Want to rent state housing or condominiums? It's up to you

Sudibyo M. Wiradji, Contributor, Jakarta

Want to rent a dream house in Singapore for education or business purposes? Or perhaps you want to invest your funds in a residential apartment or a condominium there? Fine. But whatever reasons you have, you first need to be familiar with the country's housing policy for foreign citizens.

In general, Singapore property is divided into two categories. One is called 'HDB flats' and the other 'private property.'

The HDB, which stands for the House and Development Board, is a Singapore government body that builds public housing flats which are then sold or rented out.

Both public housing flats and private property or apartments are available for rental and sale, but with different requirements.

Based on the existing regulations, a permanent resident or an employment pass holder, who is 21 years of age or older, and does not own a private property in Singapore, is allowed to rent public flats at market prices under the Jurong Town Corporation's (JTC) Scheme For Housing Foreign Talent (ShiFT).

Temporary residents who only possess a professional or social visit pass are not allowed to rent public flats, while the sale of such properties is restricted to citizens and permanent residents.

"These flats are unfurnished and are rented on three-year leases," according to the latest Singapore Fact Sheet Series.

Unlike public flats, all foreigners are free to buy private property as long as they have proper stay permits, and provided the building is more than six floors high.

Only Singapore citizens and permanent residents can buy landed property.

When planning your house-hunting strategy, you would be well advised to consider things such as budget, location, required facilities and the availability of public transport. If you have a limited budget, or, for some reason, you want to live thriftily, then try to find a public housing flat.

A public housing flat or apartment, built by HDB or the JTC, will mean a lower rental fee. Monthly rents average S$700 for a three room (two bedroom) flat, S$1,000 for a four room (three bedroom), S$1,300 for a five room (three bedroom with separate dining area) and S$1,500 for an executive (three bedroom with separate dining area) flat.

The rent is relatively low because these bodies do not pay any commission to agents and also because there is an official policy to encourage foreigners to come to Singapore to work. However, there is only a small number of such apartments available.

However, if budget isn't an issue for you, then you can rent an apartment in a prime district such as Orchard Road, around Holland Road, Tanglin Road, River Valley, and Bukit Timah. The district offers luxurious apartments where rents are a lot higher.

The west coast and east coast are other popular residential areas. If you have a rental budget of S$3,300 a month, you can get an apartment measuring 1,399 sq ft to 3,000 sq ft. But if you have S$8,000 a month to spare, you can rent a luxurious apartment complete with facilities such as swimming pool, tennis courts and gym. If you are willing to spend between S$18,000 - S$30,000, you can rent a first class bungalow with lots of room and a big garden.

When you have found a property that you like, the procedure is as follows:

* Sign a letter of intent (prepared by the agent) and pay a deposit normally equivalent to one month's rental.

* Sign the tenancy agreement and pay a further deposit, again equivalent to one month's rent and pay one month's rent in advance. Lease periods are normally one to two years. The deposit, or 'holding deposit', is kept by the owner as security against any damage done to the property or contents or against unpaid rent, and is standard in Singapore. This deposit is returned at the end of the lease period. Normally this is not a problem but sometimes getting a deposit back can be a source of dispute, another reason for using a trustworthy agent.

* At the time of signing the tenancy agreement it is normal for the agent to collect the stamp duty. It is the tenant's responsibility to pay the stamp duty on rented property. Duty is approximately 4.8 percent of the monthly rental value for each year of a lease.

* Carefully inspect the property with either the agent or the landlord and take note of any defects in the property and/or contents.

* Sign and agree an inventory list (presented by the landlord). This is a list of all property contents included in the lease and notes the condition of each. It is expected that the contents will be in the same condition at the end of the lease period. It is important that this list be checked carefully to avoid possible arguments later.

Stephen Ng, an Indonesian who is eligible to buy a condominium in Singapore, commented: "In general, the regulations are pretty straightforward. "Despite the strict housing rules, many Indonesians move to Singapore for education purpose.

"What encouraged me to buy a condominium there in 1996 was mainly investment purposes. Singapore is a gateway place," he said, adding, "A return ticket to Singapore is cheaper than one from Bali to Jakarta."

Indonesians, like other citizens of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) are not required to apply for visas when visiting as tourists. But if you intend to visit for social, business or study purposes, you will need special passes.

The Singapore government also allows you to apply for permanent residence before coming to Singapore or after starting work in Singapore.

Non-Singaporeans can become Singapore permanent residents (PRs) by obtaining an Entry Permit (an application for an Entry Permit is an application for Singapore Permanent Residence), according to a Singapore Property 21 web advertisement. The requirements are as follows:

* Spouse, wife or unmarried child (below 21 years old) of a Singapore citizen/permanent resident;

* Aged parents of a Singapore citizen;

* Employment pass holders;

* Entrepreneurs or investors.

The government has relaxed its rules on permanent residents, with several changes to the existing PR application and work permit regulations being made in 1999.

The changes are in line with the government's policy of attracting foreign talent to Singapore, as well as an attempt to make the granting of PR status more transparent and comprehensive. Included in the changes are the government's move to now allow a Singaporean woman to sponsor her foreign husband for PR status as long as the wife, or the family, has the means of self-support.