Singapore Rental Guide: Easily Find Your Ideal Home

For those who have just come to Singapore, renting a house is a big deal. This article will comprehensively introduce various matters to know when renting in Singapore, including area selection, housing types, rental levels, and precautions, etc. to help you quickly and smoothly find suitable housing and start a wonderful new life!

Regional division of Singapore

Singapore is divided into 28 postal districts. The places and landmarks corresponding to each area code are as follows:

According to government planning, the entire island of Singapore can be divided into three parts: CCR (Core Central Region), RCR (Rest of Central Region), and ORC (Outside Central Region).

Based on geographical location, Singapore can be divided into five regions: central，east, north-east, north, and west.

• The Central Region includes the central and southern parts, with Central Business District (CBD), shopping center Orchard, and affluent areas like Bukit Timah. There are tourist areas such as Gardens by the Bay, Singapore River, Sentosa, etc. The northern part of the Central Region is connected to Marine Parade on the east coast which is Singapore's old money district, and the older generation of Singaporeans like to live here. Because it is close to the CBD and has a casual lifestyle, it is also the first choice for foreign families working in the CBD.

• The East Region consists of Bedok, Paya Lebar, Tampines, Pasir Ris and Changi Airport areas. This area is close to the flight zone and has lower housing prices and more HDB flats, mainly serving commercial and industrial parks near the airport.

• The commercial center of the West Region is Jurong East, which is referred to as Singapore's “second CBD.” Meanwhile, Singapore's two most famous top universities, NTU (Nanyang Technological University) and NUS (National University of Singapore), are located in the west, making leasing particularly active along the line from the West Coast to Clementi to Jurong West.

• The Northern Region includes several major areas such as Sembawang, Woodlands, and Yishun, with a high density of HDB flats offering relatively affordable rents. The northern region is connected directly to Orchard Road, CBD, and Marina Bay by the Red Line Metro. Now the brown line (Thomson East Coast Line) has been opened from Woodlands, which can directly connect to the Botanic Gardens, Orchard, CBD, East Coast, and will directly reach Changi Airport in the future. In addition, Woodlands is a land gateway between Singapore and Malaysia, and the rent in this area is relatively low except houses around the famous school Singapore American School (SAS).

• The Northeast Region mainly includes Ang Mo Kio, Sengkang, Serangoon, Hougang, Punggol, and Seletar. Sengkang, Hougang and Punggol are densely populated with young people and new high-rise HDB flats, and are new areas in Singapore where population density has grown rapidly in recent years.

Popular rental areas in Singapore

Most locals in Singapore do not rent houses, so the rental market mainly serves the migrants. CBD, CCR, etc. are expensive and suitable for high-income and high-net-worth families. Most middle-income earners choose the following places:

• Tiong Bahru: Close to the CBD and the city center, with convenient transportation. There are many cafes , bars，restaurants, and a wide range of leisure and entertainment options, with a strong flavor of life and a fashionable and retro vibe.

• Farrer Park / Little India: Close to CBD, with more employment and entertainment opportunities. The Indian population there is relatively dense, but it is still popular among young people.

• Clementi: Close to educational institutions such as the National University of Singapore, offering convenient living and relatively reasonable rent. However, during the school opening season, this area is in a state of frenzy for housing demands.

• Bishan: a transportation hub with abundant educational resources and convenient daily life.

• Katong: Only a 15-minutes drive from the CBD, with a long coastline. You can go to the East Coast Park for picnics, barbecues, outdoor sports on weekends, balancing work and leisure. A nice choice for those who work in CBD.


Those with middle and lower income can consider:

• Paya Lebar / Eunos: Close to the CBD and Changi Business Park, with direct access to the city center and the airport via the Green Line metro. The rent in the area is relatively affordable while still ensuring an acceptable quality of life.

• Sembawang: On the Red Line Metro, it is a 40-minutes drive from the city center without transferring, and is one of the areas with the lowest housing prices in Singapore.

• Woodlands/Jurong West: There are many international schools in this area, so many foreign families with children studying there live here.

Types of rental housing in Singapore

In Singapore, housing can be divided into HDB flat, Condominium, landed house and other types according to factors such as the developer and the price. Ordinary people usually rent HDB flats or Condominiums. HDB flats are welfare housing built by the government, which are inexpensive and the first choice for most people. Condos have more facilities, generally including swimming pools, gyms, tennis courts, barbecue pits, etc, and are much more expensive than HDB.

Depending on the number of people and budget, you can choose to rent a whole house or a single room. In general, a higher budget means more choices and better living privacy. Otherwise, you will need to share the house with other roommates and also the bathroom and other public areas.

Rental levels in Singapore

A single room

*monthly rent in Singapore dollars

Master Room: The master bedroom with a private bathroom.
Common Room: The second bedroom, you may share a bathroom with other roommates.
Maid Room: The smallest type, about 3-4 sqm, can only accommodate a single bed and a desk/wardrobe, and most of them have no windows.

A whole house

*monthly rent in Singapore dollars

The above is only the approximate level of the rental market. The rent of specific properties may be higher or lower than this range due to factors such as location, age, furnishings, surrounding facilities, etc.

Renting in Singapore

Renting process

Choose a house - confirm the lease contract - pay the deposit and rent - pay the rental stamp duty

Fees
• Rent (Paid monthly)
• Deposit (a 2-month deposit is charged for a standard 2-year lease)
• Rental stamp duty (0.4% of the total rent during the total lease period)
• Water, electricity, network fees (Whole-unit rentals require tenants to setup a water and electricity account and pay for it yourself. For a single room , fees generally included in the rent and the landlord will pay within the limit).
• Air conditioning cleaning fee (the tenant is responsible for cleaning every 3 months for renting a whole house while the landlord is usually responsible for a rental single room ).
• As for the agency fee, it depends cause the agents in Singapore can be divided into landlord agent and tenant agent. For example, if you view a property online and contact the agents mentioned, these agents are the landlord agents. If the lease is reached, the agency fee is paid by the landlord and the tenant does not need to pay. But if you don't want to look for houses one by one, you can entrust an agent to help you find a house. You just need to list your demands and budget. In this case, the agent who helps you is your tenant agent, and you need to pay the agency fee. Generally, 1 monthly rent is charged for a 2-year lease, and 0.5 monthly rent is charged for a 1-year or less lease.

Lease terms
At least 6 months for HDB flats.
At least 3 months for condos.

Warranty period
The landlord shall bear the cost of repairs and replacements within first 30 days of the lease (excluding artificial damage). Afterwards, it is according to the minor repair Clause stipulated in the contract. The tenant will be responsible for the amount within the stipulated limit, and the landlord will be responsible for the excess amount. The amount of minor repairs for a general HDB flat is $150-$200, for a condo $200-$300, and for a luxury condo $300-$1000.

Minor Repair Clause
Standard contracts usually include minor repair clauses, which mainly stipulate that after the first 30 days of the warranty period, any repairs that occur to the house such as replacing light bulbs or breaking electrical appliances (excluding major repair projects such as structural repairs, circuit repairs, and water leakage repairs, etc.), will be handled with and paid by tenant themselves within the amount.
If the repair quotation exceeds the minor repair amount, the tenant must first obtain the landlord's consent to the quotation before the repair can be carried out. The exceeding amount will be borne by the landlord. Remember, the repair procedure must be correct. Any place that requires the landlord to pay must be discussed with them first, otherwise the landlord has the right to refuse to pay.

Additionally, the minor repair clause does not include air conditioning repairs. As long as the tenant regularly cleans the air conditioner every three months and does not intentionally overusing it, the landlord will be fully responsible for repairing and costs if the air conditioner malfunctions. It should be noted that in general the tenant is responsible for adding Refrigerant Gas to the air conditioner, and the landlord is responsible for the chemical cleaning of the air conditioner, except for situations where the tenant turns on the air conditioner 24/7.

Termination of contract in advance
In standard rental contracts in Singapore, there is no clause for early termination unless both parties agree to add it, meaning that terminating the contract early is not free and easy.
There is a Diplomatic Clause in the contract, which generally applies to tenants obtaining an EP visa (Employment Pass). This clause refers to the option for tenants who leave Singapore due to job transfer after staying for at least 12 months (with official proof required) to notify the landlord 2 months in advance to terminate the contract. It must be noted that this clause requires a minimum of 14 months (12+2) of occupancy for a 2-year lease term, rather than mistakenly interpreting it as notifying the landlord in the 10th month and leaving after 12 months of occupancy.

Check-Out Procedures
Check out is the most contentious process between both parties, and the following points should be noted:
• Tenants are required to have all malfunctions that occur during the lease term repaired, and to restore the walls, floors, furniture, etc. in accordance with the contract.
• Tenants are required to provide the landlord with receipts or contracts for air conditioning cleaning every three months during the lease term, and the last cleaning must be done within one month before check-out.
• Tenants need to dry clean (not wash ) all curtains before checking out, hire someone to do a professional cleaning of the entire house (note that cleaning by a hourly worker or self is not considered professional cleaning), and present relevant expense vouchers.
• On the day of handing over keys, both the tenant and landlord will conduct a joint inspection. If there are any outstanding matters, the landlord has the right to deduct the corresponding amount from the deposit.
• Additionally, it is important to note that the deposit cannot be used to offset the last month's rent, otherwise it will be considered a breach of contract and the landlord has the right to pursue further action.

Particular attention

Occupancy Limits
1-bedroom/2-bedroom HDB : maximum occupancy of 4 people per suite.
3-bedroom HDB/Condo less than 90 sqm : maximum capacity of 6 people per suite.
4 bedrooms and above HDB/ Condo more than 90 sqm : maximum capacity of 8 people per suite.
Exceeding the limit on the number of occupants is illegal.

Cooking restrictions
You need to confirm the cooking clause that whether cooking is not allowed or can be done in small or large quantities.

Air conditioner cleaning fee
The air conditioner needs to be cleaned every three months, at a cost of approximately $30 each. You should keep receipts properly because some landlords may check it when checking out. If the tenant fails to clean the air conditioner on time, even if the air conditioner is not damaged, the landlord has the right to deduct the relevant fees and request the tenant a deep air conditioner cleaning. If damage is caused, the tenant needs to pay the full amount for repairs.

End of Lease Responsibilities
The responsibilities and obligations of both parties shall be subject to lease contract, and all matters related must be complied with. At the same time, pay attention to preserve evidence, such as carefully inspecting the house on the day of check-in, and promptly reporting any malfunctions to the landlord. When check out, these words in black and white，photos, and videos will be as evidence. Otherwise words will be unfounded and it may easily cause controversy. Please be careful and cautious when check in or out.