Can I Use My HDB or Home Address for My Singapore Company? (Home Office Scheme vs. Virtual Office)
By Lucas Seah, Founder of Excellence Singapore Group | Last Updated: October 2026
When incorporating a new company in Singapore, one of the first fields you must fill in is: “Registered Office Address.”
For many new entrepreneurs and solo founders, the temptation is to simply use their home address (HDB or private condo) to save on rent.
While this is legally allowed under specific government schemes, it comes with privacy risks and compliance headaches that most business owners do not anticipate.
In this guide, we weigh the pros and cons of the Home Office Scheme versus using a professional Virtual Office.
1. Yes, You Can (The “Home Office Scheme”)
Under the Home Office Scheme, both HDB (Housing & Development Board) and URA (Urban Redevelopment Authority) allow you to use your residential premises for small-scale business administration.
The Conditions:
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Registration: You must register under the Home Office Scheme with HDB (for flats) or URA (for private property) through GoBusiness.
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No Nuisance: You cannot generate noise, smoke, or heavy traffic.
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Staff Cap: You are limited to 2 non-resident employees working in the flat.
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Ownership: You must be the owner, a tenant or an authorised occupier of the home (for HDB flats, the owner or another person HDB has authorised to stay there, such as a tenant). If you are not the owner, you need the owner’s written consent before you register.
2. The “Privacy” Trap (Your Address Becomes Public)
This is the biggest downside that new founders overlook.
ACRA’s Register is Public. Once you register your company using your home address, that address becomes permanently listed on the public ACRA BizFile database.
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The Risk: Anyone (competitors, creditors, unhappy customers, or random salespeople) can buy your Business Profile for $5.50 and see exactly where you and your family live.
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The Result: You may start receiving unsolicited junk mail and sales visits at your doorstep.
3. The “3-Hour” Compliance Rule
Under the Companies Act, until 19 October 2026 a Registered Office must be open and accessible to the public for at least 3 hours during ordinary business hours on each business day. From 20 October 2026 that requirement is removed by the Corporate and Accounting Laws (Amendment) Act 2025: companies can set their own opening hours, but anyone entitled to inspect company records must give reasonable notice, and the company must then make the records available for at least 2 hours on each relevant business day.
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The Problem: If you use your home address, until 19 October 2026 you are technically required to be “open” for those 3 hours each business day to receive government mail or legal notices. From 20 October 2026 the set opening hours go, but the mail and legal notices still come to your home, and you must make the company’s records available when someone gives notice to inspect them.
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The Inspection: While rare, until 19 October 2026, if an ACRA officer or a process server (delivering a lawsuit) visits your home during the required hours and no one is there, your company can be penalised for not keeping its Registered Office open. From 20 October 2026, the risk moves to record inspections: if someone gives reasonable notice and the records are not made available for the required 2 hours, the company has not met its legal duty.
4. The Solution: A Virtual Office Address
For most small businesses, the smarter (and still very cheap) alternative is a Virtual Office.
This is a service provided by Corporate Service Providers (like Excellence Singapore) where you “rent” our prestigious CBD address for ACRA registration, without actually renting physical office space.
Why choose a Virtual Office?
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Privacy: Your home address remains private. The public only sees our office address.
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Professional Image: Your business cards will show a CBD address (e.g., Cecil Street or Raffles Place) instead of a residential block.
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Mail Handling: We receive your government letters and scan/forward them to you. You never miss an IRAS deadline.
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Compliance: Our office is open 9am-6pm, which satisfies the “3-hour” rule for as long as it applies (until 19 October 2026). From 20 October 2026, it still means your official letters and notices are received at a staffed office during business hours.
Summary: Which Should You Choose?
| Factor | Option A: HDB / Home Office | Option B: Virtual Office (Recommended) |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Low (no rent) | Small monthly fee (about S$20 to S$30) |
| Privacy | Poor: your home address is public on ACRA’s register | Strong: the public sees the provider’s address, not your home |
| Opening hours (until 19 October 2026) | Your home must be open to the public for at least 3 hours each business day | The provider’s office is open during business hours |
| Record inspection (from 20 October 2026) | No set opening hours, but on reasonable notice the records must be available for at least 2 hours on each relevant business day | The same duty applies to every company; notices still reach a staffed office |
| Mail and legal notices | Delivered to your home | Received by the provider, then scanned or forwarded |
Choose a Virtual Office for a professional image and privacy protection.
Conclusion: Protect Your Privacy for a Small Fee
The cost of a Virtual Office is often less than S$20-30 per month. Compared to the loss of privacy and the hassle of HDB registration and its conditions, it is a small price to pay for peace of mind.
At Excellence Singapore, our Virtual Office Packages provide you with a premium registered address and digital mail handling, ensuring you look professional from Day 1.
Don’t want your home address on Google? Sign up for our Registered Office Address service today.
