Singapore fire insurance is the HDB Fire Insurance Scheme, and it is the cheapest insurance most flat owners will ever buy. A 5-room flat pays $5.43 for five whole years, GST included. The catch is that it only rebuilds what HDB built: the internal walls, the floor screed, the original fixtures. It pays nothing for your renovation, your furniture or anything you actually own. If you took an HDB loan on or after 1 September 1994, it is mandatory and you renew every five years. Everyone else can skip it, though almost nobody should. Here is what the policy pays, the verified 2026 premiums by flat type, and the part the price tag hides.
When people say "fire insurance" in Singapore they almost always mean the HDB Fire Insurance Scheme. It is a single product, sold by one government-appointed insurer at a fixed price, covering one thing: reinstating the internal building structure of your flat after fire and a short list of related perils. Etiqa Insurance has been the appointed insurer since 16 August 2024, taking over from FWD, who held the appointment before.
The premium does not move with the market because HDB negotiates one master rate for every flat owner in the country. That is why a five-year policy costs less than a single bowl of laksa. It is also why the cover is so narrow. You are buying back the cost of the concrete shell, not the home you live in.
Private property owners do not use this scheme at all. If you own a condo or landed home, your fire cover usually rides inside your home insurance policy or, where there is a mortgage, a separate building fire policy your bank requires. The HDB scheme is HDB-only.
These are the rates effective from 16 August 2024 and still current as of June 2026, taken from Etiqa, HDB's appointed insurer. Every premium below is for the full five-year term and already includes GST. The sum insured is the maximum the policy will pay to reinstate the HDB-built structure, scaled to flat size.
| Flat type | 5-year premium (incl. GST) | Sum insured |
|---|---|---|
| 1-Room / Community Care Apartment | $1.11 | $37,900 |
| 2-Room / 2-Room Flexi / Studio Apartment | $1.99 | $57,000 |
| 3-Room | $3.27 | $83,300 |
| 4-Room / S1 | $4.59 | $117,000 |
| 5-Room / S2 / 3Gen | $5.43 | $144,800 |
| Executive / Multi-Generation | $6.68 | $176,700 |
The scheme pays to reinstate the internal structures, fixtures and fittings originally built and provided by HDB and its approved developers. Think the structural walls, ceilings, the original flooring screed and HDB's standard built-in items. It responds to fire and a set of extraneous perils, which is insurance language for the events bundled in alongside fire.
Two extensions matter in a flat. The policy can respond to fire that spreads from an adjoining unit, so a neighbour's kitchen fire that scorches your wall is covered. It also responds to water damage from burst pipes within the premises. Beyond that, the named perils sit close to the standard fire-and-lightning template HDB's master policy is built on.
Here is the part that catches people out. The scheme excludes everything you paid for after key collection. Your $40,000 renovation, your sofa, your fridge, your laptop, your clothes, your jewellery: none of it is insured under fire insurance. The policy rebuilds HDB's bare shell and stops there.
Run the numbers and the exposure is obvious. An average 4-room renovation runs well into five figures, yet the fire policy that supposedly "covers your home" pays $0 toward it. A real fire would leave you with a structurally reinstated flat and a gutted interior you have to refit out of pocket. To plug that gap you need a separate home contents or full home insurance policy, which is a different product entirely. We break the split down in fire insurance vs home insurance, and the full menu of options in our guide to types of home insurance in Singapore.
If you want to size the renovation you would be exposed to refitting, run it through our renovation cost calculator before deciding how much contents cover to buy.
Fire insurance is mandatory only if you have an outstanding housing loan with HDB that commenced on or after 1 September 1994. For those owners, HDB requires the policy for the entire loan period and you renew it every five years. The cover protects HDB's interest in the flat it financed, which is why HDB enforces it.
If you took a bank loan, or you have fully paid off your flat, the scheme is optional. You can still buy it, and given the cost it is hard to argue against, but no one will compel you. New and resale owners on an HDB loan typically arrange it before key collection; everyone else buys when convenient or when HDB sends a renewal notice.
Do not confuse fire insurance with the Home Protection Scheme. Fire insurance rebuilds the structure. HPS is a mortgage-reducing policy run by CPF that clears your outstanding HDB loan if you die, are terminally ill or are totally permanently disabled. Different risk, different administrator, both compulsory for most HDB-loan owners. Our HPS glossary entry explains how that one works.
You buy fire insurance directly from Etiqa as HDB's appointed insurer, not from HDB itself. The premium is small enough that it is a single one-off charge for the five-year block rather than an annual bill. Note that fire insurance is paid in cash; you cannot use CPF Ordinary Account savings for it the way you can for HPS.
For renewals, HDB sends a notice when your five-year policy is due. Owners on an HDB loan should treat that notice as a deadline, not a suggestion, because lapsed cover on a financed flat puts you in breach of your loan conditions. The renewal is the same fixed premium for your flat type, so there is nothing to shop around for on price.
If you also want to insure your renovation and contents, that is a separate purchase. It can be a standalone home policy from any general insurer, and the annual premium there does vary by insurer and sum insured, unlike the flat fire rate. For a wider view of how home cover fits your overall protection, see our insurance learning hub.
It ranges from $1.11 for a 1-room flat to $6.68 for an executive or multi-generation flat, for the full five-year term with GST included, based on Etiqa's published rates current as of June 2026. A common 4-room flat pays $4.59 for five years.
It is compulsory only for owners with an outstanding HDB housing loan that started on or after 1 September 1994, for the whole loan period. If you have a bank loan or have fully paid off your flat, it is optional, though the low cost makes it worth keeping anyway.
No. The scheme only reinstates the internal structures, fixtures and fittings originally provided by HDB. It pays nothing toward your renovation, furniture, appliances, electronics or personal belongings. You need a separate home contents or full home insurance policy to cover those.
Etiqa Insurance Pte. Ltd. has been HDB's appointed fire insurance provider since 16 August 2024, taking over from FWD. You buy and renew the policy directly with Etiqa rather than through HDB, and the premium for your flat type is fixed.
This is general financial information for Singapore, not personal financial advice. Figures change — verify current rates against the official sources above before acting. See our full disclaimer.