2012 mar 26
Think shoebox flats are small?
Utility rooms, bomb shelters are a draw for tenants who want to live on the cheap
By Kezia Toh
One might ask, what is smaller to sleep in than a tiny room in those tiny shoebox apartments?
Well, for those looking to rent space, no questions asked, there are utility rooms and bomb shelters.
Home owners have found a source of income in the tiniest room in their homes - by renting out the utility room and bomb shelter, even if the practice is illegal for public apartment units.
As for private property, there do not seem to be any guidelines on this.
Owners put in a single bed or mattress, and throw in a small cabinet or desk, leaving barely enough walking space.
Some of these rooms - in private and public housing units - are so small a person has to ease in past the swing door, which may not be able to fully open.
Yet there are takers, who pay $300 to $600 a month - cheaper than the rent for regular-sized bedrooms in Housing Board (HDB) flats.
These typically range from $600 to $900 in suburban areas such as Yishun and Sengkang. In central areas such as Toa Payoh and Bishan, the figure could reach up to $1,000.
Checks online found at least nine postings by home owners or agents looking to rent out utility rooms and, to a lesser extent, bomb shelters.
Details such as room measurements, furnishings and whether the room comes with a window, air-conditioning or fan, are listed.
The postings can be found on websites such as roomsDB.net , rentinsingapore.com and olx.com.sg
Utility rooms can be as small as 4 sq m. Most come with windows. Bomb shelters, or household shelters, can be as tiny as 2.4 sq m.
SLP International's head of research Nicholas Mak said many of the takers seem to be foreign students and young, single foreigners who work here.
A condominium unit owner in Paya Lebar, who did not want to be named, received more than 20 offers to rent his apartment's bomb shelter.
He put up the 38 sq ft - about 3.5 sq m - bomb shelter for rent three weeks ago, at a rate of $400 per month. He has since got a tenant.
The air-conditioned room does not face ventilation problems, he said.
His female Malaysian tenant, a designer, also gets to enjoy the condo's facilities, such as the swimming pool, sauna and gym.
Home owners and tenants The Sunday Times spoke to said they were unaware that renting such space in an HDB flat is illegal.
Under HDB rules, only flats or bedrooms can be rented out, not household shelters or utility rooms.
There are less clear rules regarding renting out household shelters in condo units.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force rules state that fixtures in such shelters must be easily dismantled and removed.
Some tenants say they do not mind the tiny quarters.
Mr Fu Tian, 26, a student from China, rents a utility room in a three-room HDB flat in Queenstown. He said: 'I don't mind because it is cheap, and just a place to lay my head at night.'
He forks out $450 a month in rent. Besides, he says he has little choice, as most landlords are unwilling to accept male tenants. He did not know that renting an HDB utility room is illegal.
But for others, the lack of space becomes stifling. For two months, 'home' for Miss Samantha Lee, 36, was a utility room in a three-room Toa Payoh HDB flat.
The health-care professional forked out $600 a month in rent, because she wanted a central location.
And she endured it; half of her tiny tabletop strayed over to the foot of her single bed.
Even with an electric fan whirring and a small window, her dank room had another problem - mould appeared on her leather and PVC bags, shoes and belts.
Miss Lee has since moved to a larger bedroom in Serangoon, forgoing a $600 deposit with her former landlord.
She said: 'I realised just how small the utility room was only after I moved out.'
keziatoh@sph.com.sg
Think shoebox flats are small?
Utility rooms, bomb shelters are a draw for tenants who want to live on the cheap
By Kezia Toh
One might ask, what is smaller to sleep in than a tiny room in those tiny shoebox apartments?
Well, for those looking to rent space, no questions asked, there are utility rooms and bomb shelters.
Home owners have found a source of income in the tiniest room in their homes - by renting out the utility room and bomb shelter, even if the practice is illegal for public apartment units.
As for private property, there do not seem to be any guidelines on this.
Owners put in a single bed or mattress, and throw in a small cabinet or desk, leaving barely enough walking space.
Some of these rooms - in private and public housing units - are so small a person has to ease in past the swing door, which may not be able to fully open.
Yet there are takers, who pay $300 to $600 a month - cheaper than the rent for regular-sized bedrooms in Housing Board (HDB) flats.
These typically range from $600 to $900 in suburban areas such as Yishun and Sengkang. In central areas such as Toa Payoh and Bishan, the figure could reach up to $1,000.
Checks online found at least nine postings by home owners or agents looking to rent out utility rooms and, to a lesser extent, bomb shelters.
Details such as room measurements, furnishings and whether the room comes with a window, air-conditioning or fan, are listed.
The postings can be found on websites such as roomsDB.net , rentinsingapore.com and olx.com.sg
Utility rooms can be as small as 4 sq m. Most come with windows. Bomb shelters, or household shelters, can be as tiny as 2.4 sq m.
SLP International's head of research Nicholas Mak said many of the takers seem to be foreign students and young, single foreigners who work here.
A condominium unit owner in Paya Lebar, who did not want to be named, received more than 20 offers to rent his apartment's bomb shelter.
He put up the 38 sq ft - about 3.5 sq m - bomb shelter for rent three weeks ago, at a rate of $400 per month. He has since got a tenant.
The air-conditioned room does not face ventilation problems, he said.
His female Malaysian tenant, a designer, also gets to enjoy the condo's facilities, such as the swimming pool, sauna and gym.
Home owners and tenants The Sunday Times spoke to said they were unaware that renting such space in an HDB flat is illegal.
Under HDB rules, only flats or bedrooms can be rented out, not household shelters or utility rooms.
There are less clear rules regarding renting out household shelters in condo units.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force rules state that fixtures in such shelters must be easily dismantled and removed.
Some tenants say they do not mind the tiny quarters.
Mr Fu Tian, 26, a student from China, rents a utility room in a three-room HDB flat in Queenstown. He said: 'I don't mind because it is cheap, and just a place to lay my head at night.'
He forks out $450 a month in rent. Besides, he says he has little choice, as most landlords are unwilling to accept male tenants. He did not know that renting an HDB utility room is illegal.
But for others, the lack of space becomes stifling. For two months, 'home' for Miss Samantha Lee, 36, was a utility room in a three-room Toa Payoh HDB flat.
The health-care professional forked out $600 a month in rent, because she wanted a central location.
And she endured it; half of her tiny tabletop strayed over to the foot of her single bed.
Even with an electric fan whirring and a small window, her dank room had another problem - mould appeared on her leather and PVC bags, shoes and belts.
Miss Lee has since moved to a larger bedroom in Serangoon, forgoing a $600 deposit with her former landlord.
She said: 'I realised just how small the utility room was only after I moved out.'
keziatoh@sph.com.sg
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