Forum: Rental tenancy rules for private apartments unfair to owner-occupiers

With rising rentals, many private flat owners are turning their investment residential units into “co-living spaces” to earn higher rentals.   

They add extra rooms by partitioning the internal space, turning two- to three-bedroom units into six-bedroom units.

While these owners increase their revenue, the other owner-occupiers suffer the inconvenience. 

The number of unrelated tenants allowed in a flat is capped at six people, who are all adults with their own friends. This puts a strain on the use of the common facilities. It also means other owner-occupiers would have to pay for more frequent maintenance of the common areas. 

There is also the matter of security, especially at properties with no on-site guard. Management fees would increase because of the need for more monitoring and checks on incidents. 

The Urban Redevelopment Authority approves of such rentals, which in effect means there are hostel or serviced apartments in disguise within residential estates. As long as these owners meet URA’s rental requirements, other owner-occupiers have no right to object.

The management corporation strata title of the development should be allowed to enact by-laws to disallow such “co-living” in their estate. 

Owners should get a say when the nature of their original residential development has been altered.  

Margaret Chong