For many Singaporeans, renting isn’t an option. We can’t bear to spend a good fraction of our monthly salaries on paying rent. So most of us tend to live with our folks till we get married and move out (or amass enough savings to buy our own property).
But here’s the thing. While the rental market has been pretty robust since the end of Circuit Breaker last year, it isn’t necessarily expensive to rent in Singapore. Rents have generally been decreasing (albeit the slight increase for non-landed properties in 2019) over the past few years, and have only started going up over the past year.
Nevertheless, rents are still lower than the peak in 2013. According to an SRX report on the June 2021 rental market published last week, condo rents were down 11.1% from the peak in January 2013.
Likewise, HDB rents were down 8.3% from the peak in August 2013.
Comparing the rental market in Asia
Singapore was once ranked fourth on ECA International’s list on the most expensive locations for rental accommodation in Asia back in 2016. But over the years, we were bumped down to a lower position, at seventh place in 2017 and eighth place in 2018. In the most recent report published in April 2021, we’re in eighth place, behind Hong Kong, Tokyo, Shanghai, Yokohama, Seoul, Beijing and Osaka.
According to ECA International, rental prices for an unfurnished, mid-market, three-bedroom apartment in areas commonly inhabited by international executives in Singapore average US$4,210 per month.
In comparison, you’ll need to fork out more than double that amount to rent a similar property in Hong Kong. For a three-bedroom apartment, you can expect to pay roughly US$10,679 per month.
Renting requires less financial commitment
In a country that prides on home ownership, renting can seem very costly. The main argument against renting is that you’re paying for a house that you don’t own. And if the property isn’t fully paid yet, you’re also basically paying to fund your landlord’s mortgage.
But the thing about buying a house is that it entails a heavier financial commitment. First, there’s the cash downpayment and monthly instalments that you’ll have to service for two to three decades. Then there are related costs such as stamp duties and admin fees like conveyancing fees. If it’s a condo, you’ll also have to fork out the management fee every three months. On top of all these costs, there are maintenance costs to think about, which can only go up as the house gets older.
On the other hand, renting requires less cash outlay. The main costs are the monthly rents, security deposit and rental stamp duties. While you’ll need to help your landlord maintain the condition of the house, you don’t need to fork out as much on maintenance than if you own the property.
Thinking of renting an apartment in Singapore? With our search function, you can filter the price range to suit your budget.
For under S$2,000, you can even rent a studio in the central region!
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If you found this article helpful, 99.co recommends Why every Singaporean millennial should rent their own place and Tenants, here’s an effective 7-step plan to negotiate rent in SG.
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[Additional reporting by Virginia Tanggono]
The post Here’s why renting in Singapore isn’t as expensive as you think appeared first on 99.co.
