Little-known fact: HDB flats can be turned into dual-key homes

DUAL-KEY homes in private condominiums have been around for years, but much to the surprise of many, HDB flats can also be turned into dual-key concepts.

While this possibility gives owners of Housing and Development Board flats an interesting option to reconfigure their homes for rental, it has also left analysts wary over their potential impact on the public-housing market.

A dual-key home is one that has been divided into two units, but with a common foyer and main door. Typically, the homeowner lives in the larger unit and can rent out the smaller studio space. Such homes first hit the private-housing market in 2009, when Frasers Centrepoint Homes launched its Caspian condominium.