If I am 55 years old and above and own a private property, am I exempt from the 15-month wait to buy a new BTO flat?

If you are aged 55 and above and own a private property, you are not exempt from the wait-out period if you want to buy a typical new BTO flat. The 15-month wait-out does not apply—instead, the requirement is currently a 30-month wait-out period after selling your private property before you can apply for most new BTO flats.

However, there is an exception for seniors aged 55 and above who are applying for a short-lease 2-room Flexi flat (not a standard 99-year BTO lease). In that specific case, you do not need to observe the 30-month wait-out period— you may apply for the short-lease 2-room Flexi flat while still owning your private property, but you must sell your private property within 6 months of collecting the keys to the new flat.

For all other BTO types (Standard, Plus, Prime, or 99-year lease flats), you must dispose of your private property and observe the full 30-month wait-out before applying.

In summary:
- Age 55+, still own private property:
- Short-lease 2-room Flexi BTO: No need to wait 30 months, but must sell private property within 6 months of key collection.
- Standard BTO (including Plus/Prime or 99-year lease): Must sell private property and wait 30 months before applying.

This is intended to help seniors downsize for retirement, but the exception applies only to the specified seniors’ flats.