Singapore Expats

Hi all,

I'm moving to Singapore in November. My company will put me up at a Service Apartment for 1 month, and I want to sign a lease starting 1st week of December.

I'll be working in CBD. I'm looking to rent a studio or 1 BR; preferably with an additional store room. My budget is $1800 - $2200 as I will be living alone for now. I checked out both this site and another big Singapore property website - didn't see too many studio / 1 BR apartments within this budget.

Any personal recommendations from forummers on apartment developments / HDB blocks which are near to MRT stations i.e. 7 - 10 minute walk? I would like to direct the leasing agents to look at specific developments / areas in this price range.

Or am I completely priced out with this range? As someone who rented a new, nice, renovated 3 BR HDB at Redhill for $1500 (2006 - 2007), I'm shocked at how much a similar apartment in the same block goes for now

Hello fujiwater

So.... you have got your EP yes ? which pass type ?

IMHO I would be incline to stay in the Service Apartment for about two weeks to a month before you sign any TA. Seeing is believing. There are alot of cowboys in the property industry. I do not trust them one bit.
Come over and feel yourself. Your price range in CBD maybe slightly out of range.
Look at YWCA website or YMCA or those budget service apartment to get yourself here b4 committing to anything?
Does this makes sense ?

Mad Scientist wrote:Hello fujiwater

So.... you have got your EP yes ? which pass type ?

IMHO I would be incline to stay in the Service Apartment for about two weeks to a month before you sign any TA. Seeing is believing. There are alot of cowboys in the property industry. I do not trust them one bit.
Come over and feel yourself. Your price range in CBD maybe slightly out of range.
Look at YWCA website or YMCA or those budget service apartment to get yourself here b4 committing to anything?
Does this makes sense ?

Hey MS, how are you doing?

I don't have my EP as yet, my company is going to apply for it before I get to Singapore. They said I can go to MOM to complete the formalities once I'm in the country. I'm not sure which pass type, I'll update you guys once I am there.

Agree with you on not signing up for Service Apartments prior to a look-see. I wanted to see if there were any forrumers who rent or know of people who rent 1BRs / studios in this price range ... though I do think it's unlikely

MS, if I can ask you a question slightly off-topic - how does one determine whether an HDB apartment is 'approved' or not?

One BR is locked = unapproved, as a rule of thumb? Is it illegal to rent such apartments? I saw a number of posting in Pinnacle@Duxton and other newer HDBs where one room is locked by the owner.

fujiwater wrote:
One BR is locked = unapproved, as a rule of thumb? Is it illegal to rent such apartments? I saw a number of posting in Pinnacle@Duxton and other newer HDBs where one room is locked by the owner.

http://www.hdb.gov.sg/fi10/fi10323p.nsf ... enDocument

Yeah, as a rule of thumb, one bedroom locked can be viewed as illegal. See toward the bottom of the page of the link provided. The owner must be always living in the unit and is not allowed to move/live elsewhere and leaving a single bedroom locked. If HDB finds out, they can lose their flat.