Newsletter #1 - September 2026
The Month Most Renters Overlook
Welcome to the first issue of the Singapore Rental Brief. Whether you are still abroad exploring the market, in the middle of moving, or already settled here, thank you for being part of it.
Once a month I will send something useful: practical guidance for moving to Singapore, and a look at how the culture here shapes the way people live.
Let me start with the month we are in.
That's the September issue.
Next month: what actually makes a neighbourhood livable in Singapore, and what to check before you sign.
If you found this useful, subscribe to get it in your inbox.
Thinking about your own search? Tell me which areas you've got your eye on and when you're hoping to move, and I'll give you my honest take on what's worth chasing and what I'd steer clear of.
Can Speak Singlish or Not?
Moving to Singapore exposes you to the wonderful world of Singlish. At first, the brevity of the language and the grammar can be a bit hard to understand but soon enough you’ll find it slipping into your own conversations.
This month, I’d like to introduce you to the word “chope,” which means to reserve or claim a seat, table or other space. For example, “Can you chope this seat for me?”
Most commonly, you will see people chope a seat by placing their pack of tissue paper on a table such as at a hawker centre. In Singapore, this is a widely respected practice and everyone understands what it means.
So next time you are out at a hawker centre and spot a lone packet of tissues sitting on an empty table, don't take the seat - it's already choped!"
Why September Is Different
The August school start rush has ended. Most families look to be to be settled before term begins, which packs an enormous amount of moving into July and August. But for other families, September provides an opportunity. Perhaps you have moved to Singapore and are staying in short-term accommodation while you get your bearings. Perhaps your relocation date simply falls outside the school calendar. Either way, the market you are looking at right now is a very different one from the market in July, and that difference works in your favour.
What That Changes
Less pressure at viewings. Landlords are not fielding five other parties on the same afternoon, so you have time to view longer and consider your options more fully. You can walk a unit twice, ask all the questions you care about, and sleep on a decision instead of feeling rushed into one.
More realistic conversations on rent and terms. Not a discount - landlords in Singapore rarely think in those terms - but a negotiation rather than a race. When there is no one else standing behind you at the door, terms become a conversation rather than an ultimatum.
What Is Actually Available
Just because the rush cleared the obvious units first, that doesn’t mean good units aren’t available. Sure, some units have sat because they were overpriced or poorly presented - a listing photo taken in bad lighting can cost a landlord weeks. That usually makes them easier to negotiate with come September, because time on market is the one thing every landlord quietly worries about. What's more, new units hit the market every month in Singapore, whether or not they follow the school calendar's rhythm. The pool is refreshing constantly, even when it looks quiet on the surface.
Bottom line, if you are worried that you missed out on August, don’t be. And if you are planning your move for next year, know that you don’t need to rush. Sometimes, it pays to wait.
Newsletter #2 - October 2026
What the listing photos will not tell you
When you search for a flat, the listing does a lot of the work for you. You can see the kitchen, the bedrooms, perhaps the view from the balcony.
What it can't show you is the area around it, and that matters just as much. A property can tick every box and still not suit you if the neighbourhood doesn't.
So this month, let's look at what the photos leave out.
Next month, I'll look at why a good flat here can be gone in two days, and the twenty minutes of thinking that stops it costing you.
If you found this useful, subscribe to get it in your inbox.
If you're looking now, just message me on WhatsApp and tell me which areas are on your list. I'll give you my honest take on what I'd add and what I'd drop. And if you've been here for years, I'd love to hear what you learned the hard way.
Like a Local
This month, let's talk about coffee. Walk into any kopitiam (the traditional coffee shop you'll find in almost every neighbourhood) and ask for "a coffee, please," and you may get a slightly puzzled look. Kopi here comes with its own code.
Plain "kopi" is coffee with sweetened condensed milk. "Kopi-O" is black with sugar. "Kopi-C" comes with evaporated milk and sugar. Add "kosong" for no sugar, "siew dai" for less sweet, and "peng" if you want it iced.
The fun part is that you can stack the words together. For example, "Kopi-O kosong peng" is an iced black coffee with no sugar. And the whole system works for tea too, just swap "kopi" for "teh."
So next time you're at a kopitiam, skip the pointing and order like a local. The Auntie or Uncle behind the counter will appreciate it
Before You View Anything
Arriving in Singapore, one normally gravitates toward the same few districts, usually on someone else's recommendation. Some of those areas truly deserve their reputation. Others are popular mainly because they have always been popular, and landlords there know it.
Nobody is misleading you. But there is a question you should ask yourself.
So before you commit, ask a simple question: what does the same budget get me two or three MRT stops further out, with a similar commute? Not as a compromise, but as a comparison. The difference is often bigger than you'd expect, and it's rarely something anyone will mention unless you ask.
When You View
Walk the route to the station yourself, ideally in the afternoon. A listing might say ten minutes to the MRT, and ten minutes sounds fine. Ten minutes in thirty degree heat and high humidity is a different story. What matters here is shade, not distance. It's why people who happily walked twenty minutes a day back home often find themselves booking a Grab within a month.
Ask which way the flat faces. West facing units get the full afternoon sun, so they run warmer and the aircon works harder to keep up. Not saying you should dismiss them, but be aware. Often a morning viewing always shows a flat at its best.
Take a look at what's within ten minutes on foot. I don't mean the condo facilities - I mean the neighbourhood ones. A hawker centre, a supermarket, a clinic, a decent coffee. If those are close by, daily life feels easy. If they're not, every small errand becomes a trip especially if you are not driving.
If you can, go back at a different hour. A main road can sound very different at six in the evening on a Tuesday than it does at 11am on a Saturday. And if there's construction nearby, it's worth asking what's being built on it and when it will be finished. It’s hard to escape construction in Singapore but that doesn’t mean you should ignore it.
Bottom line, none of this shows up in a listing photo. But a little time spent walking around before you sign can save you two years of wishing you had
The Ang Moh Property Agent
Your Trusted Singapore Property Agent for Expats
gilad@urbanassets.sg