International Student Housing in Singapore: Where To Live And What To Watch Out For

Arriving in Singapore for studies is exciting. It is also a little overwhelming, especially when you realise rent here is not cheap and the rules are strict.

This guide is written for international students who are new to Singapore. We will walk through:

• The main accommodation options
• How rental rules work (and why “cheap short-term rooms” can be risky)
• A table of where to live for NUS, NTU, SMU, SUTD, NAFA, LASALLE, James Cook University (JCU), SUSS and MDIS
• How Hozuko can help you find rooms with more peace of mind

1. Your main accommodation options (with pros and cons)

Overview table

On-campus halls and residences

Good for: your first year or first semester, if you can get a place.

• You are close to classes, libraries and friends.
• Utilities are predictable and rules are clear.
• You do not need to worry about whether the landlord is following HDB or URA rules.

Downside: demand is high. Many students do not get a hall place and have to look off-campus, so treat your university housing offer (if any) as a bonus, not a guarantee.

Off-campus student hostels

These are run by private companies. Some universities even partner with external hostels to secure beds for students.

Pros:

• Student crowd, so you are less lonely
• Some provide shuttle buses to MRT stations or campus
• Furnished, with Wi-Fi and security

Cons:

• Price can come close to, or even exceed, renting a room from a landlord
• You may share a room with more than one person
• Rules on visitors and cooking can be strict

Stay with landlords (HDB or condo room)

This is one of the most common setups for students.

You rent a room in a local family’s HDB flat or condo. For many, this hits a good balance between cost and comfort.

Pros:

• Often cheaper than co-living
• Utilities and Wi-Fi usually included in the rent
• You see local life up close (mealtimes, culture, language at home)

Things to think about:

• House rules: shoes, kitchen use, laundry times, overnight guests
• Some landlords prefer certain demographics (for example female-only, no cooking). It is better when expectations are clearly stated in the listing.
• You are living in their home, so the “vibe fit” matters a lot

Co-living

Co-living operators take multiple rooms in a unit (or entire blocks) and rent them out room-by-room, usually fully furnished and targeted at young professionals and students.

Pros:

• Easy move-in, fully furnished
• Utility bills sometimes bundled
• Regular cleaning of common areas
• More independence than staying with a landlord

Cons:

• Usually more expensive than a basic HDB room
• Less personal relationship with an owner, more with a company
• You may have flatmates changing over time, depending on contracts

Flat-sharing as a group

If you come with friends or meet course-mates you trust, you can rent a whole HDB or condo together. This gives you maximum control.

However:

• HDB whole-flat rentals and condo units must still follow the 6-month and 3-month minimum stays.^{1 2}
• HDB has a non-citizen quota and maximum occupant rules that landlords must follow.³
• Landlords may prefer tenants with stable income, so students sometimes use a working co-tenant or guarantor.

If you are only here for one semester, group flat-sharing can be harder to set up in a fully compliant way.

2. Quick crash course: how renting works in Singapore

Before you pick a room, it helps to understand the rules of the game.

Types of housing you will see:

• HDB flats: government-built apartments where many locals live
• Condominiums: private apartments, often with pool and gym
• Landed homes: terraces, semi-detached houses, bungalows
• Campus housing: university halls / residences / hostels

Minimum stay rules

Singapore is very strict about short stays in normal residential homes:

• For private condos and landed homes, the minimum legal rental period is 3 consecutive months.^{1 4}
• For HDB flats and HDB bedrooms, the minimum is 6 months per rental.^{2 3}

If you see a “whole condo for 1 month” or “HDB room for 2 weeks” in a normal residential block, that is very likely not compliant. The authorities treat illegal short-term accommodation seriously and have fined offenders.^{5 6 7}

So if you need a place for only a few weeks, think in terms of:

• Hotels, hostels or serviced apartments
• Campus temporary housing (if offered)
• Short-term backpacker hostels while you search

Occupancy caps and quotas

Two more things matter in the background:

• HDB and private homes have occupancy caps (how many unrelated people can live in one unit). At the time of writing, there is a temporary relaxation that allows up to eight occupants in certain larger properties, but this is time-limited and must be registered.^{8 9 10}
• HDB rentals also come with a non-citizen quota and other rules that landlords need to follow.³

You do not have to memorise all of that, but it explains why some landlords are very particular about how many people stay and what passports everyone holds.

3. Where to live by university (NUS, NTU, SMU, SUTD, NAFA, LASALLE, JCU, SUSS, MDIS)

Use this table as a starting point when you are planning where to stay. Distances are not exact, but this gives you a sense of which areas and MRT stations to zoom in on.

*Neighbourhoods are indicative, not official recommendations. Always check commute times yourself.

Use this to narrow your search. For example:

• If you are going to NAFA or LASALLE, looking around Bencoolen, Bugis, Rochor and Little India keeps you very central and close to both schools.
• If you are going to JCU, looking at rooms near Aljunied or Kallang MRT keeps your walk short.
• If you are going to SUSS or MDIS, zoom in on western areas such as Clementi, Queenstown and their nearby estates.

Once you have 2–3 target neighbourhoods, you can filter listings more intelligently.

4. Scam safety for international students

Because rents are high, scams are common. The main patterns you should watch for:

1. Listings that break Singapore’s minimum stay rules

   • “HDB room for 1 month” or “Condo studio for 2 weeks” in a normal residential block
   • Private homes cannot legally be used for stays shorter than three consecutive months, and HDB rentals have a six-month minimum.^{1 4 2}

2. Pressure to pay before viewing

   • Scammers often insist on PayNow or bank transfer “to secure the room” before you or a trusted friend has seen the place in person
   • They may refuse a live video call of the actual unit

3. Fake or unregistered “agents”

   • In Singapore, property agents must be registered with the Council for Estate Agencies (CEA)
   • You can search their name and registration number on CEA’s Public Register, or follow the step-by-step advice on gov.sg about engaging a property agent.^{24 25}

4. Too-good-to-be-true prices in very central locations

   • A brand-new condo common room in the CBD at half the usual market price is usually not real
   • Scammers often use stock photos, copy-pasted descriptions, and ask you to transfer a deposit “before someone else takes it”

5. Vague addresses or refusal to show full details

   • Responsible landlords and agents give you a clear block / street name and are open to a proper viewing
   • If they avoid sharing the location until you pay something, treat that as a red flag

If something feels off, walk away. There will always be another listing.

5. How Hozuko fits in your housing journey

Hozuko is a Singapore-focused rental platform with a strong focus on rooms, student-friendly rentals and trust.

For you as an international student, that means:

• You can find rooms with live-in landlords, whole units, and co-living rooms with clear house rules and expectations
• Landlords, agents and co-living operators on Hozuko go through identity or licence checks where applicable, so you know who you are talking to
• Conversations happen through the platform, which makes it easier to keep a record of what was agreed before you sign anything
• Listings are aligned with Singapore’s rental rules, so you are less likely to stumble into illegal short-term setups

If you are planning to live off-campus for at least a semester, you can:

1. Shortlist your preferred areas based on your campus row in the table above.
2. Set a realistic budget for an HDB or condo room.
3. Use Hozuko to search for rooms near your campus MRT line, and filter for what matters most (private bathroom, no landlord, female-only, etc.).
4. Arrange viewings, ask questions about house rules, and only then commit to a tenancy agreement.

The goal is simple: more peace of mind, fewer unknowns.

6. A simple game plan for your first year

To wrap up, here is a straightforward path you can follow:

1. First 3–6 months

   • Aim for on-campus housing if you can, or a reputable student hostel.
   • This gives you time to understand Singapore’s neighbourhoods and transport.

2. Explore off-campus options early

   • Walk around the areas near your campus MRT stations.
   • Notice food options, bus routes, and how safe you feel at night.

3. Decide your living style

   • Prefer structure and community? Halls or student hostels.
   • Prefer quiet and local life? Room with landlord.
   • Prefer maximum independence? Co-living or flat-sharing.

4. Use trusted platforms and checks

   • Browse verified listings on Hozuko.
   • Double-check any agent on the CEA Public Register.
   • Avoid any landlord who insists on large payments before you (or a trusted friend) sees the place.

5. Remember you can move later

   • Your first place in Singapore does not have to be your perfect place.
   • Start somewhere safe and legal, then adjust once you know the city better.

Welcome to Singapore.

References