Being able to find suitable and affordable accommodations is an important step for foreign students in Singapore. This article will explore various student hostel options in Singapore to help you decide what's best for your own needs. Singapore is the New Asia, a city incandescent with vibrant, multi-cultural and sophisticated modernity.
Good news is that most of the educational institutions have International Student Service Centres that assist international students with hostel needs. These departments will usually provide you with various on-campus or off-campus options based on your preferences and budgetary constraints. All international students are encourage to stay in the students' hostel when they first arrive in Singapore. The students' hostel is close and convenient to the school and the rental rates are reasonably priced.
On-Campus Student Hostels
For larger educational institutes such as local universities, first-year international students are usually guaranteed on-campus accommodation as they are given top priority.They have Students Halls and Student Residences both of which cater to different lifestyles.
Student Halls can have attached meal plans, several student activities, and an option of shared or single rooms. Student Residences usually have single rooms, kitchenettes, canteens and fewer student activities. Both usually have laundry rooms, reading rooms and television rooms for students.
Student Residences are usually quiet and for the independent kind. Halls are for the active and pro-active students who like to keep busy. The rates of these rooms can vary from S$150-S$450 per month depending on the number of students sharing the room in the hostel.
Accommodation options at the top two universities in Singapore (i.e. National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University) can be seen as examples for Student Halls and Student Residences. NUS and NTU both provide on-campus accommodation for their international students and in fact guarantee them a spot for their first two years of studying. NUS itself has six different Student Halls and three Student Residences. The Halls are extremely vibrant and have identities of their own. They even compete with each other in art and sports tournaments. At NTU they have sixteen different Halls with similar living facilities that can accommodate an average of 500 students each.
Private Hostels
Staying in a private hostel in Singapore is another good housing option for foreign students. Private hostels in Singapore are run by educational institutions or independent agencies. Options of single or sharing are normally available and each student hostel has varying facilities. Some of the private hostels in Singapore include:
Bukit Timah Hostel
At Bukit Timah hostel in Singapore, students have the option of single, double and quartet rooms. This hostel is located at 2 Turf Club Road with the nearest MRT station being Clementi. The rooms include internet access and air-conditioning and are priced at S$250 onwards, depending on the number of people sharing the room.
Novena Hall
Novena Hall student hostel in Singapore provides for 1-5 student per room housing options. It is located at 78 Gilstead Road and the closest MRT station is Newton. The student hostel provides internet, air-conditioning, attached bathrooms and meal plans. The rates are from S$400 – S$1260 depending on the number of students per room and number of meals you include in your stay. The rental includes laundry, housekeeping and utilities. The room itself has a cupboard, a writing table, a bed and a mini fridge.
Pearl Hill Hostel
Pearl Hill student hostel in Singapore offers single rooms, twin-sharing rooms, double apartments and double studios. The prices range from S$350-S$750 depending on the type of room. The hostel is located at 5 Pearl Hill Road. The rooms are furnished with air-conditioning, beds, wardrobes, shoe racks, study table, a side table and a mirror. The apartment rooms are also furnished with attached bathrooms, televisions and a mini fridge. The hostel is 5min away from the Chinatown MRT station.
YWCA Fort Canning Lodge
Located at 6 Fort Canning Road, this student hostel offers single and twin sharing rooms. The rates are at an average of S$1600 per month. The rental includes utilities and housekeeping services twice a week. The rooms are furnished with air-conditioning, a TV, a telephone and a mini fridge. Other facilities include a swimming pool, tennis court, broadband access, and 24-hour security.
Homestay
Some families in Singapore open up their homes to students and welcome them as part of the family. Depending on the individual cases, the cost for homestay ranges from S$300 to S$1,000 per month.
Boarding Schools
For non-tertiary students of age below 19 years, boarding schools in Singapore is a great option. Usually these accommodations comes hand-in-hand with certain schools in Singapore. An interview with parents as well as the student is usually required before being selected. This interview is necessary for your accommodation application to be passed by the administration of the boarding school.
The services in a typical boarding school include lodging, meals, laundry, 24-hour security, tuition, supervision, sports and recreation facilities. Rates for boarding schools can range from S$8,000 to S$15,000 per academic year. This varies depending on whether you will be staying during term holidays, the utilities involved and your meal plans.
Private and Public Apartments
If none of the other options as isted above suits the needs, students also have the options of renting a public or private flat on an individual or shared basis. Students are expected to pay at least one month advance rent and a one month security deposit.
Renting a flat/room in a public housing building (so called HDB flats) will be considerably cheaper than renting a private flat. In either case, the flat/room will be rented by the owner of the property. Sometimes, they will provide you with the option of renting a room from their living accommodations as a paying guest. In other cases, the flat might be rented to multiple students with each room being rented individually or shared among multiple students.
The International Student Service Centre of the educational institution will typically provide you with the contact information of housing agents who can assist you in this matter further. The classified advertisements in the local newspapers is a good source for a listing of apartments and rooms for rent but this can prove to be a slow and tedious process.
Basic Tips for Renting Accommodations
When renting on-campus and off-campus hostel accommodations, you need not worry about getting into a bad deal or signing an unfavorable rental agreement. However, it will still be a good idea to make short-term accommodations arrangements first after which you can peacefully venture out to explore the best student hostel option for you.
Your educational institute is not liable for any agreements made between you and the landlord / hostel management. The following tips might be useful to keep in mind when looking for your living accommodations as a foreign student in Singapore:
- Start looking early. Contact the Student Services department in the educational institution you have been accepted into and ask for your options.
- Decide on your needs. Would you be comfortable sharing a room or would you need a private space? What is your budget? Keep in mind the size of the apartment and furnishing when considering your budget.
- View the property for rental. Check on the plumbing, the furnishing, the lighting, etc.
- Commissions. When renting private or public apartments, housing agents provided by institutions are often not allowed to charge students the commission so keep an eye on the clauses when getting into a deal.
- Read the rental terms carefully. What is the rent? What deposit is required? What utilities are included? What are the terms and conditions? Who is responsible for the repairs and maintenance?
Singapore takes care of its foreign students well and provides several avenues for accommodations to make you feel right at home. Singapore has a very efficient public transport system that is clean and easily accessible island wide. Student Services department should assist you to arrange your short or long term student hostel accommodation requirements in Singapore. ###
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