So let me talk about some of the things, tips and methodology I’ve learned and used during this rent-hunting and moving-out ordeal, might help someone out later. Again, lots of these are personal opinions and findings.
We’ll start with generic tips.
STARTER SEARCHING TIPS
1. Avoid bedspacing at all costs if you’re a decent-earning professional in Singapore, unless factors are way too favorable for you.
This is an easy recommendation, given all the bedspacing posts I’ve seen on Facebook Groups. Those are spartan setups, of almost barebones functionality and little comfort. If you earn more than SGD 3500 and you have more than decent take-home pay, save yourself the extreme penny-pinching and avoid bedspacing. Sure it’s twice/thrice the cost, but sanity and health also comes at a cost, and gauge whether you want to pay that headache sharing a small room with a complete stranger. The only way I think bedspacing works out is if you get a room with only two beds, and rent it with a very close friend or a relative who is also working in Singapore, someone you’re very comfortable sharing a room with. Of course if you and the other are a working couple, bedspacing for only two in a room actually could save some costs – I’ve seen listings for bedspacers around SGD 500-700 per person. Some landlords also do offer discounted rates for two people staying in one room, like one listing I found months ago near Mattar MRT that detailed a common room – not bedspacing explicitly, but the listing specification caught my eye. The room went SGD 900 for one person, and SGD 1400 for two persons.
Other sneaky terms they use for this are either “[X] room for sharing”, “shared room”, “two-person room”, or “1+1 room” (basically 1+1 = 2 people in one room). Sometimes they also get sneaky with terms, but with the photos you can easily spot if the room has two or more beds, or a bunk bed.
2. Stick to your search criteria as close as possible, at least until you have no more recourse.
I found myself wavering by middle of September, thinking if I should relax some of my non-negotiables or waive all my optionals, because of the dearth of quality I encountered at the time. However, expanding and undoing some filters only ended up making my search worse with more posts to filter. I just man’d up and stuck to my initial criteria, as I still had a decent time to go before the final rent was due on the Holland Village place. I pegged November 1 for my convenience, but I could’ve still kept on until November 15. But for others, I suggest doing wish triaging if you’re just a couple of days or weeks away from moving out. Time’s not on your side, so take what’s the essential things you have on your wishlist and strip out the others.
3. Compute first what date you want to move in. This is important when hunting for listings. For example, if your current long-term rent ends in December 31, my advice is to try seeking listings with move-in stated within 15-30 days before your rent end, December 1 onwards until January 1. If you’re flying in to Singapore to work and you don’t have a rental yet, find a short-term rental yet (like a fancy spacious hostel or a hotel) then target your rental date when you can.
One of the things you can plan around as well is the exact date and how it aligns to your monthly routines. For me, I tend to plan my expenses around either start or end of month – for example, I pay my postpaid mobile and my unit’s rental fee at end of month on the 30th (or whatever the last day is in February) – just for a cleaner month’s spending.
Once you have decided in on a date, keep it in mind. This will become a filter for your listing hunting. When you read a listing, always look for the keywords that indicate a “come anytime” move-in date or look for whatever date the listing has for move-in. Any other date that exceeds your targets, swipe and move on.
4. Start searching for units at least 5-6 weeks away from your target move-in date. This is only a suggestion. Of course, you are free to start searching/hunting anytime. But there are two things you’ll quickly realize after a few days:
a) most of the listings you’ll see are the “immediate move-in” ones, and
b) the listings with the exact dates closer to your preferred move-in date exponentially increase the closer you get to that date.
I’ve rent-hunted a few times already, and the best listings I shortlisted (and eventually settled on) were always closer to my preferred date. But the benefit for early searching is that you get a feel of where the market price is for the room size you prefer. Like, for the first week you search, chances are you have found slim pickings for units with agreeable move-in dates, but also you’ll come to the second week equipped with more information on pricing than the first week.
One thing with the “immediate move-in” listings is that you’ll also realize the agent/landlord/tenant is more than eager to fill up the room right away. Because if the room is unfilled for a full calendar month or 4 weeks, it’s bad financial news for them. I’ve been to one of those listings last mid-September, the room was unoccupied as of August 1, and the main tenant was more than eager to sign me up for at least starting at September 15, as he could not swallow another unoccupied month.
For those listings with specific dates when prospective tenants can move in, usually it’s a firm target. For example, if a listing says tenants can move in December 1, chances are the previous tenant is set to move out but is still paying for November 1-30, so legally the only date the agent/landlord/tenant can lease out the room is by December 1. But it won’t hurt to ask if your preferred date is +/- a few days away, and see if the lease date’s adjustable or not.
So another small advice here is to gauge if the unit’s preferred occupancy start date aligns with your own preferred move-in date.
5. When you see these two terms in the same listing: “no agent fee” and “stay-in owner/landlord” (including synonyms and similar terms), be extra wary. “No agent fee” means there is no agent between you and the landlord, but that means the landlord is responsible for understanding tenancy rules, drafting the tenancy agreements, rental logistics, and managing legal compliance. Think twice before you decide on a listing like that. Do your own diligence, go on viewing if offered, and assess the landlord well. If you decide on a listing that has those, read the contract extra thoroughly too.
Briathrail // Albert 2MNG 
Leave a comment