In July, private property rentals have fallen 0.3 per cent, and now August has reflected a further 0.4 per cent drop. The number of new units entering the market no doubt has made competition tougher. Most of the fall in prices were for properties in the city centre. Rental prices of city fringe units fared better, with a 0.8 per cent rise. Overall, the number of units rented out decreased slightly compared to the month before, but rose 13.8 per cent in a year-on-year comparison.
What does the future hold for the residential rental market? 2016 seems to point towards a further influx of new properties. It used to be normal to rely on rental yields from one property to fund mortgages on another, but now the investment path may not be as easy. Spotting the right investment opportunity would take practice and a lot of market research, though there are advice out there to be had. Attending regular property seminars and talks will help you gain useful insights to what’s available out there and the potential of differing property options.
The market is currently seeing a circular migration of tenants and they move from property to property in search of better rental rates. But this ensures a fairly stable rental volume level, though rental leases favoured now are the shorter 12-month ones as opposed to previous 24-month norms.
While the private property rental market faces strong competition, the HDB rental market will maintain a strong showing as rental rates are more palatable and has a strong tenant base.
