11.11.
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Ms Cecilia Li, a Singapore permanent resident who has studied and worked here since 2004, returned to China during the pandemic but decided to come back to Singapore for work in June last year.
In 2018, she paid S$450 a month to rent a room in Telok Blangah. Last year, she managed to get a room in Tiong Bahru for S$750 without air-conditioning – but as prices continued to rise, the rate went well over S$1,000.
A quick search for property rental listings in the central region found that prices for a room in an HDB flat range from S$1,200 to S$1,800.
Ms Li, who works in publishing, said she has to leave Singapore before her lease ends as she cannot make ends meet. The Chengdu native's take-home salary is less than S$3,000 a month.
In a heartfelt post on business networking platform LinkedIn, she said: "I’m leaving Singapore for China at the end of February because of the rent hikes.
"I’m not good enough for Singapore, sorry I’m not a talent. I just want to stay at home and spend the rest of my life at home. I want to quit everything. I’m so exhausted."
Another tenant who wanted to be known only as Paolo said he is thinking of leaving Singapore partly due to the
high rents.
The healthcare worker rents a room with his wife for S$950 a month, but their landlord wants to sell the house so the couple has to move. It has been an uphill task to find another room within their budget.
The rents near his workplace are more than S$1,400 now, which is "quite a burden" as their salaries are not high, he said.
"It's really upsetting because ... 50 per cent of our income will pay for the rent and it's frightening," the Filipino said.
Mr Toshi Konno, who rents a master bedroom in a central area, said that his landlord wanted to raise his rent from S$1,600 to S$2,800, or by 75 per cent, when the lease is up.
"My colleagues and friends already said it was 20 to 30 per cent up for rent, but in my case it was beyond that, so it was a big shock," the Japanese said.
He eventually found another room nearby but will be paying 50 per cent more at S$2,400.
The Singapore permanent resident, who has lived here for 15 years, has no plans to leave the country. But he said he will have to rethink his spending with the increase in expenses.
A senior manager for a recruitment firm, Mr Konno said he is seeing more overseas applicants for jobs in Singapore, which he thinks has driven up demand for rooms here.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/sin...8xNz0KmX_3NXM6ZYvzcTCgO-Ft_BDPpH6Fqv8BJoFM7nU
In 2018, she paid S$450 a month to rent a room in Telok Blangah. Last year, she managed to get a room in Tiong Bahru for S$750 without air-conditioning – but as prices continued to rise, the rate went well over S$1,000.
A quick search for property rental listings in the central region found that prices for a room in an HDB flat range from S$1,200 to S$1,800.
Ms Li, who works in publishing, said she has to leave Singapore before her lease ends as she cannot make ends meet. The Chengdu native's take-home salary is less than S$3,000 a month.
In a heartfelt post on business networking platform LinkedIn, she said: "I’m leaving Singapore for China at the end of February because of the rent hikes.
"I’m not good enough for Singapore, sorry I’m not a talent. I just want to stay at home and spend the rest of my life at home. I want to quit everything. I’m so exhausted."
Another tenant who wanted to be known only as Paolo said he is thinking of leaving Singapore partly due to the
high rents.
The healthcare worker rents a room with his wife for S$950 a month, but their landlord wants to sell the house so the couple has to move. It has been an uphill task to find another room within their budget.
The rents near his workplace are more than S$1,400 now, which is "quite a burden" as their salaries are not high, he said.
"It's really upsetting because ... 50 per cent of our income will pay for the rent and it's frightening," the Filipino said.
Mr Toshi Konno, who rents a master bedroom in a central area, said that his landlord wanted to raise his rent from S$1,600 to S$2,800, or by 75 per cent, when the lease is up.
"My colleagues and friends already said it was 20 to 30 per cent up for rent, but in my case it was beyond that, so it was a big shock," the Japanese said.
He eventually found another room nearby but will be paying 50 per cent more at S$2,400.
The Singapore permanent resident, who has lived here for 15 years, has no plans to leave the country. But he said he will have to rethink his spending with the increase in expenses.
A senior manager for a recruitment firm, Mr Konno said he is seeing more overseas applicants for jobs in Singapore, which he thinks has driven up demand for rooms here.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/sin...8xNz0KmX_3NXM6ZYvzcTCgO-Ft_BDPpH6Fqv8BJoFM7nU
