Foreign nationals who are currently staying in Singapore have a lot of options when it comes to choosing living spaces. Expats who have valid citizenships or who have permanent residence status can buy a property in Singapore and are usually in active lookout for a really good property for sale in the country either for personal use or for investment purposes, while most of the foreign nationals who are in the country for work reasons usually have temporary needs, and are looking at finding a really good apartment, condo, flat or rental house in Singapore. Out of all these choices, there are two options that really stand out when it comes to better living conditions: choosing either a house for rent for an apartment for rent.
Why renting a house is better than renting an apartment
There are a lot of several factors one must consider if you want to choose between a rental house in Singapore or getting an apartment. Here are some of the advantages and disadvantages of the two:
- Space. Renting a house definitely has the advantage over this one, especially if you have a lot of family members to consider. A house for rent also gives the tenant a lot of legroom especially for such recreational activities like sports, outdoor dining, playground area for children, and in addition, a possibility to own a pet. Rental house in singapore are also very spacious and have lots of options when it comes to number of rooms and various amenities that an apartment does not have. Houses also provide the tenant with a lot of storage spaces. The one thing that apartments suck at is having less room for storage. It might be impossible to determine how much storage space any individual tenant might need, but when it comes to storage, more is definitely better. The house clearly has an advantage over an apartment over this one.
- Maintenance. When it comes to maintenance issues, this is where the apartment shines. Generally speaking, the maintenance overhead of a house for rent in singapore is really high, especially factoring the size of the house, the number of rooms, the outdoor facilities, and other areas of the house that might get damaged or might need repair in the future. The general upkeep of the house is the responsibility of the tenant. Renting an apartment on the other hand, gives the tenant a lot more freedom. General maintenance of the area and other outdoor facilities are generally the main responsibility of the owner. The only space the tenant has to worry about maintaining is the space that he or she is renting.
- Privacy. Because it is so common in Singapore to have many different nationalities and expats that in the country for work purposes, apartments tend to be busier on most days. Generally, apartment living means that you have to live with a lot of neighbors, and you have to be considerate of your actions and noise levels. Not only that, but when it comes to the noise level of your neighbors, you can oftentimes get annoyed because you have completely no control over it. Such is not the case with a house for rent in Singapore, because when you rent a house, you not only get ample space all for yourself, you also do not need to interact with any one beside yourself or your family. Not only are you secured to do whatever you please on your own private time, but you do not have to consider the amount of noise you produce, or whether any neighbors might complain over the amount of visitors you have on your house.
- Management. Unfortunately once you choose a rental house in Singapore, you are left to tend for it the duration of your lease or stay. All of the necessary maintenance, repairs, upkeep and all kind of management are the automatic responsibility of the tenant, with the owner collecting the monthly fees. This is the one thing that apartments can offer strongly, because typically apartments are controlled by building managers and supervisors, either by the employ of the owner or an agency specializing in building management. Any form of complaint, maintenance, request and issue that needs professional attention can be directed to the building manager or supervisor, whereas when you are dealing with a house owner, you are at the mercy of his time, availability and eagerness to attend to your needs.
- Parking spaces. This is another factor why you should heavily consider a house for rent. Most apartments offer some form of parking slot for the tenant, but this can either: A) come at an additional parking cost, B) available at a first come, first served basis or C) severely limited. More and more apartments tend to leave out parking spaces due to economical reasons, which are why if you own an automobile then you are definitely in trouble. Renting a house on the other hand, can give you various options especially if you own a vehicle. Most houses for rent in Singapore have provisions for parking, so when it comes to the safety and proper storage of your car, renting a house has the clear advantage over renting an apartment
- Location. The location of the place you are staying at can clearly influence your decision. Generally speaking, it is much better to have your place near the CBD, for easy access to work and all of the necessities in urban living such as recreation and various activities such as dining out and shopping. Unfortunately, renting a house might put you in a disadvantage when it comes to location, because most houses for rent are located outside the city limits, or in suburban areas. Apartments on the other hand are conveniently located at the heart of the CBD, usually where most of the employment opportunities are and where most of the time the location an expat’s work is situated. Being at the heart of the city also lets the tenant avoid any unnecessary travel time needed in order to go to work and back to the place of his or her residence, and vice versa.
Ultimately, it is up to the tenant to choose between an apartment or a house. As a general rule of thumb, most single dwellers tend to get the most out of apartment living, while tenants with family members often choose living in houses on suburban areas. But if you want all of the advantages that is afforded by renting a house such as privacy and more space, then renting a house is definitely better than an HDB apartment.