Singapore offers an amazing array of accommodation options from hostel rooms with basic amenities to posh condominiums with state-of-the art facilities. To filter and identify what meets your preferences and requirements can be a daunting task as 72.3% of students claim that their accommodation research was a pain point of their student journey. Fret not! The following pages give you an overview of accommodation in Singapore for students.

 

HOW TO PROCEED?

There are 2 ways you can go about securing a place to stay

1. Arrive in Singapore. Stay temporarily (2-4 weeks) in a hotel or hostel. Find housemates among fellow ESSEC students and then proceed to identify and rent a condominium/HDB flat that meets your requirements.

Note: AirBnB and short rents are illegal in Singapore. Authorities have the right to force their way into private homes to check whether residents are renting them out illegally and you could be evicted at any time during your stay.

 

2. Find a HDB flat/condominium before your arrival. Most ESSEC students find their apartments through recommended service providers (listed below) and Facebook rental pages.

 

 

HOSTELS

The least expensive option you can consider in Singapore. For about SGD 500 to 700 per month you can share a room with another student. For example, the student residence located on the MDIS campus offer interesting deals near the Queenstown station. However, you usually have to share the bathroom with other students and you usually are not allowed to cook. Think of it as a very interesting way to save some money in order to invest in other activities, but there is little privacy. Hostel rooms are recommended for short stays i.e. 3 months or less. They could also come in handy if you are planning to find housemates after arriving in Singapore.

 

HOUSING DEVELOPMENT BOARD (HDB) FLATS

85% of Singapore residents live in these flats built by the Singapore government. Though, they are classified as public housing, the standards are much higher than what you would find in the UK or France. Some of the newer developments compete with condominiums in terms of luxury and amenities, albeit at a lower price. The costs will be much lower, rooms go for as little as S$600 per person. Plus, you get the benefit of living with a local family. Furthermore, HDBs usually have a host of amenities within walking distance from MRT stations, bus stops, markets, supermarkets, shopping malls, and sports facilities. With your student pass you can

rent a room or one of these apartments from 6 months onwards.

 

CONDOMINIUMS

Condos are the favourite place for expats to stay. It holds apartments separated in

different units that share common areas and offer many facilities such as gardens, rooftops, swimming pools, tennis courts, gyms, KTV (karaoke rooms), BBQ areas. This is the main advantage of living in a condominium, but you pay a much higher rent. In these apartments you can differentiate master bedrooms (that are bigger and usually with a private bathroom), which are more expensive, from other bedrooms.

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OTHER POINTS TO NOTE

Why Rents Vary So Much?

If you noticed a Game of Thrones character’s name in the above sentence, thank you for reading this far!

For condos, please remember that a rent is depending on several factors, and according to your needs, you can find the perfect place you will be able to afford:

Location: the biggest factor. There are many more restaurants, bars and activities to do next to Downtown (“centre-ville” in French), and price follows. That can be in your favour if you hang out, so that saves you lots of taxi fares and time. Whereas places on the Green and Red line are quite expensive, you have a bigger negotiation power on the Purple and Yellow MRT lines, while not being that far away from the centre.

Facilities and modernity: the more and modern facilities you have, the more it impacts your rent. The more modern your condo is, the more expensive your rent is. Keep in mind that a more modern condo is better than an older one!

Other shops around: foodcourts, outlets surrounding are a decisive factor as well. For

example, there is only one foodcourt near Chinese Garden, but many near Serangoon. Distance to MRT (metro station): it is really a pain to walk more than 10mn to get to your MRT. In Singapore, it is even more true since heavy rains can occur randomly.

 

Scam alert: Some real estate agents can try to offer you overrated apartments. Such people can be found on every renting Facebook page (including ESSEC) as well as asking for agent fees. Avoid agents that are not recommended by students/friends living in Singapore.

 

Trust range: ESSEC students are more likely to trust but if you must extend their student lease, make sure to have all the photos and seen all the terms of the contract. The best way to avoid bad surprises (such as wrong travelling time to ESSEC, to the MRT…) is to see by yourself on-site. However, that involves not securing a place to live before arrival.

 

After you have settled in: Many students pay their rent by cash, and upon arrival you might be asked to pay first rent and deposit (usually equivalent to one rent) in cash at the same time. This might need you to withdraw money exceeding your credit card limit on withdrawals. Try negotiating with your bank to suppress this limitation or bring cash from your leaving country to exchange in Singapore.

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If you have any further enquiries, please contact your Campus Experience Manager Thanneer lakshmanant@essec.edu