There are 2 types of 'illegal arrangements'

1) HDB don't allow owners to rent out if its smaller than 3 room flat.. CLICK HERE FOR THE RULES OF RENTING HDB UNITS.. there are alot of ads out there that you may think it's actually legal, but caveat! HDB reserves the right to kick you out immediately if their officers find out or if a member of public rattles you out. Be careful particularly with Studio HDB units (1 room or sometimes they called it L-shaped studio) where government rents out to low income people. Avoid this at all costs!

2) renting a whole 3 room flat or bigger where the owner has not stayed for more than 5 years. Technically within this 5 years period called the MOP (minimum occupational period), the landlord cannot fully rent out the whole unit, but they can rent a few rooms. So to get around this, they will just lock 1 door and have their belongings in there. Technically this is illegal since the landlord is not occupying the room, but HDB will not be able to verify as the landlord and yourself can easily bluff that the landlord will come back to stay time to time. So, this is actually pretty safe

But whatever the rules are, you can always rely on the housing agent to tell you what's right or wrong. But it is important to check your agent's background bcos the fact is that there are unscrupulous agents out there out to make a fast deal of your money, and will be uncontactable if something goes wrong:-
a) Registered (check "http://www.cea.gov.sg/cea/app/newimplpublicregister/publicregister.jspa").
b) A registered agent, will follow all compulsory formalities, like taking down your details to register the arrangement with HDB. This involves you paying about $15 bucks for the registration, and you can expect HDB to mail you the receipt within a few days.

hope this helps, any advise needed, just pm me...

Bcos HDB website says so

Well, studio apartments used to be rented to low income earners.. like imagine 1.2k household income!
Naturally, if you have visited one of them before, you would want to re-consider even if it was legal because of the bad hygiene, stench and for safety reasons.

But recently, HDB has allocated studio apartments for married couples waiting for their proper HDBs to be build, aging population, etc... so these apartments may be more live-able, but it's nevertheless still illegal for you to rent from a landlord/agent. Only legal way is via HDB assuming you meet the criteria

Normally if you want to rent this, the landlord will request about 3 months deposit, and agent 1 month as commission. And then the unsuspecting tenant will still agree to the 3 months deposit because wow... so cheap! $800 for a private living space is ok ma! Summore got agent helping out - singapore is safe man, surely its legal also because so many advertisements posted openly! hohohoh... later don't cry mother father because everyone is uncontactable hoh

shiok bro... got own HDB.. resale or new? Hats-off if manage to collect enough money for a re-sale

Hello If I study my degree ( accounting and finance) at curtin sarawak In malaysia is it easy that I can get an Accounting job in singapore???
By the way, what is the basic salary for foreigners that is working in the accounting industry?????

I will be collecting my resale HDB keys NEXT week!! wohoo....but 3 room only lor....

I think you can try Big 4 in Singapore. I don't know if that's hard for fresh grad to get a job in Singapore Big 4. If not, join one of the 4s here, then ask for internal transfer. That's how a lot of ppl do it.

The best site to compare salary in Singapore is
forum.salary.sg

I completed one week working in sg. I haven't collect my pass yet. I can strongly feel that racist cultural in my company!

Depend on company. Cannot too many S Pass holders in a company. Coz they hv the quota. Even, my company help me to apply EP. But, my salary is not high.

$4.5k should get EP (P2) and not EP (Q1). Sg govt will approve for his/ her S Pass application? As you mentioned, S Pass application is mid-skill level and the salary range should be from 2k to 2.9k. I'm wondering whether govt will approve 4.5K for S Pass application?

1. your link refers to subletting of rooms
meaning u rent out rooms instead of the whole unit
you CAN rent out the whole unit even if it is a studio...if you are a citizen and fulfilled the MOP and got approval. read here

2. ya, I know of such arrangements.
i personally prefer not to have such issues later.

This post has been edited by crazy25kid: Jun 15 2013, 11:30 PM

Not worth, if u only request for SGD2K. U know how expansive is the rental here. Unless, ur bro can let u stay at his house. Besides, u still need to reduct all the expanses from ur salary. I advice to stay in Penang. As you're quite new with only 6months of working experiences with a total RM2.9K salary in Penang is consider quite good pay! My best advice to you "Unless, u can get at least SGD 2.5K only u consider to move here"... Before that my friend is a PR and her salary is only 2K. She always told me that she wanna come back to work in Msia. Coz the pay in sg not nice! Now, she got 2.5K and she feel satisfy and no more complaint!....

Sg Living Expanses:
Room: 500 - 800
Transport: 200
Meals: 500
Total: About 1500

U haven't include shopping or buy others necessary things.

i felt that when i start working here too.. even in mosque where singapore malays dont like foreigner wherever they come from, including malaysia..


for my case,
i already rent a room for $400 (this rent price covered by my company, so every month i need to give receipt to my project manager), starting 3 may 2013. before i start i already highlight to them (the agent) i can only stay in house if all is men n its muslims house. when i move in the house only occupied me n the house owner (which is muslim). so when i ask the owner where is another 2 tenant (coz its master bedroom), he said "they already went their hometown". but from the room i can see its not locked and the room kinda empty.. so i just believe the owner said..

then after 1 month i move-in, suddenly the owner said to me there will be a single mother n her daughter will stay in the room.. i kinda shock at first, but i hid from the owner. so i just wait for them to move-in.. they quite an ok mother n daughter, but recently when my mother know about this thing, its unacceptable because as a muslims we cannot stay in one house without blood relative if there's a woman..

so i highlight to my project manager about this problem.. he said "this is ur personal problem", then i said "if u can't help me regarding this matter, i will extend this matter to ur superior"


so from above case, i would like to stay in JB back. living in singapore its too strict. even if its safer, but more hassle. when staying inside, even in saturday n sunday i also need to work.. this thing my project manager never highlight this matter, he only mention the benefit if stay inside, can save time bla bla.. etc.. but actually its a lot tiring when stay inside..
when last time i stay in JB, around 1-2pm i already can go back JB.. n there is no saturday n sunday works..

my question is:
1. because i already sign the agreement to stay in the house, can it be replace by other tenant? but its from the same company that i worked
2. what can i do to further this matter to my PM superior? formal letter signed by me n my mother perhaps ?

$6-8 meal is consider expansive in sg? Exclude drink...

May I know you're M'sian Malay or others countries muslim? You're very lucky to get a chance to work in sg. Many ppl told me sporean are racist. I don't really feel that. Until now I stated to work at here I can strongly feel that. Everyday I listened those top management ppls or staffs scold and criticize on M'sian! I can listen their mouth keep saying M'sian... M'sian.... M'sian from morning till afternoon... It is very terrible cultural... Don't forget they also get in a few M'sian to work with them in the office!!!... Are u in construction industry? I know ur feeling... If they tell u everything, of course, u will reject their offer. They will only hire foreigner to fill their empty post if they really can't found local ppl to work with them!... Usually, it's a terrible job... If we accept the offer, it means that we are ready to accept the challenge. If we really cannot do it. It means that we have to go... That's why so many young ppl with all white hair in my company...

I don't think you could get a HDB season parking for foreign vehicle. You could however, pay per hourly using coupons @ S$1/hour, 'hot' area S$2/hour. Another solution is go for commercial season parking, those inside office tower or shopping complex, which is not cheap. Maybe S$300 upwards per month ?

i don't quite understand this part. You meant your working duration depends on where you stay ? If you stay JB you clock lesser hour than you would if your stay in Singapore ? First time I heard of such thing.

on the room rental thing, it is really your personal problem. Even if you move out and rent room at other place, there is nothing you can do to prevent the owner renting out other room to a lady few months down the road. If you have signed a 1 year contract and 6 months down the road a new lady tenant moves in. Then what ?

It's not about Singaporeans, it's about your company. Poor cultural and management standards.

1. You need to agree with your landlord. You signed the tenancy and it's not transferable I presume.

Next time, if you feel so strongly about it, then rent a whole unit or get it stated in your tenancy agreement that the tenants must be such and such.

2. What is the agreement with your employer? That they provide such accommodation as per your specification or they just reimburse your rental cost?

If it's the latter, your PM is right. It's your personal issue. If you bring it to his superior, it'll be the same. You are supposed to take care of your own religious preferences, not them. Your work and your religion are 2 separate issues. Don't mix them up.

This post has been edited by seantang: Jun 16 2013, 01:31 AM

Skill level is not always on par with salary offered. Permit type also not based only on basic salary.

uh ... your pm is correct what. unless the room you are staying in is arranged by the company, why should they bother about it?

I concur with this statement.
Personally know someone drawing a salary of SGD 3.5K holding a work permit and someone who is earning SGD 2K holding an EP.

I have never felt like I am a foreigner working in Singapore.
In fact all my Singaporean superiors have a liking for Malaysians (马妹)... and I am not being delusional.

This post has been edited by momijigari: Jun 16 2013, 02:41 AM

Couldn't agree more on this. LOL!!!