9 HDB Home Cafe Rules & Regulations: How to set up my HDB Home Cafe in Singapore?
Dreaming of serving up coffee and cakes from your HDB flat? Here’s what you must know to run a legal, safe, and successful home cafe in Singapore.
By Kendra Tan -
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Singapore’s cafe culture is booming, but not everyone wants the pressure (or cost) of running a full-fledged retail space. That’s where the HDB home cafe comes in — a cosy, small-scale side hustle or passion project you can run from your own kitchen.
Whether you’re a budding barista, a home baker, or just want to share your love of good coffee with friends and customers, setting up a home cafe is more accessible than ever.
What is an HDB home cafe?
An HDB home cafe is a home-based food business run from your HDB flat, where you prepare and sell food or drinks — usually online, for delivery or self-collection. It’s different from a commercial cafe: you can’t have queues, dine-in customers (unless it’s a home private dining establishment), do commercial food catering, nor advertise your flat as a public cafe space.
But before you start serving up lattes and brownies, you’ll need to know the rules and regulations to keep things legal and neighbour-friendly. Here are the 9 essential rules and regulations you must follow to run an HDB home cafe legally and responsibly.
Only Residents Can Run the Business
The home cafe must be operated by the occupants of the home. You can get help from family and friends, but you can’t officially employ non-residents or run a staff operation from your flat.
Pre-Scheduled Dine-In
Home-based private dining is allowed under HDB and URA schemes for residents staying in public and private residential premises. You can allow your customers to dine in your home cafe at a pre-scheduled time slot to avoid excess foot traffic and long queues. No walk-in cafe or dining service should be allowed.
No Food Catering
You can sell your coffee and bakes to your neighbours or other residents. As home-based businesses are not licensed-establishments, you cannot sell the food and beverage you prepare from your home-based business to food retailers.
Home-based food businesses are also not allowed to offer food catering services and should not sell the food at temporary fairs, like pasar malam, due to the larger scale operations which poses higher food safety risks.
Legal Ingredients
All ingredients used should be legally imported and sourced from licensed suppliers to ensure that the food is safe for consumption. You cannot source your ingredients from other home-based businesses, as they are not licensed. It is illegal to sell the food items you brought back to Singapore from your travels as ingredients (no matcha from your Japan trip), since they are only meant for private consumption. For ingredients that are not available from licensed manufacturers and suppliers, you can choose to import them yourself. You will need to obtain an SFA license or you can go through a licensed importer.
No Signboards or Outdoor Advertising
You’re not allowed to put up signs, banners, or posters at your HDB to advertise your cafe. All marketing should be done online, such as on Instagram, WhatsApp, or delivery platforms.
Minimal Disturbance to Neighbours
Your home cafe must not create excessive noise, smoke, odours, or foot traffic. Keep operations small and neighbour-friendly — no long queues or busy delivery drivers at your door.
No Industrial Equipment or Large-Scale Storage
You can only use domestic kitchen appliances — no commercial ovens, industrial mixers, or large fridges. Don’t turn your home into a warehouse; buy and store only what you need for small-batch production.
Comply with Food Safety and Hygiene Requirements
You must follow food safety laws and best practices: keep your kitchen clean, use food-grade containers, label products properly, and ensure all ingredients are legally sourced and safe for consumption.
When your food is safe to eat, you reduce the chances of food incidents which can have costly consequences. The best way for home-based businesses to ensure food prepared and sold is safe for consumption is to observe food safety practices.
According to SFA, here are three ways to get started:
- Enroll in WSQ FSC Level 1 as the course will equip you with essential food safety knowledge and skills for correct food handling.
- Follow the Guidelines on Food Safety & Hygiene Practices for Residents Preparing Food under the HDB/URA’s Home-based Small Scale Business Scheme.
- Educate yourself with food safety tips.
No High-Risk Foods or Alcohol Without Extra Licensing
You can sell baked goods, coffee, tea, and packaged snacks, but not high-risk foods like raw seafood, dairy-based desserts, or alcoholic drinks unless you get special licences. Ready-to-eat raw seafood is strictly prohibited.
Register Your Business with ACRA
You must register your home cafe as a business with ACRA, usually as a sole proprietorship or private limited company. Pick a suitable business name and structure for your operations.
From ACRA website: “You must register a business if you are carrying out any activity for profit on an ongoing basis, unless you are exempted. The minimum age for registration is 18 years old.”
Your business is exempted from registration if:
- You conduct business using your full name as reflected in your NRIC.
- You conduct the business with one or more partners using their full names as reflected in their NRICs.
Note: If you add descriptive words before or after your name (e.g. Flowers by Tan Mei Ling), you must register the business.
Keep Proper Records and Pay Taxes
Track your income and expenses, keep invoices and receipts, and file taxes as required. If your turnover exceeds $1 million, you’ll need to register for GST. Treat your home cafe like a real business from day one.
Is it legal to run a home cafe in Singapore?
Yes, under the Home-Based Business Scheme, you can legally operate a home cafe from your HDB (or private residence) if you follow the rules set by HDB, URA, and the Singapore Food Agency (SFA).
This means no dine-in, no signboards, minimal disturbance, and proper food safety practices.
What can I sell from my HDB home cafe?
You can sell low-risk foods like baked goods, coffee, tea, and packaged snacks. High-risk foods and alcohol require special licensing.
Do I need a licence for a home cafe in Singapore?
You don’t need an SFA licence for most home-based food businesses, but you must register with SFA and ACRA, and comply with all food safety and business regulations.
Can I have customers dine in my HDB home cafe?
No, dine-in or cafe-style seating is not allowed. All sales must be for takeaway, delivery, or pre-arranged collection.
How do I design my HDB home cafe?
Create a cosy, functional space for preparing food and drinks — think a dedicated coffee corner, attractive shelving, and warm lighting. Keep the vibe welcoming but remember, your home must remain primarily residential.