'HDB rental life is fine too': Woman shares experience living in 3-room flat

With more younger Singaporeans looking to move out of their parents' home, many are turning to the rental market to look for their new abode. 

One of the big questions (other than cost) that awaits them is the type of property to rent.

While it might seem as though many are opting for condos, HDB unit rentals are also becoming more popular in light of rising rents. 

In an attempt to highlight HDB unit rentals, TikTok user Amanda Ooi shared a video on what it's like to live in an "unrenovated" three-room HDB flat located in Tanjong Pagar. 

@amandaooiooi Just sharing my rental journey in Singapore cuz news sensationalises it but mostly only shows nice condos #sgrealestate ♬ original sound - Amanda Ooi

"From far, it doesn't look that bad. It's very spacious because it's a corner unit," said Amanda while showing a picture of her living space. 

But as she zoomed into the pictures, you could tell that a lot of fixtures in the flat were "falling apart". 

For instance, one of the doors was damaged, with the wood coming off of it. Amanda mentioned that the owner "fixed" it simply by taping the wood back to the door. 

"The worst part" had to be the leaking pipes in the kitchen. From the picture she showed, you could see brown stains, presumably some kind of mould, present on the surrounding walls.

Amanda also added that the property agent and the owner didn't do anything about it. "They just told us to contact HDB and fix it ourselves," she explained. Being new to the whole renting experience, she just lived with it for the few years she was there. 

She also mentioned how she and her housemate had to do quite a bit of DIY work themselves to spruce up the place. 

Due to their tight budget, they painted the living room walls themselves, and Amanda sewed her own curtains for the windows in her bedroom. 

On top of that, with only the refrigerator and washing machine provided for, they also managed to save on furnishings by buying second-hand furniture for the home, including chairs, a sofa and even a shoe rack. 

Despite it being far from a smooth journey, Amanda shared that "HDB rental is fine too", pointing out that you don't have to opt for a condo rental when moving out. 

In a separate video, Amanda broke down the cost of living in the HDB flat.

@amandaooiooi How much HDB rental expenses cost me in 2019/2020 when i started~ #sgfyp ♬ original sound - Amanda Ooi

The rent for the place was $2,000, which was split equally with her roommate. 

A pretty good deal for a central location, right? 

Well, that's because she was lucky to rent the place during 2019 and 2020, way before rental costs skyrocketed. 

Amanda also shared additional costs that come with renting a place, which include the security deposit. She can't recall the exact amount but pegged at it around $2,000. "The rule of thumb is one year of rental equals one month of deposit [sic]," she explained. 

She also shared how much her utility bill cost in a month. On average, it would be around $100 to $130. 

Amanda also highlighted that her electricity bill was above the average consumption. They didn't have a fan, and the living room had no aircon as well. So they would spend most of their time in the rooms. "Throughout the night and on the weekend, the aircon [is] always on," she added. 

But some months, the utility bill would be lower as the government's utility rebates did help to offset the cost. 

All in all, monthly rental and expenses amounted to around $1,100 for Amanda. 

Other perks of living in HDB units 

An article by Singsaver highlights the many upsides of living in an HDB flat as opposed to condo living, and this includes nearby amenities like MRT stations and bus stops.   

While it's not always the case, condos generally lack the convenience of and access to public transportation, according to the article. A possible reason is that developers often assume residents use private transport, resulting in some condos being located further away from neighbourhood hubs.

On top of that, HDB estates tend to have hawker centres, convenience stores and wet markets in the vicinity. So, you can expect to save a little bit more when you do your grocery shopping. 

ALSO READ: Is it worth buying a resale HDB flat for rental income? Top 10 HDB towns by rental yield

venkat.gunasellan@asiaone.com

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