Accommodation

Finding Accommodation 

It is entirely up to you where you live, however you should take into account the travelling time and the number of bus / MRT connections required. The majority of staff live within walking distance to the campus (West area) while some live as far away as the Changi (East). The housing allowance should adequately cover the cost of rent and utilities. 

There are two main types of residence in Singapore – public housing and private housing. Most expats will live in private housing. Nearly all houses / condominiums are listed on the following websites: Property Guru / Rent in Singapore / iProperty. The Property Guru site offers the widest selection of properties. If you would like to look for areas that are near to the school, please filter the selection to search for Jurong, Clementi, Bukit Timah and Holland Village.   

Public Housing

Most Housing & Development Board (HDB) housing estates are conveniently located around amenities such as train stations, bus stops, shopping centres, coffee shops and supermarkets. There is a wide range of options available under this category – ranging from 1-bedroom flats to executive apartments. A typical 3-bedroom flat ranges from 54sqm to 90sqm and has either one or two bathrooms. HDB housing is generally less expensive than Condominiums (Condos), however there is usually a reduced set of on-site facilities available. It is very common for teachers to take this housing option although it does not come with facilities like a swimming pool, gym etc. If you are someone who does not require facilities, you may find safe and interesting HDB housing that is similar to a condo building structure (without facilities) and could be just a throw stone away from parks, shopping malls and MRT stations. HDB prices ranges for 3 bedrooms will be ranging at $3,600 to $4,500 whereas for a single room will be at $1,500 to  $3,000. 

Private Housing

These can be in the form of a landed house or condo complex. Landed houses are usually more expensive and therefore most of the staff will opt to stay in a condo. Amenities can vary, however most condos would normally come with security guards and facilities such as a swimming pool, function rooms and a gym. 

Most of our teachers preferred to stay within the housing nearby our school. It can vary from HDB to condo. The monthly rental cost of condo units will be at a higher range than those condos located more than 5km away from the School. A family of 5 would usually prefer to stay in a landed house if they have a helper, as normal condos are usually maximum 4 bedrooms and will need an extra room for helper. Landed houses in Pasir Ris and Changi, are approximately above 30km away from the School (about 1.5 hour) travelling time but the cost of rental will be around $5,000 to 8,000 (approx. 2000 sq ft and above). Some condos prices will be ranging at $3,000 to $4,500 for a one or two bedroom condos.  

Agent Contact and Commission

The school is able to recommend several property agents who will show you multiple properties in a short space of time and you may start connecting with them before your arrival to Singapore. The advantage of this is that they will search on your behalf, draw up a schedule, pick you up from your hotel and drive you to each property for viewing purposes. 

All property agents in Singapore charge agent fees when you engage them as they would be providing you the service for sourcing apartments. They will normally receive a commission based upon the contract you sign with a landlord. Seek advice from someone at school if you are unsure about the amount of commission you are being asked to pay. The commission scheme and fees applicable works in different situations, example:

1. If your monthly rent is below $3500, you will be required to pay the commission and GST, if applicable, to your property agent;

2. If there is only one agent representing for (landlord/tenant), the party who engages the agent will be required to pay the agent commission even if the tenant’s rental is $3500 or above (such case is rare as usually the representing agent might try to get the landlord to pay the commission or negotiate with landlord and tenant to split the commission).

3. Property agents in Singapore are not allowed to represent landlords and tenants concurrently. In Singapore, most landlords would appoint a property agent to help rent out his/her property. As such, should you choose to look for your own place without an agent, you would most likely be negotiating through a property agent representing the landlord and no commission should be payable by you. Do note that the landlord agent might be helpful to complete the lease process, please be mindful that he/she would represent the interest of whoever has appointed him/her as their agent and this is usually the party paying the commission. As such, you should take due care if you do not have an agent representing your interest; not only in reviewing the tenancy agreement but also during the property handover (i.e. takeover and eventual return).

4. If you appoint a property agent, he/she is expected to act professionally, provide you with shortlisted properties as per your stated requirements and budget, and to provide the relevant advice and negotiation to secure the lease. The signing of the lease agreement concludes the legal obligation to justify this commission payment. Agents would need to be present for the possession takeover of the leased premise. Our panel of recommended property agents are also expected to subsequently assist with the handover (possession takeover and return) process, processing the stamp duty of the lease agreement, utilities sign-up and any dispute that may arise during the lease and the handover process.  They are also expected to help with renewal negotiations and administrative work that would arise. Do note: commission is payable for renewals.  

5. Stamp duty fee of the lease agreement will be borne by the tenant, the agent will usually assist you to get the paperwork done and forward you the receipt of the stamp duty. This is not inclusive of the chargeable agent commission.  

Any lease renewal should be signed upon reaching a mutual agreement and you would be expected to pay the agent commission as long as you engage the agent service. Unless you are able to contact the landlord directly and renew your rental lease, it is a must to pay for the agent’s commission. 

In the event that you would like to extend the lease agreement due to unforeseen circumstances, your agent may or may not charge an ‘administrative fee’. Unless the extension of the lease clause is stated in the initial agreement, otherwise, it will be an open area for you and the agent to discuss and compromise on the agent/administrative fee what will be incurred. 

You should read the “Maintenance” and "Handover” sections carefully as these may contain very specific and sometimes unreasonable conditions. It is also worth taking photos at the point of moving that clearly show the condition of the property. Terms are regularly altered - do not be concerned about asking for alterations to lease agreements. 

It is advisable that you should be explicitly clear on your criteria if engaging an agent. If the first property does not align with your expectations, state it clearly at this point. You should then be shown properties that are more appropriate. It is certainly worth doing prior research and having realistic expectations. 

Below are some of the property agents that our staff have engaged successfully in the past. You may contact them for your apartment searching:

1. Joseph Lim, Mobile: +65 9001 1508, Profile: Link

2. Tan Weian, Mobile: +65 9799 5725, Profile: Link

3. Benjamin Loy, Mobile: +65 8186 5466, Profile: Link

4. Raymond Ho, Mobile: +65 90091122, Profile: Link

5. Jerry Lim, Mobile: +65 8488 9994, Profile: Link

6. Elle Chen, Mobile: +65 9232 9737, Profile: Link

7. Andrew Wong, Mobile: +65 9848 2342, Profile link

Rental Terms and Conditions

Lease tenure is usually between one to two years, with an option to renew. Most landlords require a 2 months’ deposit upfront alongside the 1st month’s rent. Be aware that some agents may charge an advance of 4 months rental if the rental is below $3500 - up to 1 month brokerage (commission, although this pay will be split with the landlord in some cases) 1 month advance rental and 2 months security deposit. 

Rental bridging ‘loan’ for new overseas hired teachers

The school can assist with the loan to you directly so that you can make payment via the agent/ landlord and secure your condo unit. The repayment of this amount would be over the following five months (maximum time limit).

Calculations for this 'loan' amount is done individually as we need to follow the Singapore tax law which is a maximum company loan of up to 25% of your monthly salary calculated out over a 12 months period and we generally cap the amount at a loan amount of $10,000 per employee as long as this is still within the limits allowed under law for the employee's salary.

If we have a teaching couple, and the amount is more than $10,000 we can request permission through the Head of Human Resources for the additional funds and have the amount split between the teachers.

Please bear in mind that all financial dealings are negotiable and you should not sign a contract that you feel uncomfortable with. 

Electricity, Gas and Water Supply

The costs of utility bills in Singapore are comparable with most of the other developed countries. 

PUB is Singapore’s National Utilities Agency. It manages Singapore’s water supply, water catchment and used water in an integrated way. Singapore Power is responsible for the distribution of electricity and piped gas in Singapore. The standard electrical current used in Singapore is 220 – 240 volts AC (50 cycles) and you can use UK power plugs with three square prongs. Gas bottles are readily available for connection to cooking stoves. Some homes have mains (piped) gas. 

SP Group provides one-stop customer service for electricity, water and piped gas supplies in Singapore. You may apply for services online by completing the Application for Water, Electricity, Gas and/or Refuse Collection Services

From 1 November 2018, the Open Electricity Market will be extended to all consumers across Singapore by zones. This initiative will provide about 1.4 million households and business accounts with more choice and flexibility when buying electricity, while being provided with the same electricity supply through the national power grid. Please visit this link to check out on your most suitable provider in Singapore. 

Landline & Mobile Telephone / Internet Access / Cable TV

There are several telecommunication operators in Singapore offering various services. High speed Internet is readily accessible and mobile coverage is very good. Cable TV is available and offers a wide variety of popular channels such as Discovery Channel, National Geographic, Nickelodeon, Sports and children’s programmes. News channels include BBC, Bloomberg and CNN. Singtel, M1 and Starhub often offer promotions to bundle together internet access, mobile phone, landline telephone and cable TV packages. 

Some mobile service providers provide a sign up plan package of 2 years with specific plans to purchase a mobile phone at a cheaper rate or zero dollar. You may check in with Singtel, Starhub or M1.