Foreign Property News | Posted by Hnin Ei Khin
It looked like a typical property listing: A common room for rent at S$950 (US$700) a month in the northern part of Singapore that comes with a super single bed, standing fan, Wi-Fi, laundry services …
Until one comes to this line: “Prefer tenant who does not work from home (WFH)”.
A quick scan of rental room advertisements on Carousell and PropertyGuru revealed that this requirement is not unique – quite a number of rooms available for lease specify that the landlord would prefer tenants who do not work from home.
Two property agents said they have received more of such stipulations from landlords in recent months.
(A motorcyclists travels past a Housing & Development Board public housing estate in the Queenstown area of Singapore. Photo: Bloomberg)
It is especially common for single-room rentals, as landlords apparently do not want to go through the hassle of splitting the utility bill, especially if tenants are home all day.
Another reason landlords would prefer tenants not to work from home is the issue of privacy, said Jeanette Goh, a property agent who listed a single common room for rent in the west of Singapore.
“[The landlords] don’t like it; they feel a little stifled at home. Even though it’s their own unit and their own place, they feel like they are being invaded,” she said.
This could be due to their experience during the height of the Covid-19 restrictions in late 2020, when people were told to stay home and landlords found that their privacy was being invaded while their utility bills went up.
Tham, who declined to give her full name, has a listing for a common room on Carousell for S$950 per month, which is inclusive of utilities.
It is cumbersome to split utility bills between landlord and renters, she said, adding she had posted the listing on behalf of the landlord.
Having a “no WFH” requirement safeguards landlords who would have to fork out the extra cost if utility bills were to exceed the threshold for that month, she explained.
Ref: In Singapore, more landlords seek tenants who don’t work from home: ‘like being invaded’ (scmp)
