Rental Increases?!!?! :(

[synkronize]

Hi Guys

Read this post with interest. I'm also an expat who just moved here and I've been told by other expats who've been here for a while that I came at the wrong time! Such comforting words ...

Whilst I do not have a family tagging along with me, my fiance is already working in Singapore. I don't have a fat expat package or housing allowance and as such, both of us chose to look for a HDB to rent. My fiance has been staying in a 1 room HDB since Dec 06 and the unit is quite nice and well kept.

Now that I'm here and our parents back home, we decided to get a bigger unit. We've been told countless of times by agents that HDBs are in great demand since there are also expats who are considering to rent them since apartment/condo prices have increased a lot. In my first week of arrival here, I've viewed no more than 10 units - usually rushing for viewing after work. I can say that out of these, say 10 units, only 2 of them met my expectation - and they're not very high expectations! All I ask for is a clean, well kept and furnished unit - doesn't have to be with extravagant furnishing but simple stuff.

I've seen horrible, dirty units asking for the moon. E.g. a 2 room HDB located just above a MRT station was asking for $1.8K. As I got out of the MRT station, I thought to myself "great accesibility". When I got to the unit, I was so dissapointed and traumatised that I wouldn't be able to find a decent HDB unit. I almost welled up in tears after I left the unit and went back to my hotel.

The unit has no aircon in both rooms, extremely old, dirty and dusty. The cabinets in the rooms were probably 15 years old or more and the wood was chipping/cracking. The worst had to be the kitchen. As I set foot into the kitchen, my feet immediately 'squirmed'. Just picture cooking for the last 10~15 years and you not mopping your floor everytime you do a heavy cooking. The kitchen floor was extremely sticky, so sticky that I was walking on my toes. And yet the agent was promoting the unit to me like it was god-sent. If I wanted the unit to be spruced up, I needed to fork out more rent! The owner told me I can do whatever I want to the unit, even paint the walls or have it renovated (yeah right). Another unit almost had me fainting coz a lizard jumped out of the owners fridge!

Luckily for me, I found a 3 bedroom unit in AMK, opposite the shopping mall and MRT station for 1.9k. The unit is so clean and well kept. I can't imagine how some of these landlord (perhaps in the name of $$$, they don't care?) can just rent out a unit without any care in the world or screening their tenants on cleanliness.

Just my 2 cents

[German_Expat]

[quote]Another unit almost had me fainting coz a lizard jumped out of the owners fridge!

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Ohhhh dont tell the owner or the price goes up for having easy access to  wildlife  :lol: 

I am afraid I don't have any respect for agents here in Singapore, I put them into the same group as used car sales men and insurance agents in Europe.

The fact is, most HDB apartments (and even some condos) are far below quality standard that would justify charging the prices that are being asked for. Singapore does not seem to have a quality standard when it comes to rental apartments and this is a problem. It would be of great help to expats if the Singapore government was to screen apartments for rent and give a impartial quality rating. This would show a commitment to quality on the governments behalf and also encourage owners to tidy up if they want to rent out. 

I also looked at many apartments before I decided on the one where I am now and at most viewings I spent less than 2 minutes in the apartment. I shortlisted four apartments and went back for a second viewing. Value for money does not seem to be a concept here. The 'feel good factor' is fast being eroded.

[German_Expat]

Hi all, I just received this link from the Malaysian High Commission: http://www.mm2h.gov.my

I will post more info here as and when I get it.

[lchk]

Hi all, I just received this link from the Malaysian High Commission: http://www.mm2h.gov.my

I will post more info here as and when I get it.

How's your move to Johor Bahru coming along?

[German_Expat]

We are getting all the info together, have until end of next year to decide, april 2009 to move out. That's when our lease runs out. Will post more on my experiences as time goes by. Should something real nice come up sooner then you will all hear about it

[synkronize]

We are getting all the info together, have until end of next year to decide, april 2009 to move out. That's when our lease runs out. Will post more on my experiences as time goes by. Should something real nice come up sooner then you will all hear about it

Hey u're moving to Malaysia? Haha, I moved FROM Malaysia to Singapore. Good luck for MM2H. If you need help on matters in KL, I can try to assist

[lchk]

We are getting all the info together, have until end of next year to decide, april 2009 to move out. That's when our lease runs out. Will post more on my experiences as time goes by. Should something real nice come up sooner then you will all hear about it

As a Malaysian, my two cents would be to rent a place in JB with a good security system in place (for instances a gated community). As a forummer here has posted, JB is headed the way of Skid Row in Los Angeles. Well, perhaps not that bad but one does have to be more careful in the surroundings of JB.

[synkronize]

[quote="lchkAs a Malaysian, my two cents would be to rent a place in JB with a good security system in place (for instances a gated community). As a forummer here has posted, JB is headed the way of Skid Row in Los Angeles. Well, perhaps not that bad but one does have to be more careful in the surroundings of JB.[/quote]

I agree, whenever I go to JB for meetings with clients, I normally don't wander out at night on my own. I don't drive around there too. My colleague got car jacked once at some brightly lit petrol station and the robber threatened to slash him with the parang if he didn't hand over the keys. Its not an everyday thing, but something u'd like to look out for especially in JB

[German_Expat]

I agree, whenever I go to JB for meetings with clients, I normally don't wander out at night on my own. I don't drive around there too. My colleague got car jacked once at some brightly lit petrol station and the robber threatened to slash him with the parang if he didn't hand over the keys. Its not an everyday thing, but something u'd like to look out for especially in JB

Yes, crime problems are everywhere. Singapore is an ultra safe place compared to the UK for example where I had 15 cars stolen in 20 years and suffered 4 house break ins, 2 of them when I was at home. Malaysia is safe compared to the UK but not as safe as Singapore off course. You just need to be that much more aware. In the UK there is hardly any home without burglar alarm. Neighbourhood watch schemes also help. But the crime rate is still much higher. And.... would you believe, a burglar can actually sue you in court for damages if he or she gets injured whilst burgling your home??? In Hamburg you get 12 year olds stealing cars and making a video on how to steal a car so that it can be sold to other hooligans The problem is that where rich meets not so rich you will always have a crime problem. In Europe the wealthier members of society are a little more discreet, where here(in Asia) they tend to flaunt what they have.[/code]

[Superglide]

I think you will find Hamburg a safe haven compared to JB, no kiddin...

[bjwd]

i guess one solution is to share flat ? You can cry and gripe until the cow comes moo-ing at you and yet nothing will change. The problem is most housing agents are out to make a quick buck or two (very few would actually go to the extend of ensuring the place is ideal for you).

No. The problem is the monetary policy from the MAS.

http://www.singstat.gov.sg/stats/latestdata.html

All that new money and the CPI is low and "managed" currency stable.

Could it be that an asset bubble is being fed? .

Or,

http://www.smh.com.au/news/business/a-b ... 72669.html

[luningning]

I'm not yet living in Singarich but I will be arriving shortly from The Philippines. I've been trying to project my expenses, develop a budget, and prepare to rent a place as soon as I arrive. Needless to say, I have found this thread to be very illuminating.

I am not emigrating to feel like I have "arrived". In fact, the cost of living here is so low that I rent a 4 bedroom house for about S$117/month. If I want to live above those around me and feel like a big shot this is probably the ideal place to do it -- not in a place that is supposed to be more expensive than New York city.

Completely to the contrary, I want to live simply and save for the future of my family. I imagine that is why most people accept the risk, uncertainty, and loneliness of moving to a new country. My plan is to find some roommates after arriving and save for the advance + deposit + commission on a private place so my wife can join me after several months. My greatest concern is that my income simply will not stretch far enough to cover my basic needs.

If that turns out to be the case, I am stuck for at least a full year (maybe without my wife) due to very strict contractual obligations. I will quite honestly be a slave (owing travel and recruitment costs) to the company that has brought me over so packing up and sailing away on my gold-plated yacht won't be a viable option. Add an astronomically expensive lease to that and I imagine my situation is going to become rather desperate.

Thank you to anyone who has been criticized for griping/complaining. I'm OK where I am and I'm happy here. I haven't made up my mind to go yet so let me tell you, I sure appreciate this thread.

[remersonh]

Surely you jest!!! You've heard that Singapore is more expensive than NYC? Not a chance in ... well. It's not true.

Having just moved from NYC, here's the breakdown from a professional income level perspective (In Sing $):

Rent
NYC - $3K
Sing - $2.1K (for better accomodations -- about 2x the space!)

Utilities
NYC - $146 (winter), $292 (summer), $219 average
Sing - ~$150

Mobile & Cable/Internet & transportation
Same

Food
NYC $30 per day
Sing $10-$15 per day

Taxes
NYC 40% of income
Sing 18% of income

There's NO comparison whatsoever!!!!

[bjwd]

Nonsense.

You don't only look at the absolute median price level when comparing city-to-city costs, but the price level when compared to median income. I sure as hell hope you aren't a banker.

[remersonh]

You hope that I'm not a banker? Because I relied on personal experience?

Pull out your median statistics before you start criticizing personal experience. They'll tell you the same story that I'm telling. The tax difference ALONE is enough.

I hope that you aren't a business man wasting time digging up worthless statistics when you have sufficient evidence to make an evaluation!!!!