Where to Rent in Singapore - Guide to Singapore Residential Areas

Introduction

The first few steps in finding suitable rental accommodations in Singapore can be done prior to moving, thanks to the available internet information. An assessment of the available budget, amount of space necessary, and the type of lifestyle pursued by the expatriates will help to narrow the choices of neighborhood areas where to rent a property in Singapore.

Factors that should be considered are how many people are in the family unit, what are the ages and activities of those individuals, is it a one or two career family, will children be attending international schools, and will maid quarters be necessary. Answering these questions will help to determine the type and location of property that will be the best choice. A family that does not plan to have a car will need to consider the accessibility to public transportation or private taxis. Access to an exercise facility or sports club may be important to some individuals, while others will find they need spacious housing to be able to entertain guests socially.

Overview of Singapore Residential Areas

Singapore is a small country but with over four million people it's a fairly crowded place. The center of the city commonly known as Central Business District (CBD) consist mainly of of Orchard, the Riverside and part of Chinatown. We will start our review of the Singapore residential areas from Orchard Area and work our way outwards.

View Larger Map

Orchard Area(The City Centre)
Orchard Road is the heart of Singapore and is a corridor of big hotels and busy shopping centres. Residential options in the Orchard area are in the streets within a walking distance from Orchard Road. Places such as Cairnhill Road, Grange Road, Killeney Road boasting of proximity to the CBD, ritzy milieu and the hip and classy air that lingers in the location, make them preferred location to rent in Singapore among swanky expatriates. Being the most centrally located, these areas offer convenient access to most of the local and international schools, business offices, shopping and entertainment hubs. This area however is a busy and bustling place and often lacks peacefulness, greenery, and fresh air. As such, this area is not necessarily the place to rent a property for everybody.

A 3-bedroom condominium in this area can be rented from S$6000 onwards. While aged landed residence, which are hard to rent, if lucky can be rented for over S$16000 onwards.

The central shopping area is concentrated on Orchard Road. It is the retail and entertainment hub of Singapore. It's the most popular destination among he local population as well as foreigners. It rivals all other areas in terms of sheer volume, quality, and choice. Many of its shopping centers here are filled with a variety of products from around the world. Most malls on the Orchard Road in Singapore carry the concept of "everything under one roof". If you are renting a property in Orchard area, you will have easy access to transportation network, high-end shopping centres, and close proximity to many international schools.

River Valley Area (Immediate South of Orchard Area)
River Valley area runs on either side of the Singapore River and is just a short walk away from the city centre - Orchard Road. This is the area where some of the most expensive condominiums and apartments are located. This area contains a mix of older apartments as well as some the newest and most trendy condominium buildings. This area is very popular rental choice among expatriates since it's close to the city centre, has some of the hottest restaurant and nightlife entertainment, and close to many of the international schools for children. The residential areas within River Valley consist mainly of private property for the middle and high income sections of the population.

Some people complain about the late night noise disturbance because of the abundance of nightlife pubs and clubs in this area although it seems to affect only a few of the condo in this area.

Rental prices in River Valley area are high and only about 15-20% cheaper than the Orchard area rents in Singapore. To find a cheaper rental option in this area, you will have to settle for an older apartment building.

Renting in River Valley area in Singapore is a good choice for those who can afford high rental prices and prefer to live close to nighttime entertainment and international schools.

Newton/Novena/Thomson Area (Immediate North of Orchard Area)
Thomson, including the upper Thomson Road and Novena area is also a popular property rental choice in Singapore among the expat community of all nationalities.

The area is abundant with amenities and lies on the outskirts of the CBD and the cost of living is relatively high being next to Orchard vicinity. Novena is served by North South MRT line and sufficient bus services. Most of the residences in Thomson are private property and comprise condominiums, serviced apartments and landed property. The Golf Course, a popular club for businessmen and Singapore Polo Club are located in upper Thomson. The rental apartments are nearly as pricey as those in Orchard vicinity. Multi specialty hospitals such as Thomson Medical Center, Tan Tok Seng Hospital, Mount Alverina Hospital, and Mount Alverina Medical Centre are also located in this vicinity.

The factor of convenient location, such as its proximity and the ease of travelling to the Central Area, ease of access to popular schools, parks and other parts of Singapore combined with an aesthetic environment near forest and reservoirs tends to make rental prices in the area higher than other parts of Singapore.

Tanglin/Holland/Bukit Timah Area (Immediate North-West of Orchard Area)
Located north-west of Orchard, this area is close to the city centre and offers a host of amenities including ample shopping facilities and restaurants located at Holland Village, Sixth Avenue and the Tanglin Village ( Dempsey Road). This area is filled with luxury bungalows, terraces and condominiums and as such is normally rented by expatriates who are high income earners.  Some of the island's more exclusive residential properties can be found here including Cluny, Nassim, Ladyhill, Victoria Park, Oei Tiong Ham Park, and Queen Astrid Park. The Botanical Garden is just a short drive away.

Two well known clubs namely Raffles Town Club, Holland Club (also known as Dutch club) are located in the Tanglin/Holland/Bukit Timah area. Detached houses here can be rented from S$15000 onwards while condo rents start around S$4500 onwards. The Holland village fosters a bohemian atmosphere and many expats prefer to rent here for it's laidback feel. Holland Village scores well among the expat community because of its proximity to international schools and there are a lot of country style cafes, pubs and hoards of eateries all along its lanes.

Many of the embassies are located in this area therefore many staff members from the embassies prefer to rent a property in this area. One major drawback is lack of MRT but it is closely compensated by network of bus routes.

The upper Bukit Timah area with its lush green environment is a bit far from the city center but close to the Canadian International School. This area has fairly well connecting bus routes but lacks MRT, hence too many cars on the roads will pose a problem during peak hours for people renting a property here but driving to work places in other parts of the city.

East Coast Area (Singapore East)
Known as East Coast, it is an increasingly sought-after district for prospective tenants, due to its proximity to the East Coast beach, recreation facilities and the many sea-facing properties. East Coast is nestled in-between Central Business District (CBD) and the Changi International Airport. East coast area makes up the East Coast of the island, stretching from Changi International Airport to all the way to Marina South. It is largely residential area where the main attractions include sea breeze, 20 kilometers of beach & park (East Coast Park), and sea food restaurants. Most popular East Coast properties where expatriates love to rent a place in Singapore are the sea facing condominiums such as Costa Del Sol and Bayshore Park.

Easy access to beach park, airport, city centre, and fresh air appeals to many expatriates. East Coast Park is a great destination for sport, exercise, sailing, and outdoor enthusiasts. With easy access to expressways and nestled in the East Coast Park, this area  packs scores of recreational possibilities along with the panoramic sea view and enticing variety of seafood. Singapore Tennis center, the East Coast Sea Sports Club and Europa Sailing Club are all located here. If you are renting a sea facing condo in the East Coast Singapore, owning a car will be highly advantageous because of subway system is less accessible here.

Majority of the rental options in this area consist of private condominiums, semi detached houses, and some HDB flats. Most popular housing option for expatriates are condominiums with full facilities (pool, gym, 24-hour security, tennis courts, barbeque pits, walking access to East Coast Park). The East Coast offers more affordable real estate compared to the city centre, while maintaining the high standards that are found in the central district. A 3-bedroom condo can be rented from S$3500 onwards.

Transportation options from most of the popular condominiums such as Costa Del Sol and Bayshore Park including owning a car, taxi, or shuttle bus to MRT station. Most of the international schools provide school bus service from this area. There are well-known shopping centres in this area including Parkway Parade and Tampines Mall.
 
Woodlands Area (Singapore North)
Woodlands Singapore, is a popular rental choice among the western expatriates especially the Americans because the American High School is housed here. This area is serviced by the MRT, but is quite a distance away from the business and more central areas. Being close to Malaysia, people often drive across to buy household supplies at a cheaper price.

All types of houses from HDB, condominiums to Bungalows with large spacious rooms are available for rent in Woodlands neighborhood of Singapore  Private condominiums such as Woodgrove Estate and Woodgrove Condominium are available within walking distance from the American school. The rent of a 3-room flat in such condos starts from S$3000, while bungalows can be rented from S$10000. This area has all the necessary amenities including supermarkets such as NTUC, Cold Storage, Shop n Save, Sports facilities such as Woodlands stadium, Swimming Complex, Woodlands Sports Hall, and several shopping centers such as Causeway Point, Woodlands North Plaza are all located here. A subway ride to the city centre will take you approximately 30-40 minutes.

The main attraction of woodlands area in Singapore is the American High School. Other than that, it's quite far away from the city centre and business district of Singapore. It makes sense to rent in Woodlands area if you are office is located here or if your child will be going to American International School.

West Coast Area (Singapore West)
West coast area encompasses Clementi, Jurong, Buona Vista and Queenstown or a little further Choa Chu Kang, Bukit Batok etc. This area houses many of the well known schools including international schools such as Tanglin Trust School, United World College, and ISS as well as Singapore higher education institutes such as National University of Singapore, Singapore Polytechnic, and INSEAD.

West coast offers rental options of all types including private condominiums, bungalows, and HDBs. This area is preferred by people whose workplace is situated along the west coast industrial area or those who prefer to live next to one of the above listed educational institutes. The rentals are more affordable here than the city center although the area is a little away from the city. Rent for a 3-bedroom private condo starts from S$2500 whereas 2-bedrooms HDB flat can be rented for S$1000 onwards. Expats of all nationalities habitat this place, it’s a mixed milieu of Asian and western expats. People who can afford more,  choose to rent along the waterfront residences in this area where recreational facilities such as the West Coast Park, the Singapore Yacht Club, the Labrador Nature Reserve and Tanjong Perlayar Park make it feel like a country style living.

Moving further interior, the housing estates like Choa Chu Kang, Bukit panjang, Bukit Batok etc are the preferred rental choice of expats from the Indian subcontinent. These estates have easy access to PIE expressway which helps reach the city in 20-30 minutes by car. The area also has MRT and bus network.

Marina Bay Area (Singapore South)
Marina Bay is a bay near Central Area in the southern part of Singapore and is full of new construction. The area has been planned to become a lifestyle hub and with 24/7 round the clock vibrancy and energy. It would consist of residential, office, and commercial developments, as well as many entertainment outlets and attractions to inject life into the area. Notable developments include the highly anticipated Integrated Resort (a destination attraction offering world-class hotel, convention, leisure and entertainment facilities, and casino) as well as other residential, commercial and entertainment developments.

The rental choices are Marina Bay are currently non-existent as most of the residential projects are under construction. However by looking at the purchase prices of the properties in this area, Marina Bay is destined to become one of the most expensive and sought after rental choices in Singapore.

Ang Mo Kio Area (North Central Region)
Located along the North South MRT (subway) line, Ang Mo Kio area is a heartland area located in north central Singapore and included districts like Ang Mo Kio, Toa Payoh, Braddle and Yio Chu Kang. This area is heavy with HDB housing and are a good rental choice for expatriates with smaller budgets. This area has decent access to city centre connected through subway and bus network. The rental in this area is quite affordable with a 3-bedroom private condo starting at S$1500. HDB flats are also abundant and can be rented from S$1000 onwards.

Braddel district being close the Australian International School with its easy access to CTE expressway is popular among Eurasian and Western expats.

Serangoon, Upper Serangoon, and Hougang areas located close to the central north districts are generally preferred by Indians since Delhi Public School is in the vicinity and also it's also close to Little India commercial centre. The rental prices in this area are quite affordable compared to other neighborhoods.

Singapore's Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong is the Member of Parliament for this constituency.

On a final note

The question of what to rent and where to rent in Singapore depends on your budget and personal preferences. In general, keep in mind that Singapore is a small place and getting from one place to another is relatively easy especially given the excellent choice of public transportation and affordable public taxi system. Of course you can buy a car but owning a car in Singapore is considered a relatively expensive affair. The choice is yours.

Other Related Topics

Singapore Branch | Singapore Subsidiary | Singapore Representative Office