Singapore Property Handbook

Your new accommodation brings with it a new leash of aspirations and dreams. Leaving your old home for a new one is one the major decisions of your life which ought to be taken with utmost care and precision. There are some set of do’s and don’ts that you must keep in mind before setting out on a look out for a new room. Just follow your instinct and stick to the basics while searching for a new accommodation.

Here’s a list of ten important factors you must consider to avoid pitfalls during your search for a prospective room.

1. If you are contacting an agent, make sure that he belongs to a renowned trade association. This gives you the assurance of getting the expertise of a reliable person.

2. Check and deposit the list of items, including both movables and immovable, in the room before you make the first month’s rental payment. This is to ensure that you are not held liable for payment of those items that were already damaged.

3. Inspect the apartment for the proper functioning of gas pipes, electricity and its appliances, and water appliances.

4. Check out if it’s a quiet or a noisy place. If you are a student, this is indeed an important point to consider as unwanted noise could be extremely disrupting your studies and schedules.

5. Negotiate the lease amount by showing your readiness in shouldering a few responsibilities, like maintaining the garden, and taking deliveries etc.

6. See if the size of the room that you are getting against your budget is fair or not. If you think that you can get a bigger room within your set budget, look out for other options.

7. Look for the options available in administrative fees. It is an offence for any agent to charge for letting out the information on properties and owners to the prospective tenants.

8. Check out the monthly agreed rental agreement with your landlord. In a month to month rental agreement, you are liable to pay rentals for an indefinite period. So, it is advisable to fix the duration of the monthly rentals before you sign the contract.

9. Figure out the reviews and suggestions of people of that apartment whose room you are contemplating about. This way you will come to know about the finer details from the experienced people who have been renting rooms for quite some time.

10. Check out for the security of your room. What provisions would be provided by the landlord on the security of your room.