Resale prices of Housing Board flats in 2013 fell for the first time in eight years, according to HDB data for the fourth quarter of last year released on Friday.

The resale price index fell by 0.6 per cent to 201.7 in the fourth quarter from a year earlier. This was also a 1.5 per cent fall from the third quarter.

Resale transactions decreased by 12 per cent from 4,529 cases in the third quarter to 4,001 cases in the fourth quarter.

The number of resale transactions last year was 18,100, a decrease of 28 per cent from 2012.

Rental transactions fell by 3 per cent from 7,505 cases in the third quarter to 7,268 cases in the fourth quarter.

But the total number of HDB flats approved for subletting rose 1.6 per cent from 44,966 units in the third quarter to 45,674 units in the fourth quarter.