Sudibyo M. Wiradji
\nContributor
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
CHECKED ON 18 JAN - TIM<\/p>\n
Living in Singapore -- why not?<\/p>\n
Want to rent a dream house in Singapore for education or
\nbusiness purposes? Or perhaps you want to invest your funds in a
\nresidential apartment or a condominium there? Fine. But whatever
\nreasons you have, you first need to be familiar with the
\ncountry's housing policy for foreign citizens.<\/p>\n
In general, Singapore property is divided into two categories.
\nOne is called 'HDB flats' and the other 'private property.'<\/p>\n
The HDB, which stands for the House and Development Board, is
\na Singapore government body that builds public housing flats
\nwhich are then sold or rented out.<\/p>\n
Both public housing flats and private property or apartments
\nare available for rental and sale, but with different
\nrequirements.<\/p>\n
Based on the existing regulations, a permanent resident or an
\nemployment pass holder, who is 21 years of age or older, and does
\nnot own a private property in Singapore, is allowed to rent
\npublic flats at market prices under the Jurong Town Corporation's
\n(JTC) Scheme For Housing Foreign Talent (ShiFT).<\/p>\n
Temporary residents who only possess a professional or social
\nvisit pass are not allowed to rent public flats, while the sale
\nof such properties is restricted to citizens and permanent
\nresidents.<\/p>\n
\"These flats are unfurnished and are rented on three-year
\nleases,\" according to the latest Singapore Fact Sheet Series.<\/p>\n
Unlike public flats, all foreigners are free to buy private
\nproperty as long as they have proper stay permits, and provided
\nthe building is more than six floors high.<\/p>\n
Only Singapore citizens and permanent residents can buy landed
\nproperty.<\/p>\n
When planning your house-hunting strategy, you would be well
\nadvised to consider things such as budget, location, required
\nfacilities and the availability of public transport. If you have
\na limited budget, or, for some reason, you want to live
\nthriftily, then try to find a public housing flat.<\/p>\n
A public housing flat or apartment, built by HDB or the JTC,
\nwill mean a lower rental fee. Monthly rents average S$700 for a
\nthree room (two bedroom) flat, S$1,000 for a four room (three
\nbedroom), S$1,300 for a five room (three bedroom with separate
\ndining area) and S$1,500 for an executive (three bedroom with
\nseparate dining area) flat.<\/p>\n
The rent is relatively low because these bodies do not pay any
\ncommission to agents and also because there is an official policy
\nto encourage foreigners to come to Singapore to work. However,
\nthere is only a small number of such apartments available.<\/p>\n
However, if budget isn't an issue for you, then you can rent
\nan apartment in a prime district such as Orchard Road, around
\nHolland Road, Tanglin Road, River Valley, and Bukit Timah. The
\ndistrict offers luxurious apartments where rents are a lot
\nhigher.<\/p>\n
The west coast and east coast are other popular residential
\nareas. If you have a rental budget of S$3,300 a month, you can
\nget an apartment measuring 1,399 sq ft to 3,000 sq ft. But if you
\nhave S$8,000 a month to spare, you can rent a luxurious apartment
\ncomplete with facilities such as swimming pool, tennis courts and
\ngym. If you are willing to spend between S$18,000 - S$30,000, you
\ncan rent a first class bungalow with lots of room and a big
\ngarden.<\/p>\n
When you have found a property that you like, the procedure
\nis as follows:
\n* Sign a letter of intent (prepared by the agent) and pay a
\ndeposit normally equivalent to one month's rental.
\n* Sign the tenancy agreement and pay a further deposit, again
\nequivalent to one month's rent and pay one month's rent in
\nadvance. Lease periods are normally one to two years. The
\ndeposit, or 'holding deposit', is kept by the owner as security
\nagainst any damage done to the property or contents or against
\nunpaid rent, and is standard in Singapore. This deposit is
\nreturned at the end of the lease period. Normally this is not a
\nproblem but sometimes getting a deposit back can be a source of
\ndispute, another reason for using a trustworthy agent.
\n* At the time of signing the tenancy agreement it is normal for
\nthe agent to collect the stamp duty. It is the tenant's
\nresponsibility to pay the stamp duty on rented property. Duty is
\napproximately 4.8 percent of the monthly rental value for each
\nyear of a lease.
\n* Carefully inspect the property with either the agent or the
\nlandlord and take note of any defects in the property and\/or
\ncontents.
\n* Sign and agree an inventory list (presented by the landlord).
\nThis is a list of all property contents included in the lease and
\nnotes the condition of each. It is expected that the contents
\nwill be in the same condition at the end of the lease period. It
\nis important that this list be checked carefully to avoid
\npossible arguments later.<\/p>\n
Stephen Ng, an Indonesian who is eligible to buy a condominium
\nin Singapore, commented: \"In general, the regulations are pretty
\nstraightforward. \"Despite the strict housing rules, many
\nIndonesians move to Singapore for education purpose.<\/p>\n
\"What encouraged me to buy a condominium there in 1996 was
\nmainly investment purposes. Singapore is a gateway place,\" he
\nsaid, adding, \"A return ticket to Singapore is cheaper than one
\nfrom Bali to Jakarta.\"<\/p>\n
Indonesians, like other citizens of the Association of South
\nEast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are not required to apply for visas
\nwhen visiting as tourists. But if you intend to visit for social,
\nbusiness or study purposes, you will need special passes.<\/p>\n
The Singapore government also allows you to apply for
\npermanent residence before coming to Singapore or after starting
\nwork in Singapore.<\/p>\n
Non-Singaporeans can become Singapore permanent residents
\n(PRs) by obtaining an Entry Permit (an application for an Entry
\nPermit is an application for Singapore Permanent Residence),
\naccording to a Singapore Property 21 web advertisement. The
\nrequirements are as follows:
\n* Spouse, wife or unmarried child (below 21 years old) of a
\nSingapore citizen\/permanent resident;
\n* Aged parents of a Singapore citizen;
\n* Employment pass holders;
\n* Entrepreneurs or investors.<\/p>\n
The government has relaxed its rules on permanent residents,
\nwith several changes to the existing PR application and work
\npermit regulations being made in 1999.<\/p>\n
The changes are in line with the government's policy of
\nattracting foreign talent to Singapore, as well as an attempt to
\nmake the granting of PR status more transparent and
\ncomprehensive. Included in the changes are the government's move
\nto now allow a Singaporean woman to sponsor her foreign husband
\nfor PR status as long as the wife, or the family, has the means
\nof self-support.<\/p>",
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