In this guide · 8 sections
- 01Home-Based Business Scheme vs Home Office Scheme
- 02What the rules mean for your website and marketing
- 03Which address to show online
- 04Google Business Profile without your home address
- 05Bookings, pick-ups and messages that keep neighbours happy
- 06When you outgrow the home
- 07Do it yourself or get help?
- 08Frequently asked questions
Short answer
Under HDB and URA rules, home businesses cannot display signs at home. The Home-Based Business Scheme bans non-resident staff; the Home Office Scheme allows two non-residents but no customer visits. Online, show a service area instead of your address, and give exact details only after a booking.
Home-Based Business Scheme vs Home Office Scheme
HDB runs the schemes for flats and URA for private homes, with matching conditions. GoBusiness's home-based business e-Adviser helps you pick the right one.
| Home-Based Business Scheme | Home Office Scheme | |
|---|---|---|
| Approval | None needed | Register online; S$20 admin fee, instant approval |
| Typical activities | Small-scale baking, hairdressing, beauty (not massage), nails, tuition for up to 3 students, sewing, freelance work | Administrative work: consultancy, design, accounting, IT, trading office |
| Non-resident staff | Not allowed to work in the home | Up to two non-residents, including employees, partners and directors |
| Customer visits | Possible for permitted services, with consideration for neighbours | Not allowed |
| Signs at home | Not allowed | Not allowed |
Both schemes require the person running the business to be the owner, a registered occupant or a tenant with the owner's consent, and the home must remain a residence. Rules from other agencies still apply, such as Singapore Food Agency rules for food and licences listed on the GoBusiness Licensing Portal.
What the rules mean for your website and marketing
URA's home-based business guidelines say there must be no advertisements, signs or posters at the premises, no large-scale storage or frequent loading and unloading of goods, and no use of the home as a distribution centre. The Home Office Scheme conditions add no solicitation that disturbs residents, such as flyers or door-to-door visits, and no selling of physical goods in or around the premises.
None of this restricts online marketing. Your website, social media and online ads are where a home business is allowed to be visible. What the rules affect is what you invite people to do: turn up at your door, queue for collection, or expect a shopfront.
Which address to show online
Most home businesses should not print their full home address on every page. Pick the approach that matches your scheme and business type.
- Service-based businesses that go to customers (tutors, photographers, cleaners, IT freelancers): show the areas you serve, not your address.
- Home-based services where customers visit (nails, hair, tuition for up to three students): give the address only in the booking confirmation, with arrival instructions.
- Home Office businesses: customers may not visit, so show a business email and chat or phone contact, and arrange meetings at the client's premises or a meeting room.
- Online sellers: use delivery, or a clearly timed pick-up given after payment, so collection does not become frequent loading at the block.
A registered business or company still needs an address with ACRA, and company registered office addresses appear in ACRA's records. If that worries you, ask your corporate secretary about a separate registered office address. Our guide to licences for selling online covers ACRA registration and when it applies.
Google Business Profile without your home address
Google's Business Profile guidelines say service-area businesses, which serve customers at the customer's location, should set a service area. Google's address help explains that if you hide your business address, your profile shows only your service area.
Create or claim the profile
Use a Google account the business controls, not a personal one you might lose.
Enter your address for verification
Google needs it to verify the business, but you can choose not to show it.
Turn off 'show business address'
In Business information, Location, toggle off showing the address to customers.
Add service areas
List the towns or districts you actually serve, such as Tampines, Bedok and Pasir Ris.
Link your website and booking page
Point the website button to your site and add a booking link if you take appointments.
Our Google Business Profile set-up guide covers categories, photos and reviews in more detail.
Bookings, pick-ups and messages that keep neighbours happy
The practical way to stay within the rules is to control who comes to your home, and when. A simple website feature does most of the work.
Home business website set-up
Home bakers have their own extra rules from SFA; our guide to running a home-based food business online covers them.
When you outgrow the home
The schemes are for small-scale activity. Signs that it is time to move include needing more than two non-resident staff, regular customer visits for a Home Office business, storing stock in bulk, or frequent courier pick-ups.
Plan the website for the move from the start: use your own domain and business email so contact details do not change, keep the address off most pages, and you can switch to a shopfront or office address by editing one page and your Google profile.
Do it yourself or get help?
A one-page site with a booking link and a service-area Google profile is enough for many home businesses, and you can build it yourself on most site builders.
Our Landing Page (S$690) builds a single-page site with your services, booking or enquiry form and WhatsApp button. For more pages, the Business Website (S$1,490) covers up to six pages. If you already have a site but need your own domain and email set up properly, Domain & DNS Setup (S$99) handles the records.
Frequently asked questions
Not for small-scale activities under the Home-Based Business Scheme, such as home baking, hairdressing, nails or tuition for up to three students. If you run an administrative office from home and want to hire up to two non-resident staff, register under the Home Office Scheme through GoBusiness. It costs S$20 and approval is instant.
Under the Home Office Scheme, no: clients and customers are not allowed to visit. Under the Home-Based Business Scheme, permitted services such as hairdressing or tuition for up to three students imply some visits, but you must remain considerate of neighbours and not run the home like a shop or distribution centre.
No. HDB and URA do not allow advertisements, signs or posters at the residential premises under either scheme. Promote the business online instead, through your website, social media and a Google Business Profile that shows a service area rather than your address.
Usually not on every page. Show your service area instead, and send the exact address only in booking confirmations when customers are allowed to visit. For a Home Office business, customers should not visit at all, so list email, chat or phone and meet clients elsewhere.
Not to work in the home under the Home-Based Business Scheme; non-resident employees are not allowed. The Home Office Scheme allows up to two non-residents, including employees, partners and directors, for administrative work. If you need more staff, you need commercial premises.