🇸🇬 Singapore · Tier A

Moving to Singapore

Singapore is one of the most straightforward markets in the world to rent in, provided you have your pass. Contracts are standardised, agents are licensed and searchable, and the process is fast. The hard part is the price, and the choice between a condominium with facilities and an HDB flat at a very different number.

Get matched in Singapore What it costs

City tier: Tier A; major hubs
Full home search: $899; Starter, flat fee
Search + setup: $1,900; Premium, flat fee
Check one listing: $49; Verify, per visit

Where to live

Neighbourhoods in Singapore

Your Insidoor walks these before they shortlist anything, and will tell you which one actually fits how you live.

Tiong Bahru

Couples, professionals

Low-rise heritage blocks, independent cafés, walkable, and on the MRT. Consistently popular.

Tanjong Pagar & Chinatown

Professionals

Walk to the CBD. Small units, high floors, high rents.

East Coast & Katong

Families

Closer to the airport, near the beach, Peranakan food, more space per dollar.

Queenstown & Redhill

Value seekers

Central-adjacent on the East–West line, with a large HDB market at a very different price point.

What it costs to rent

Indicative rents

Monthly, mostly furnished, excluding utilities.

One-bed condo, centralS$3,800 – S$5,500

One-bed condo, suburbanS$2,800 – S$3,800

Room in an HDB flatS$1,000 – S$1,800

Indicative only, last checked 2 September 2026. Rents move; your Insidoor confirms what the market is actually doing before you commit to anything.

What catches people out

The Singapore traps

Every market has its own way of costing newcomers money. These are the ones worth knowing before you start.

Agents without a CEA number

Every property agent in Singapore is registered with the Council for Estate Agencies, and the register is public. Check the number before you view, not after.

The same unit at three different prices

Duplicate listings at fictional prices are used to generate calls. The unit exists; the price does not.

Minimum rental periods

Private properties have a three-month minimum and HDB flats six. Anything shorter being offered is not legal, whatever the listing says.

After the keys

The admin that follows a move

On Premium, your Insidoor does this with you rather than sending you a checklist. Timing in Singapore: Three to four weeks. Landlords want to see your pass before they commit.

Your pass comes first

An Employment Pass, S Pass or Student Pass is effectively a prerequisite. Landlords check, and so does the agent.

Stamp the lease

Tenancy agreements are stamped with IRAS, normally by the tenant, within 14 days. It is cheap and it makes the agreement admissible.

The diplomatic clause

Standard in two-year leases: it lets you break early if you leave the country. Make sure it is in yours, and check the notice period.

Utilities

SP Group for electricity, water and gas, with a deposit that varies by pass type.

Language. English is an official language and the language of every lease. Your Insidoor works with you in English and negotiates on your behalf in whatever the lease is written in.

Pricing for Singapore