Did Your BTO Queue Number Exceed? (What To Do Next)

Last updated on January 26th, 2023

Getting a BTO can be really tough, especially if the application rate for that particular flat is really high!

For my first application, I received the sad news that my queue number was higher than the number of available flats.

Here’s what will happen next if you have exceeded your queue number:

What happens when your BTO queue number exceeds the number of available flats?

If your queue number is greater than the number of available flats, this would mean that you will not be able to go down for an appointment to book a flat. However, there could be people who receive a low queue number but eventually skip the appointment to book their flat, which may give you a chance if your queue number is slightly higher than the flat supply.

Your BTO queue number will determine the order that you can pick your flat. This means that if your queue number is greater than the flat supply, you would not have the opportunity to book a flat.

However, around 40% of applicants who are invited to book a flat may decline to go down for the appointment.

This would mean that there is still a chance for you to get an appointment, especially if your queue number is just above the total flat supply!

HDB also states in their application rate webpage that a flat with a rate of 1.7 should mean that most applicants should be able to book a flat, after considering these dropouts.

For example, if the number of available flats is 600, assuming a 40% dropout, this would mean that if your queue number is between 601 – 840, there is a chance that you may still be called up!

You may have limited choices in your booking

The disadvantage of being one of the last few to book your flat would mean that the choices of flats that are available to book may not be that many.

This is because most of the good units may have already been taken by the applicants with lower queue numbers.

However, there could be some ‘hidden gems’ that may be a perfect fit for you!

You are also able to forgo your appointment if you feel that the units left are not favourable.

However, this will result in some penalties:

You will be notified of your appointment 2 weeks in advance

If you are lucky enough to get called up to book a flat, HDB will notify you 2 weeks in advance of your booking appointment date.

The chances may be lower to get called for an appointment if your queue number is quite high, so the best would be to wait until HDB notifies you.

Update: I received the email to book my appointment

Seven months after receiving my queue number, I received another email from HDB to book my appointment!

This is rather interesting because I thought I did not have much of a chance in getting the flat, particularly since my queue number was rather high.

However, given that this was a PLH flat, it could be that the dropout rate was higher due to the higher price and longer Minimum Occupation Period (MOP).

This means that it’s still possible for you to get your flat after quite a while! However, you may also want to have a plan B where you can either apply for another BTO flat while waiting for this email from HDB.

Can I apply for a second BTO flat during the next exercise if I already have a queue number?

It is still possible for you to apply for a second BTO in the next exercise, even if you received a queue number in the previous BTO exercise. You are only unable to apply for a BTO if you have already booked a flat.

HDB may give out queue numbers up to 3 times of the flat supply. However, if your queue number is more than 2.5x of the total supply, it can be very hard for you to get called up to book a flat!

If you have a queue number, you are still able to apply for a flat in the next exercise, so long as you have not booked a flat in the previous one.

For example, if you applied for the exercise in May and received a high queue number, it is still possible for you to apply for a flat in the August exercise.

This is possible, even if the booking exercise only starts in September! However, once you book a flat, you won’t be able to apply for a BTO in subsequent exercises.

Conclusion

Even if your queue number exceeds the total flat supply, there is still a chance that you may be able to book a flat.

However, the available units that you can choose from may be quite limited!

Moreover, it may take quite a while before you get the appointment to book a flat, as I’ve got my appointment almost 7 months after the application!

Nevertheless, you are still able to apply for another BTO exercise, as long as you have not booked a flat yet!

Once you have received your appointment, you may want to have a look at these next articles on the Deferred Income Assessment and how to calculate your Income Ceiling.

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