SINGAPORE EXPATS FORUM
Singapore Expat Forum and Message Board for Expats in Singapore & Expatriates Relocating to Singapore

We all know the living costs for a local living in a HDB and getting local prices for their lunch and cigarettes are well below the profit that these people earn just letting one flat per month.

Yeah, doctors & lawyers. And you mention that their costs haven't gone up? how do you figure? CPI indices indicate otherwise. 10 years ago, the real estate industry was held over a barrel by newspaper advertising costs. They also had to hire a secretary to handle visitors when they were out of the ...

What I originally proposed was entirely based on what I've read about the agents, just turned around and played back to them, no worse, no better than how they appear to treat some of the other expats on this forum. Maybe it was a little tongue-in-cheek too. I have done exactly the same thing in Lon...

I found some more info that may be part of the solution: HSBC is offering some fee-free payments to `self-named' accounts with HSBC in the UK or other countries, for customers on the `Premium' tariff Moneycorp (a UK broker) is using HSBC for their client accounts http://www.hsbc.com.sg/1/PA_1_4_S5/c...

I cannot believe that the 90th percentile of Lung Cancer is $4k. These are only hospital costs. The following is included in Aviva's health scheme brochure: Brain cancer and coma: 3 years, S$1,378,118 Interesting example If it is 3 years, then it is only S$459,000 per year - so an insurance that co...

west2east wrote: Actually, it was one of my former landlords that got burnt this way, she was always complaining about it. But I'm not suggesting that all landlords are so gullible, but certainly there are those who get so excited about the promise of a quick profit that they never read the fine pr...

Sorry you're losing me. You were (I think) saying landlords were rapacious because they deign to inspect their own property, now you're saying they're negligent because they don't? No, I'm not contradicting myself - I'm just giving examples of different types of landlord. Er you're losing me comple...

My company scheme offers cover up to $20,000 for treatment + single bed/private hospital/100 days Is this enough? Looking at http://www.moh.gov.sg/content/moh_web/home/costs_and_financing/HospitalBillSize.html I found that some common treatments are very close to this price (e.g. appendicitis $ 17,4...

We have between 4-10 weeks to find a flat We are thinking about starting aggressively, going to a lot of agents, negotiating down the rent and trying to hammer them on the fees at the last minute What works? How desperate are they? Have people tried the gazumping and gazundering strategies, e.g. mak...

Properties tend to get annual or semi-annual inspections. From the landlord's perspective this is something of a safety mechanism. You get to fix the cupboard door that's loose, or leaking tap, before the whole unit has fallen apart of building been flooded. That kind of thing In theory, that is ho...

NYC does have some rent controlled apartments. So does San Francisco. I'm not sure the exact conditions for either how a unit becomes "rent controlled", but IMO it is a reason why the non-controlled units have such ridiculously high rents in those locations. Not quite: rent prices depend on a range...

It should be fairly obvious, too, but the reason most rental contracts have a yearly inspection clause is so that the landlord can find out if you are living it up (flat screen TV, designer wardrobe, multiple maids) and therefore how much more rent he can get away with.

Rent Review Board - Is that in Singapore ?

No, that is the UK system, it's actually called a `rent officer'

http://www.voa.gov.uk/corporate/RentOfficers/index.html

So, contrary to the previous comment, the UK market does regulate rent prices, but with a very hands off approach

They don't regulate tenancies in the UK because such regulation has such a deleterious effect on the rentals market. I don't recall them doing so in New York or Tokyo either. Actually, they don't regulate the price when you start a lease, but they do have a complaints process for rent rises. Landlo...

The reason most countries regulate tenancies is because it has such a negative effect on society if they don't People miss work, they miss meetings, they call in sick (e.g. in countries that pay sick leave) In the Singapore situation, it is a lot of non-productive energy that is wasted. Just imagine...