Whether you are moving out of your parents’ home or waiting for your home renovation/BTO to be ready, you need a place to stay.
Are you thinking between flat sharing or renting a studio apartment in Singapore?
Did you know that there’s actually a third option for you?
Well then, have you heard of the concept, co-living?
Co-living: The Most Popular And Flexible Home Option Today
Co-living is the perfect living solution! It’s the best place to live whether you are looking for a temporary house or a home where you can rest and recharge.
Co-living allows you to experience the best of both worlds!
Not only will you get the opportunity to socialize with your housemates, you will still have your own private room for your me-time.
The Assembly Place: Where You’ll Find The Perfect Living Solution
Have you always wanted to stay at a well-furnished home, at a convenient location, with an affordable price tag?
The Assembly Place has 12 spaces (and counting) that offers you a place to rent. We have spaces at Orchard, Farrer Park, Sophia Road and in the east.
Our rent is all-inclusive and there are no agent fees or hidden costs.
Let’s compare the prices between TAP spaces and regular room/apartment rentals.
By renting a room with The Assembly Place, you will be able to save at least $450 per month. It is a lot cheaper than the usual flat sharing or studio apartment rental. This is quite a sum especially for Singapore where things are a little expensive.
There are other 5 key benefits offered by The Assembly Place that you must know about.
1. No agent fees
One of the biggest turn-offs when renting a place in Singapore is the agent fees. The average agent takes about 1 months’ worth of rent as payment for their services. This means that aside from your rent, you have to fork out another $1,800 or more.
2. Flexible 3-months lease
If you’re looking for a temporary home while waiting for your home renovation or your BTO, our co-living spaces are perfect for you. You get a comfortable place to stay for a few months and you don’t have to worry about anything else.
3. Weekly housekeeping of communal areas
TAP offers weekly housekeeping for all of our spaces’ communal area. The kitchen and living area will be cleaned. We want our tenants to have a fantastic and exciting stay at our spaces.
4. Minimal paperwork
We know how troublesome paperwork can get. There’s just so many things to read and check. Not to worry, our professional staff at TAP will help you handle all of the paperwork and maintenance. You get to save precious time.
5. Only the first month’s deposit is needed
While our minimum lease period is 3 months, we only need a Security Deposit with the first month’s rest. Not to worry, this Security Deposit will be returned to our tenants after their lease term ends, provided that all the items in the apartment are in good condition.
Bonus: Modern and well-furnished apartments
All of our suites and apartments are newly furnished. They are modern, sophisticated and stylish.
Each home has a unique design theme such as Classy Suites, MUJI Inspired Homes, Contemporary Designs and Modern Homes. You can read more about them here.
How To Rent An Apartment For The First Time In Your Life
Alright! For those who are planning to live on your own for the first time, here’s a quick checklist for you.
There are three main phases when finding an apartment to rent. They are Research, Compare and Inspect.
1. Setting a budget
When you’re looking for an apartment or room to rent, the first thing that you have to consider is your budget.
How much are you able to set aside for your rent? It is going to be a monthly recurring cost. For some residents in Singapore, they are able to afford S$1,200 to S$2,800 per month for rent. It is even lower if they are sharing a room.
Other than rent, you will also have to add in the cost of furniture, utilities, parking and moving costs. Also, please remember to consider if the apartment has its own insurance plan.
2. Rent
Most financial experts share that you should not spend more than 30% of your monthly income on rent. However, it really depends on each individual and their priorities in life.
For some, it is important to live near their workplace. For some, comfort is key. You have to think about your priorities and determine the best rent for yourself.
For tenants who have chosen co-living, they are often able to save at least S$800 per month while enjoying their dream amenities. For a lower monthly rent, they still get to live in prime areas with perfect facilities. They get more with less.
3. Utilities
When you rent an apartment or room in Singapore, you are usually responsible for the utility bills. That refers to your electricity bill and water bill.
Depending on your usage, the fees are usually between S$100 to S$200.
However, you will be able to avoid utility bills with co-living. Or at least, pay a lower amount.
The co-living package comes with a fixed coverage for the utility bills. While you will have to pay the extra amount should you overspend the provided sum, it is still significantly lower than renting on your own.
You won’t have to worry about taking too long showers or blasting the air conditioner in sunny Singapore.
4. Furniture
Most of the apartments in Singapore do not come with their own furniture. Tenants will have to move in their own beds, study tables, dressing tables and shelves.
Wherever you stay, you will need a place to sleep, sit, eat, work and space to store your belongings.
With co-living, you don’t have to worry about this. Each tenant gets their own well-furnished room that comes with all the necessary furniture. With us, you get to skip the hassle of furniture hunting!
5. Requirements to rent a space
As per Singapore ICA’s regulations, all of The Assembly Place’s members need to have a valid entry pass.
6. Choose a location/neighbourhood
Location is key! You will have to choose a place where it is easy for you to commute between your workplace or school. The ideal commute duration is within 15 to 30 minutes.
For those working in the CBD area, they can consider apartments located at Orchard.
For those who enjoy going to the beach on weekends, they can consider our homes in the east.
7. When is the right time to hunt for your apartment?
While you’re excited to be living on your own, it is important to know when you should start researching.
You can begin by setting a timeline for the moving-in period. Ideally, you should start researching for a place somewhere between 30-60 days before your move-in date.
It’s not wise to start looking for an apartment too early in advance as it might not be available by the time you’re ready to move!
8. Write an amenities wishlist/checklist
You have complete freedom in choosing the place that you want to live in. Take some time to write down your dream facilities or the equipment that you’ve always wanted.
You can start by thinking about your lifestyle.
For some, they would prefer having a gym, a swimming pool, a rooftop space, in-built washer and dryer, WiFi or pet-friendly units.
Make sure that your new home will meet your needs and improve your standard of living.
9. Get a roommate
While most co-living prices are affordable, you can lower the costs by finding a roommate. With a roommate, you will be able to divide the monthly rental fees.
This is also the perfect opportunity for couples who want to experience living together. They can take this chance to get to know each other’s living habits and learn more about one another.
10. How to tour your new home
Most co-living spaces today will offer virtual tours. This is really convenient as you do not need to be physically in the area to check out the apartment.
You get to virtually visit multiple apartments in a day without breaking a sweat.
There are a few things to lookout for when touring the apartment.
- Safety: Secured locks on doors and windows.
- Building Amenities: Security and delivery system.
- Apartment Condition: Check that all appliances such as the light, water heater are working well.
- Space: Look around the kitchen size as well as storage areas.
11. Spotting scams
While it is really convenient to search for an apartment online, be vigilant of scams. You don’t want to lose your hard-earned money to scammers.
The typical rental property scam will try to get a month’s rental deposit with no intention of renting it to you. Here are a few warning signs:
- Your landlord does not want to meet you in person.
- They actually request for payment just to see the property.
- The deal sounds too good to be true (then it probably is).
- The listing and website is unprofessional with bad grammar.
- They are eager to make a deal without a screening process.
- They ask you to wire money.
Just like how loan scams have increased in Singapore, rental property scams are growing as well. Make sure to do your due diligence before committing to any contract!
12. Writing a household checklist
This step happens when you’ve already chosen your desired apartment. Before moving in, you will probably need to get a few household essentials!
It’s time to go shopping!
Common household essentials:
- Mattress
- Bedsheets and comforters
- Clothes hanger
- Shower curtain
- Bath and face towels
- Shower gel and shampoo
- Kitchenware
- Extension socket
- Tissue
- Plasters or basic medical supplies
13. Plan your move-in day and check all amenities
Moving into your new space will likely take up an entire day. Make sure to pack all of your belongings into boxes beforehand and to label each of them. Some might be clothes, some might be books. This makes it a lot easier to sort.
If you have a lot of luggage, you might want to call a mover to help you on the day itself. This can be easily arranged beforehand.
Once you’ve reached your new space, there’s one important thing that you must do.
And no, it’s not to snap a bunch of photos and share on Instagram.
You should take some time to check that all the amenities such as the lights, the air conditioner, fans, pipes are all working. If anything is amiss, sound out immediately!
Conclusion
We hope that this ultimate guide helps you when renting an apartment for the first time! It’s not easy living on your own, but it is definitely a fun and fulfilling experience.
If you’re wondering how co-living truly feels like, read what our tenants have to say here!
