'It's the time I dread the most': Undergrad shares house-hunting journey and how her rent increased by 25%

With increasing housing prices, finding a new home hasn't been easy, or cheap for many Singaporeans. 

A university student by the name Dani isn't spared from this either and decided to share her experience with the local rental market. 

In a TikTok video uploaded yesterday (Nov 24), the 20-year-old shared how her current house-hunting experience was going, describing it as "the time [she] dreads the most". 

She did not specify why she is moving out of her current space, a common room in a condo located in the east which she moved into last year. 

She said she was paying $800 a month in 2021, including facilities and utilities. But the rent has since increased by $200 to $1,000 this year.

Providing some context, she shared that previously, the estimated rental price for a common room in a condo would range between $750 and $1,000.

Now, it would cost her between $900 and $1,400. 

It seems that HDB room rental rates aren't spared from the price increases either, with rooms that previously cost between $600 and $700 now priced from $800, she said.

She also added a disclaimer that these estimates are based on her observations. 

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As a student who lives alone, Dani said she is unable to afford an entire unit and can only afford a room. 

"So this is very normal for people in their early twenties or late teens. When they move out, they rent a room first, not a unit," she explained. 

No visitors allowed

After scouring the internet for potential new homes, Dani shortlisted some places for house viewings in her TikTok video, including an HDB common room in the northeast that was going for $1,100 a month, including utilities. 

Some plus points were that the room was "very spacious", on a high floor and not facing a road. She also liked how light cooking was allowed and she would be the only tenant. 

However, she had issues with the rules imposed by the landlord with one being that no visitors are allowed.

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"I do want to have visitors over once in a while like my boyfriend or my friends. In my previous room, I was able to invite anyone over, without it being disruptive, of course," she elaborated. 

For personal reasons, she also didn't like the idea of the landlord living in the same space as her. Based on her checklist, she rated the room a four out of eight. 

AsiaOne had reached out to her for more details. 

Moving out at a young age 

Dani said she moved out when she was just 19 years old and shared in a TikTok video last year that she got a side hustle while studying. 

Previously, she did tutoring part-time and now, she is trying to figure out how to run an e-commerce business. 

Another tip she had was to plan ahead. 

"Try to finish your JC or polytechnic first, get a stable job for at least the first year of your rent. University can wait," she said, adding that she took one whole year to plan for the day she left home. 

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She also advised people to seek support from someone close to them. 

"This is important when you face problems," she explained, adding that her confidantes were her ex-lecturer, best friend and sister. 

Rents at an all-time high

According to a study by PropertyGuru earlier in September, more young Singaporeans are considering renting and flat sharing as they find current property prices too high.

This is despite their intention to buy a home within the next two years. 

Two in three of the respondents between the age of 22 to 29 shared then that they opted to rent over getting a house due to a lack of savings, while one-fifth of the respondents felt that the current property prices are too high. 

Unfortunately, Singapore rental prices have been steadily increasing. 

Rents for both HDB flats and condos climbed to an all-time high in the third quarter of 2022.

And in the first nine months of the year, HDB rents surged 20.7 per cent while condo rents rose 20.8 per cent.

ALSO READ: High house rental rates in Singapore: Should you rent now?

melissateo@asiaone.com

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