Tuesday, 27 October 2026 · Malé Search Newsletter Send us your launch WhatsApp the desk
Maldives Real Estate News

Maldives real estate, reported from the ground: developments, developers, prices, rules, and the homes behind them.

Rules & rates

Paying off early, or moving banks: what HDFC charges

Settling an HDFC home loan early costs 2% of the balance; moving it to another lender costs 5%. On HDFC Amna's Islamic financing the lock-in fee is up to MVR 500,000, with a rebate. What each means, and what to ask.

By Published 1 min read

Illustration from Binga's stock library: a bedroom with a four-poster bed at sunset. Not the building in this story.
Illustration from Binga's stock library: a bedroom with a four-poster bed at sunset. Not the building in this story.

Conventional loans

From Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC)'s January 2026 schedule:

  • Early settlement: 2% of the balance. Paying off MVR 1.5 million costs MVR 30,000.
  • External refinancing: 5% of the balance, if you move the loan to another lender. On MVR 1.5 million, MVR 75,000.

HDFC charges more to leave for a competitor than to settle with your own money.

HDFC Amna (Islamic)

  • Early settlement (lock-in fee): "up to MVR 500,000" flat, with HDFC Amna's rebate policy, "benchmarked to prevailing market rates".
  • External refinancing: 2% to 5% of the balance.

Under Islamic financing the profit is often agreed for the whole term. The rebate decides how much of the unearned profit you get back. Ask for a written settlement figure before you decide.

Refinancing within HDFC

HDFC's Home Facility Top-Up lets existing borrowers refinance at a lower rate than their current one, subject to an assessment. It is for HDFC customers only; HDFC lists no product for taking over another bank's loan.

Compared with others

  • Maldives Islamic Bank: 0.5% on part payments.
  • Maldives Finance and Leasing Company: 10% of amounts repaid early.

HDFC's 2% sits between them.

As published by HDFC on 18 October 2026. Rates and terms change; confirm them with HDFC before you commit. General information, not financial advice.

Compare lenders with the concierge

Sources and method

Prices are asking prices as listed through Binga unless marked achieved, and are dated. Developer descriptions are reported as the developer's own. Facts the desk could not verify are left out. Spotted an error? Write to hello@binga.mv; corrections are noted at the foot of the piece.

Binga Properties is a real-estate concierge; it may represent homes and developments mentioned here.

Rules & rates

Does pledging my pension cost me anything?

The Pension Office charges no fee for the housing pledge that we could find, and the money keeps earning. Some lenders even price pension-backed loans lower: HDFC charges 10.42% against 11%, about MVR 1,000 a month less on MVR 2.4 million. The real costs are risk and lost flexibility.

· 1 min read

Rules & rates

The cost of signing with HDFC: fees, deposit and insurance

Borrowing MVR 2.4 million from HDFC costs MVR 500 to apply, 1% to process (capped at MVR 50,000), a deposit of three months' payments held for the whole term, insurance and court registration. The full list from HDFC's January 2026 schedule.

· 1 min read

Rules & rates

I'm over 50. Can I still use my pension to buy a home?

Yes, until you turn 60, but only half your balance, and the loan must be paid off before you turn 65. That shortens the term and raises the payment: on MVR 2.4 million at 11%, about MVR 33,100 a month over ten years against MVR 23,500 over 25.

· 2 min read

Rules & rates

The five lenders that accept your pension, and the five steps to use it

Only five institutions can take your pension savings as a home loan deposit: Bank of Maldives, Maldives Islamic Bank, HDFC, Mauritius Commercial Bank and Commercial Bank of Maldives. How the request moves between you, the lender and the Pension Office, step by step.

· 2 min read