HDB Rental: Verification of Foreigner Immigration Status (VERIFI)

Illegal immigration and overstaying pose a serious problem in Singapore. The authorities have taken a number of measures to tackle the problem; however, as long as immigration offenders can get work or find a place to stay, the problem cannot be
effectively tackled.

Homeowners who wish to rent their premises out to foreigners must exercise due diligence in checking the status of their prospective foreign tenants to ensure that they are in Singapore legitimately. Persons or organizations who are in doubt, are also encouraged to check the foreigners' status before transacting with them.

Everyone has a role to play in ensuring the security and safety of Singapore. It concerns not only the safety and security of the
community, but also your personal safety.

Due Diligence Requirements

Before renting your room out to a foreigner, you need to screen the immigration status of your prospective tenant by conducting the following 3 specified checks:

• Check his original immigration pass or/and work pass;
• Cross-check particulars on these passes against particulars in his passport; and
• Verify with the Controller of Immigration or the Controller of Work Permits, as the case may be, that the permit or pass is valid at the material time or Verify with the employer if prospective tenant is working in Singapore.

If you are in doubt about the status of a foreigner, you may:

• Submit a request to verify the status of the foreigner through the Internet. To verify immigration passes (Long Term Visit Pass and Student's Pass), click here to submit your request to Immigration & Checkpoints Authority.
  .
  To verify work passes (Work Permit, Employment Pass and Dependent's Pass),
  click here to submit your request to Ministry of Manpower (MOM).
  OR

• Contact Immigration & Checkpoints Authority at Tel: 6391-6100 (immigration passes) during office hours or MOM (work passes) at Tel: 6438-5122 to verify the status of the foreigner. Alternatively, you can also call in person at Immigration & Checkpoints Authority or MOM during office hours to verify the authenticity of the immigration or work passes.

Consequences of Harboring Immigration Offenders

Under the Immigration Act, the homeowner is liable to be charged for harboring immigration offenders in his house if investigations reveal that he has not exercised due diligence as required by law. If the homeowner is found guilty of the offence, he shall be sentenced to an imprisonment of not less than 6 months and not more than 2 years and shall also be liable to a fine up to S$6,000.

Median Subletting Rents by Town and Flat Type for 4th Quarter 2010

The statistics below provide the median rents of HDB flats in various locations with subletting approvals in the said quarter. The median rent indicates that half the units were above the value and half below.

Flat owners and prospective tenants may use the median rent as a guide to do their own research before entering into a rental agreement.

Median Subletting Rents by Town and Flat Type for 4th Quarter 2010

TOWN	1-RM	2-RM	3-RM	4-RM	5-RM	EXEC
ANG MO KIO	-	$1,280*	$1,610	$2,100	$2,200	-
BEDOK	-	$1,250*	$1,580	$2,000	$2,250	$2,280
BISHAN	-	-	$1,610	$2,200	$2,400	$2,490*
BUKIT BATOK	-	-	$1,550	$1,900	$2,250	$2,150
BUKIT MERAH	$750*	$1,430*	$1,800	$2,400	$2,800	-
BUKIT PANJANG	-	-	$1,500	$1,700	$1,950	$2,100
BUKIT TIMAH	-	-	$1,730*	$2,150*	$2,350*	$2,450*
CENTRAL	-	$1,300*	$2,050	$2,400	$3,500*	-
CHOA CHU KANG	-	-	$1,300	$1,900	$2,000	$2,300
CLEMENTI	-	-	$1,700	$2,200	$2,400	$2,500*
GEYLANG	-	$1,250*	$1,630	$2,050	$2,400	$2,650*
HOUGANG	-	-	$1,600	$1,930	$2,150	$2,450
JURONG EAST	-	-	$1,600	$2,000	$2,100	$2,480
JURONG WEST	-	$1,450*	$1,500	$2,000	$2,200	$2,300
KALLANG/ WHAMPOA	-	$1,250*	$1,700	$2,250	$2,440	$2,650*
MARINE PARADE	-	-	$1,900	$2,330	$2,350*	-
PASIR RIS	-	-	-	$2,000	$2,100	$2,300
PUNGGOL	-	-	-	$1,900	$2,100	$2,300*
QUEENSTOWN	-	$1,300	$1,780	$2,380	$2,550	$2,800*
SEMBAWANG	-	-	-	$1,850	$2,000	$2,200
SENGKANG	-	-	$1,930*	$2,000	$2,100	$2,300
SERANGOON	-	-	$1,700	$2,030	$2,270	$2,500
TAMPINES	-	-	$1,700	$1,950	$2,200	$2,350
TOA PAYOH	-	$1,300*	$1,700	$2,000	$2,330	$2,490*
WOODLANDS	-	-	$1,430	$1,800	$2,000	$2,050
YISHUN	-	-	$1,500	$1,800	$2,000	$2,250
OVERALL	$750	$1,300	$1,700	$2,000	$2,150	$2,300

Notes:

1. (-) indicates no subletting transactions in the quarter.
2. Figures marked with asterisks (“ * ”) refer to cases where there are less than 10 subletting transactions in the quarter for the particular town and flat type. As such, they may not be representative.
3. The data above is based on rents self-declared in the subletting application forms. Nevertheless, it serves as a useful reference in sublet flat hunting and basis for rent negotiations.
4. The median rent tells you that half of the units for that flat type in that town were rented above that price and half below.
5. The figures are rounded to the nearest ten dollars.

Minimum Occupation Period (MOP) required before selling HDB flat

HDB flat owners can sell their flats in the open market to eligible buyers of their own choice at a mutually agreed resale price. The seller and buyer shall declare to HDB the true resale price of the flat. They shall not enter into any supplementary or other agreements or arrangements that may cause the true resale price as declared to be inflated or understated.

Important Note
Under the Housing & Development Act, the penalties for buyers and sellers who give false information to HDB is up to 6 months' imprisonment and/or a fine of up to $5,000.

Before selling your flat, you must ensure that you have met the eligibility criteria to do so, i.e. to have met the Minimum Occupation Period (MOP).

Minimum Occupation Period (MOP)

HDB flat owners must have physically occupied their flats for a period of time, referred to as Minimum Occupation Period (MOP), before they are eligible to sell it in the open market.

The period will depend on:

• The purchase mode, and
• The flat type

*If you have rented out your entire flat, the period of subletting will not be included in the computation of the MOP.

Flat type listed below and their required MOP*.

1-Room and HUDC Flat
- No occupation period for owners owning 1-room flat or HUDC flat.

Flats bought from HDB (direct-purchase flat), DBSS flat bought from developer and Resale Flat under CPF Housing Grant Scheme
- 5 years from effective date of purchase.

Flats bought under Selective En Bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS)

• For SERS replacement flat purchased with portable SERS rehousing benefits
  - 5 years from the effective date of purchase of the replacement flat.
• For SERS replacement flat not purchased with portable SERS rehousing benefits
  - 7 years from the date of selection of the replacement flat, provided they had taken possession of the replacement flat; or
  - 5 years from the effective date of purchase of the replacement flat.

The computation of the MOP excludes the period (if any) of non-occupation of the replacement flat, such as subletting of whole flat or any infringement of the flat lease.

Resale Flat bought in the open market (without CPF Housing Grant Scheme)

The minimum occupation period you need to meet depends on when we receive your resale application:

Resale Application Received Date	MOP applicable
Before 5 March 2010 (includes owners owning their resale flat as at this date)	2½ years from effective date of resale if the owner takes a loan from HDB 1 year from the effective date of resale if: i. the owner has not taken a loan from HDB; or ii. he has taken a loan from the bank/financial institution to finance the purchase
5 March 2010 - 29 August 2010	3 years from effective date of resale, regardless of the type of loan taken by the owners or loan status
On or after 30 August 2010	5 years from effective date of resale, regardless of the type of loan taken by the owners or loan status

Housing Development Board guidelines for renting out whole HDB flat/unit

This are the guidelines for subletting of flat but is also useful info for those who will be renting the HDB so that they can verify the legality of the flat.

In particular, information provided concerns:

• Eligibility conditions : Flat owners
• Flat owners' responsibilities
• Eligibility conditions : Subtenants
• Maximum subletting period
• Costs involved in subletting
• Apply for approval

Eligibility Conditions: Flat Owners

To sublet the entire flat, you need to satisfy the condition of a 3-year or 5-year Minimum Occupation Period (MOP).
You are allowed to sublet your whole flat if you have occupied your:

• Non-subsidised flat (flat purchased from the open market without a CPF housing grant) for at least 3 years if your application for the purchase of the flat was received before 30 Aug 2010;
• Non-subsidised flat (flat purchased from the open market without a CPF housing grant) for at least 5 years if your application for the purchase of the flat was received on or after 30 Aug 2010;
• Subsidised flat (flat purchased directly from HDB or from the open market with a CPF housing grant) for at least 5 years

In case you do not meet the MOP condition for subletting, you may still sublet your whole flat only if it is under any one of the following special circumstances.

Living in quarters provided by employer	You/your spouse, your family members and authorized occupiers, are all staying in quarters provided by your employer.
Going overseas to work or study	You/your spouse are going overseas to work or study and the entire family will be going with you OR You are leaving behind family members who: Cannot take care of themselves, and Will be moving out of the flat
Living in commercial properties	You/your spouse are tenants, subtenants or owners of commercial property with living quarters AND You need to stay in that property, with your family members, to look after the business
Other circumstances	You are the sole owner and occupier of the flat and need medical care from relatives because of an illness OR You are the sole owner and occupier of the flat and have been hospitalised for more than 6 months OR The flat owners have passed away and left behind an orphaned minor child (under 21 years of age) The guardian or public trustee of the minor child may sublet the whole flat

Flat Owners’ Responsibilities

As a flat owner subletting your flat, you will be responsible for:

• Making sure the flat is sublet to eligible subtenants only
• Making sure that there is no overcrowding and the number of subtenants does not exceed the maximum number allowed
• Making sure that your subtenants have entered and are remaining in Singapore lawfully at all times (while the subletting is in force)
• Making sure that your subtenants do not further sublet the flat to other persons
• Making sure that your subtenants comply with all the covenants in the lease and the provisions of the Housing & Development Act and that you are responsible for all infringements, if any, committed by them
• Informing the Comptroller of Property Tax of the subletting, and HDB of any changes in the subletting
• Resuming occupation of your flat and ensuring your subtenants vacate the premises when:
  • The subletting is terminated, or
  • You are no longer eligible to sublet your flat

Surrendering the flat if the flat is repossessed by HDB

Eligiblity Conditions : Subtenants

Citizenship

Subtenants must be :

• a. Singapore citizens; or
• Singapore permanent residents; or
• Non-citizens legally residing in Singapore [holders of Employment Passes, S Passes, Work Permits*, Student Passes, Dependant Passes, Professional Visit Passes, Long Term Social Visit Passes (6 months and above)].

*Construction workers who are Work Permit holders should be Malaysians.

Immigration status of non-citizen subtenants may be verified using the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority's VERIFI website.

Maximum Number of Subtenants
The maximum number of subtenants allowed in each flat is:

Flat Type	Total Number of Occupants
1-room and 2-room	4 persons
3-room	6 persons
4-room and bigger	9 persons

Tenancy/Property Ownership Status

• Subtenants must not be tenants/owners of other HDB flats except for :
  • Tenants/owners who are divorced/legally separated
    • Only one of the divorced/legally separated parties may be a subtenant
• Owners who are eligible to sublet their whole HDB flat
  • They must sublet their own flat within 1 month after having rented a flat from another flat owner
  • They are not able to sublet their own flat after they move out of their flat as there are other occupiers remaining behind

Subtenants must not be owners of Executive Condominium units where the 5-year minimum occupation period has not been met.

Maximum Subletting Period
- Three years per subletting approval.

Costs Involved In Subletting

• Administrative fee
  Flat owners have to pay an administrative fee of $20/- for each subletting application.
• Renewal fee
  Flat owners must submit a new application and pay a fresh administrative fee to continue subletting the flat when existing subletting period expires. The new application will be subject to a reassessment of your eligibility to sublet your flat.

Apply For Approval

You must obtain HDB’s approval before you sublet your whole flat. You can submit the application online at My HDBPage. Alternatively, you can obtain the application form from any HDB Branch Office or download the application form and print it.

If the lessee is overseas during the period of subletting, there must be a properly appointed Attorney to act for him in the management of the flat. A certified true copy of the Power of Attorney (POA), executed in HDB's prescribed form and which has been lodged with the High Court, must be furnished (Please consult your solicitor on the POA).

Housing and Development Board (HDB) stepped up enforcement against unauthorized subletting of flats

The Housing and Development Board (HDB) stepped up its enforcement against unauthorized subletting of flats in 2010. This comes after 7,000 flat inspections conducted in 2010 (an increase from the 3,000 done in 2009).

Of the 95 flat owners owners caught by the HDB for illegal subletting, 39 had their flats acquired.

Of the 7,000 flats inspected, 95 flat owners had action taken against them by the HDB in relation to unauthorized subletting. The actions taken include compulsory acquisition of the flats and imposing of financial penalties.

The public's feedback played a greater role in the HDB's inspections, with public feedback leading to 1,800 inspections (of the total of 7,000). This is almost double the number received in 2009.

Under current HDB rules, flat owners who wish to sublet their entire flats must meet the Minimum Occupation Period (MOP) and obtain the HDB's approval before doing so.

Minimum Occupation Period (MOP) -- HDB flat owners must have physically occupied their flats for a period of time before they are eligible to sell or sublet/rent it in the open market.

HDB will continue to step up inspections and is welcoming public feedback on suspected unauthorized subletting, which it promises to keep strictly confidential. The public can report such suspected cases by calling the dedicated hotline 1800-555-6370.

Electricity charge to increase 6.1 percent starting April

SP Services said households will pay more for their electricity from April, with their electricity tariff increasing by 6.1 per cent to 25.58 cents per kilowatt-hour.

On average, families in four-room HDB flats will pay about S$4.85 more a month for their electricity based on the new tariff.

Solar panels at Marina Barrage.

 

Explaining the tariff increase, SP Services said the average fuel oil price increased sharply by 14 per cent to S$113.37 per barrel over the last three months.

At the same time, there was an annual review of the grid network cost or the cost of transporting electricity through the power grid, which resulted in network charges being lowered by 3 per cent for the year ahead.

It said the significant increase in fuel cost, however, more than offsets the reduced network charges.

The Energy Market Authority has approved the increase.

Power bill to fall 3.3% cheaper from October to December

 

Singapore households will pay 3.3 per cent less for their electricity bill from October to December - thanks to falling oil prices.

SP Services on Thursday said the average electricity tariffs will be reduced by 0.79 cent per kWh to 23.34 cents per kWh in the next quarter, in line with the lower fuel price price which has fallen to $95.41 per barrel over the last three months.

With the lower tariffs, families in four-room Housing Board flats flats will pay about $3 less a month, on average.

The breakdown of the electricity tariff into its four components is as follows:

• Energy Cost  paid to the power generation companies: Reduced  by  0.79
  cents per kWh to 18.14 cents per kWh. This component, which  includes fuel
  and non-fuel components, is adjusted quarterly to reflect change in the cost of
  power generation.
• Network Cost paid to SP PowerAssets: Unchanged at 4.92 cents/kWh. This
  fee is reviewed every year and has been reduced by 10% since Oct 2008.
• Market Support Services Fee paid to SP Services: Unchanged at 0.22 cents
  per kWh.   This fee is reviewed every year and has been reduced by 21%
  since July 2009.
• Market Administration and Power System Operation Fee  paid to the
  Energy Market Company and the  Power System Operator:  Unchanged at
  0.06 cents per kWh.  This fee is reviewed every year  to recover the costs of
  operating the electricity wholesale market and power system.

SP Services reviews the electricity tariffs quarterly based on guidelines set by the Energy Market Authority (EMA) and the latest tariffs.

These new tariffs have been approved by the Energy Market Authority, the electricity industry regulator.

source: SP Services

Beware: Singapore Rental scam racket busted

POLICE have crippled a rental scam syndicate and arrested three men and a woman believed to be connected to more than 20 cases of cheating over the rental of flats.

This follow reports to police by people who were unable to move into residential flats after paying deposits, rental fees and agent commissions between June last year and July this year.

The amounts, ranging from $900 to $1,500, were paid to the supposed home owners and property agent who advertised for the rental of two flats located at Block 115 Jalan Bukit Merah and Block 7 North Bridge Road. The home owners and the property agent could not be reached after the payments were made.

Following investigations by Central Police Division, the owner of the Jalan Bukit Merah unit was arrested in connection to the case. He was found to be working with a bogus property agent to commit cheating in a bid to obtain quick cash. Police were able to establish that money from both units was paid into a common bank account.

In a police operation lasting 20-hours on Friday, police officers arrested a 48-year-old woman at about 12am. She had a bundle of blank tenancy agreements. About 14 hours later, officers nabbed a 56-year-old man who had posed as the owner of the North Bridge Road unit.

On Friday at about 8.15pm, police officers arrested the last remaining suspect, a 45-year-old bogus property agent known to his victims as 'Raymond'. He was later found to be wanted by the police for other separate offences of robbery and serious hurt.

source: StraitsTimes

List of Singapore Residential/Household Movers (Lipat Bahay)

In case you are in need of a mover, here’s the list I gathered during a recent move.

• Sharin (Malaysian) - highly recommended
  Mobile – 92383089
  
  - He’s very careful, on time and organized
  - With BIG truck and helpers (if requested).
  - He has a homemade trolleys which helped a lot in moving items, you may not need a helper..
  - Normally charge around S$50 and from 80 to 200+ if you have a lot of things specially bulky items.
  - Negotiate, he will agree up to a reasonable amount. According to him, he has catered to a lot of pinoys.
  
• Ah Meng - 9338 5335 or Albert - 9769 2187
  - They have 14ft truck.
  - Charge around S$180 to S$250 range...
  - They will check your things and give you a quote.
  - You can request for boxes.
  
• SIM - also recommended
  Mobile - 98532365.
  - He’s a local and usually charged around S$60
  
• Tony Mercado (noypi)
  Mobile - 81134897
  
  - he's well known as 'mang tony'
  - charges $80 per trip.
  - he'll give you a quotation of roughly how much the total cost
  - unfortunately he does not provide boxes and has a small truck
  
• Uncle Andy (Singaporean)
  Mobile – 90238932
  
  - price would range from $30 - $50
  - hourly rate
  - with helpers, if requested
  
• Mr. Amat
  Mobile – 97361344
  
  - Cheap charge
  - normally available only on late night or Sunday morning.
  
• Tolits (noypi
  Mobile – 98719518
  
• Dani
  Mobile – 97585730
  
• Alan Mah
  Mobile - 9022904
  

If you are planning to move cabinets, furniture's and appliances, you may want to get a professional service:

A & A Removal and Delivery Services 

Call Ms. Lita (pinay) at 90229049 for more information
Email: aaremoval@hotmail.com

1. VAN
   
   Van and driver to drive only (1sthr)    $40
   Additional charges after the 1sthr    $20 per / 30 mins
   
   Van and driver to help move items (1sthr)    / $60
   Additional charges after the 1sthr    $30 / per 30 mins
   
   Van and driver + 1 mover to help move items (1sthr) / $80
   Additional charges after the 1sthr    $40 per / 30mins
   
   Additional charges for house not on lift level    $10 per level
   Additional charges after 5pm    $10
   Additional charges after 7pm  $20
   Additional per drop-off point    $10
2. 10 Ft Lorry
   
   10ft Lorry and driver to drive only (1sthr) $60
   Additional charges after the 1st hr    $30 / 30 mins
   
   10ft Lorry and driver + 1 mover to help move items (1sthr)    $90
   Additional charges after the 1sthr    $45 / 30 mins
   
   10ft Lorry and driver + 2 movers to help move items $250 per trip
   
   Additional charges after the 1st trip pro-rate based on Lorry load $30
   
   Additional charges for house not on lift level    $20 per level
   Additional charges after 6pm    $20
   
   Additional charges after 8pm    $40
   
   Additional per drop-off point    $20
   
3. 14ft. Lorry
   
   14ft Lorry and driver to drive only (1sthr)    $80
   Additional charges after the 1sthr    $40 / 30 mins
   
   14ft Lorry and driver + 1 mover to help move items (1sthr)    $100
   Additional charges after the 1sthr    $50 / 30 mins
   
   14ft Lorry and driver + 2 movers to help move items (1sthr)    $130
   Additional charges after the 1st hour    $65 / 30 mins
   
   14ft Lorry and driver + 3 movers to help move items (1sthr)    $160
   Additional charges after the 1st hour $80 / 30 mins
   
   14ft Lorry and driver + 2 to 3 movers to help move items    $350 to $450 per trip
   
   Additional charges after the 1st trip    pro-rate based on Lorry load
   Additional charges for house not on lift level    $30 per level
   Additional charges after 6pm    $30
   Additional charges after 8pm    $50
   Additional per drop-off point    $30

Owning a TV and Vehicle Radio requires a yearly license

This is a common misconception regarding TV License. MDA even had a pamphlet campaign regarding this information. Reference from MDA

• Residential TV License
• A TV License is required if you operate or have, on any premise you owned or occupied, TV sets or any equipment that is capable of receiving broadcasting services. Only one license is required for a house/unit regardless of how many TV sets it has.
  
  The TV License is valid for a calendar year, from 1 January to 31 December and is renewable on a yearly basis thereafter. The annual license fee is S$110.
  
  For new TV Licenses that are applied for in any part of the year after 1 January, the license fee payable will be pro-rated from the date of application to 31 December. If the TV License is taken up between 1 November and 31 December, the license fee payable will be pro-rated to 31 December of the following year, i.e. it will be inclusive of the following year's license fee as well. This is to minimize the inconvenience to license applicants.

Apply for your TV License here. Alternatively, you can apply for a TV License at any post office with your identity card or passport.

• Vehicle Radio License
• A Vehicle Radio License is required for any radio receiver installed in a vehicle. A new Vehicle Radio License, is valid for a period of one year from the date of application and is renewable on a half-yearly or yearly basis thereafter. The annual license fee payable for a Vehicle Radio License is S$27.
  
  You may apply and make payment for your Vehicle Radio License online by Credit /Debit Card (eNets Credit), Internet Banking (eNets Debit) or Flexipay.

Apply here for your Vehicle Radio License.  Alternatively, you may apply for a vehicle radio license at any post office with your identity card or passport. The Vehicle Radio License should be applied for in the name of the vehicle's registered owner.