your employees as tenants with HDB before they move in. Your employees can use HDB's eService to check if the flat owner has registered them as tenants of the flat.
We highly recommend you to:
- Sign a written tenancy agreement with the flat owner.
- If your employees rent the place themselves, encourage them to sign a written tenancy agreement with the flat owner.
- Get a copy of the HDB rental approval letter from the flat owner.
- Conduct regular checks on the state of the HDB flat. Use the checklist for HDB as a guide.
- Educate your employees on the expected level of housing standards.
- Provide ways for employees to highlight problems with the housing, and make arrangements with the flat owner to rectify them.
If video recording devices are installed in the unit, you must inform your employees of the devices and where they are placed. You should further ensure that they are not installed in areas that will compromise their privacy or modesty, such as bathrooms and sleeping areas.
Avoid falling for
rental scams. If you are engaging a property agent, check his or her mobile number with
CEA's Public Registry to verify the identity of your property agent. Scammers are putting up fake property listings online and impersonating property agents to scam victims into making payment to secure an appointment to view or rent properties.
| What are PRPs |
Private properties such as condominiums, landed residential properties, terrace houses, semi-detached houses, bungalows, residential units in shop houses, etc. |
| Allowed to house |
All foreign employees |
PRP owners don't need to register their tenants with URA. For PRP owners who are renting out their property for the first time, they are required to login to
Foreign Worker Tenant Enquiry Service (FWTES) to complete a one-time declaration process.
All types of private residential property are subjected to an occupancy cap of 6 unrelated persons per property.
- Unrelated persons refer to anyone who is not part of the same family unit.
- Domestic helpers are considered part of the same family unit.
- The occupancy cap also applies to tenants who sublet the property.
For example, a family of six with domestic helpers are considered part of the same family unit and will not be subjected to the occupancy cap.
However, A family of four who stays and rent out part of the property will be subjected to the occupancy cap. They are allowed to accommodate a maximum of two additional unrelated persons on the property.
From 22 January 2024 to 31 December 2026, URA will
raise the occupancy cap from 6 to 8 occupants, per
PRP 90sm or bigger subject to URA's approvals.
What you need
We highly recommend you to:
- Sign a written tenancy agreement with the homeowner.
- If your employees rent the place themselves, encourage them to sign a written tenancy agreement with the homeowner.
- Conduct regular checks on the state of the PRP, to ensure no overcrowding and that the living conditions are satisfactory. Use the checklist for PRP as a guide. The latest approved use of the premises can be verified on URA Space.
- Educate your employees on the expected level of housing standards.
- Provide ways for employees to highlight problems with their housing, and make arrangements with the homeowner to rectify them.
If video recording devices are installed in the unit, you must inform your employees of the devices and where they are placed. You should further ensure that they are not installed in areas that will compromise their privacy or modesty, such as bathrooms and sleeping areas.
Avoid falling for
rental scams. If you are engaging a property agent, check his or her mobile number with
CEA's Public Registry to verify the identity of your property agent. Scammers are putting up fake property listings online and impersonating property agents to scam victims into making payment to secure an appointment to view or rent properties.