They let out their space for filming projects

Most days, Mr Kenn Goh's four-room flat in Jurong West is a serene sanctuary away from the hustle and bustle of life.

But some days, it transforms into a drama stage, with lights, cameras and loads of action.

To make some income on the side, he rents out his flat as a filming location for anything from commercials to short films.

The 39-year-old senior architect joined Facebook groups in 2018 to showcase and advertise his minimalist living space, which he had designed himself.

But following the circuit breaker period last year, he signed up with Filmplace - an online platform for shoot locations which connects film-makers with property owners - to score more bookings.

"With Covid-19, I could feel that my network had reached a plateau. And I think because this is something that I want to continue doing for a long time, I needed to expand my network, " he says.

He now leases his 970 sq ft home for $85 an hour on the platform.

Since August last year, he has hosted a total of 16 shoots - the most lucrative of which spanned two days and raked in $1,700.

"There was a bit of post-circuit breaker pent-up demand because people weren't able to film for a while. So for the first few months I had quite a few opportunities," he recounts.

His profits, which he does not want to disclose, have fed his passion for photography, by funding his growing collection of camera equipment.

There are also other unexpected perks. He recalls having a casual chat with actress Zoe Tay about good food in the vicinity during a 2018 commercial shoot for baby diapers. Actress Jesseca Liu also shot a raunchy scene in his bedroom for an online drama.

Filmplace founder and chief executive Lincoln Lin, 27, says that most people do not know they can "generate income in this part of the market".

On Filmplace, about half of its more than 750 local listings are homes.

Rates range from $35 an hour for a three-room flat in Potong Pasir to $350 an hour for a colonial bungalow near Orchard Road. Other listings include offices, restaurants and retail spaces.

Mr Lin says: "Right now, the most difficult thing for film-makers is finding houses, which get the highest number of bookings."

Houses are harder to source for online as they are private spaces, he says.

Over in Tampines, Mr Isaac Cheong, a regional business manager, and his wife Esther Cheng have been leasing out their four-room flat on the platform since early last year for $38 an hour. They have earned around $7,000 in filming fees so far.

Of the six shoots they have hosted, the best-paying was a pandemic-themed short film shot over three days. It made them $1,300.

Ms Cheng, a 28-year-old volunteer manager, says: "It was nice to know that even with the pandemic, as long as there were safety measures in place, we could still earn this passive income."

The money went into their savings account and served as a buffer as they explored other career options.

After some shoots, the film crew also graciously left them items - from food to furniture. A dark wood shelving unit in their living room is one of those gifts.

"More than just being a living space, your home is also an asset," says Ms Cheng.

"In the time that you are out of the house, there is a lot of untapped potential there to be explored."