Skip to content

FAQs

Students at Tisch Asia are responsible for securing their own housing in Singapore, and they should make accommodation arrangements before they arrive. Although Tisch Asia does not operate any student housing in Singapore, a number of options are available for both short-term and long-term accommodations, and students accepted into the program will be given detailed information about realtors and roommate matching forums. Tisch Asia students looking to room together will be given a venue via their NYU Home account to facilitate these connections.

Currently, most Tisch Asia students rent and share apartments with one or two housemates. Rental accommodation in Singapore falls into two broad categories – HDB or private housing:

  • Accommodations
Expand All :: Collapse All

  • A snapshot of the Singapore rental market

    5 to 15 minutes’ drive (bus/taxi) from campus:

    NeighborhoodProperty descriptionMonthly rental (SGD)
    Queenstown / StrathmoreCommon room* for rent in HDB flat, fully furnished, a/c, new furniture. 5-min walk to MRT, 5-min drive to Tisch Asia, 10 mins by bicycle.S$600
    RedhillCommon room in HDB, fully furnished, a/c. 5-min drive to Tisch Asia, 10 mins by bicycle.S$650
    River ValleyF/furnished room with private bathroom, in a 2-bedroom condo w pool, tennis, gym etc.S$1650
    River Valley1 bedroom apartment near Somerset MRT, fully-furnished, a/c. Rent includes utilities, and weekly housekeeping.S$1900
    Tiong Bahru2-bedroom HDB flat (1 bathroom), fully-furnished, a/c. 5-min walk to MRT, 10-min drive to Tisch Asia, 15 mins by bicycle.S$2000
    Redhill3-bedroom condo, 10-min walk to Tisch Asia.S$4500 neg.

    *Common room refers to a bedroom without an en-suite/attached bathroom. You would have to share the bathroom with the other occupants of the apartment.

    20 to 30 minutes’ drive (bus/taxi) from campus:

    NeighborhoodProperty descriptionMonthly rental (SGD)
    Little India / Dhoby GhautSpacious common room for rent in apartment, fully furnished, 15-20 min walk to MRT.S$800
    Holland VillageRoom with own bath in private apartment, f/furn. Rent includes utilities, internet, weekly maid service.
    		S$1200
    Commonwealth / Tanglin Halt2-bedroom HDB flat, a/c, newly-furnished & renovated.
    		S$1900
    Little India / Farrer Park
    		1-bedroom condo, walking distance to MRT.
    		S$2600 neg.

  • HDB Apartments

    The majority of Singaporeans live in HDB flats (HDB = Housing and Development Board), which are government-subsidized apartments. HDB flats tend to be more affordable and are usually of good quality, but may not be as nicely appointed as private housing (eg. Ceramic tiles in the bathrooms rather than marble or granite – though some HDB flats do have the latter).

    HDB housing estates are often situated in self-sufficient neighborhoods with malls, supermarkets, eating places, libraries, clinics, public swimming pools, sports complexes, bus and MRT stations.

    As the HDB has been building flats since the 1960s and continues to build more flats even today, you will find a wide range of HDB flats available for rent, each varying in terms of architecture, layout, interior designs and amenities. When browsing rental listings, look out for keywords such as “newly renovated”, “upgraded” and “Design & Build” for more aesthetically-pleasing flats and estates.

    Click here for an overview of the latest median rents of HDB flats. Prices are in Singapore Dollars.

  • Private Accomodations

    Private housing consists of condominiums, high-rise or walk-up apartments, shophouses as well as houses (known as “landed property” in Singapore). The range can vary widely, from run-down to posh, and from relatively affordable to quite expensive.

    Most condominiums offer 24-hour security, and access to amenities such as swimming pools, gyms and tennis courts on-site. However, condominiums may sometimes be less accessible to bus stops and MRT stations, and farther away from grocery stores, eating places and shopping malls, compared to the average HDB estate.

    Click here to see pictures of the condominium Tanglin Regency, which is about a 10-minute walk from the Tisch Asia campus.

  • Things to note about Singapore rental accommodation

    Types of apartments available
    Studios are difficult to find in Singapore, and can be quite costly. One-bedroom apartments are harder to find than those with two or three bedrooms. The larger and newer the apartment, the more you should expect to pay.

    Furnished and unfurnished apartments
    Many apartments (upwards of 70%) in Singapore are rented with at least some furnishings. Inform your realtor what furnishings you want included with the apartment.

    More information
    Singapore Education publishes an introduction to living in Singapore designed for international students. It is strongly recommended that Tisch Asia students not from Singapore read this handbook: Student Accommodation Handbook.