Advice re: renting apartment in Singapore

[Britmummy2011]

Hi everyone,

Would appreciate your advice... I am looking for a small HDB/private apartment to rent in Singapore... is a budget of $1000-2000 realistic? We are not fussy about location, within reason.

I'm confused as it seems many agents are advertising single rooms within shared houses, rather than the whole flat.

Also, we have a baby- have people found there are restrictions on a couple renting if they have a baby?

Thanks for your advice!

[sundaymorningstaple]

1800 UP is more realistic. And this will be a three room HDB (Housing Development Board) flat (2 Bedrooms) further out from the CBD (central business district).

800-1000 will only get you a Master Bedroom (has insuite bathroom) in a 4 Room (3 BR) or 5 room (3, 3.5 or 4 BR) HDB unit.

[goldenbear]

beware that whole flat can be rented out by the owner only if approved by HDB. You may find some agents advertising "no owner" or telling you owner not in most of the time, as the owner is not qualified to rent out the whole flat under HDB rules. what they do is lock up one of the rooms to keep their own belongings and not staying there. This is illegal!

Sharing a flat if you have a baby may not be ideal, if the other rooms are also rented out to other tenants. check with the owner first before committing.

[sundaymorningstaple]

It's pretty easy to tell if the flat is legal to be let out. Just give the address / unit number to HDB and they will check to see if the flat is old enough to let out.

[luminoso]

Hi everyone,

Would appreciate your advice... I am looking for a small HDB/private apartment to rent in Singapore... is a budget of $1000-2000 realistic? We are not fussy about location, within reason.

I'm confused as it seems many agents are advertising single rooms within shared houses, rather than the whole flat.

Also, we have a baby- have people found there are restrictions on a couple renting if they have a baby?

Thanks for your advice!

- A budget of $2000 is more realistic for a two-bedroom HDB flat (this is known as a "3 room HDB flat" as they include the living room as one of the rooms

- Don't rent through an agent if you can help it, they guzzle money from you like there's no tomorrow

- Absolutely no reason why anyone would have any problem with your baby