If you are a single Singapore citizen above the age of 35 looking for rental housing, listen up!
On Friday, 17 December 2021, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) announced the launch of the Joint Singles Scheme Operator-Run (JSS-OR) Pilot.
This pilot will help lower-income singles in need of rental flats secure rental housing without a flatmate.
Instead, you can just apply as a single applicant. The HDB assigned operator will match you with a flatmate after taking into account factors like gender, age, ethnicity, living habits, etc., to increase the chances that applicants will be able to find a satisfactory living arrangement.
This JSS-OR provides singles with an alternative to the current Joint Singles Scheme (JSS), where two or more singles may jointly apply for a public rental flat Alternatively, they can approach HDB to source for a flatmate by offering them a listing of other single persons who are also looking for a flatmate.
Although most JSS applicants can find a flatmate and live together in harmony, a few would not be able to do so. But now with the JSS-OR Pilot, singles have another alternative.
Under the JSS-OR Pilot, HDB is offering a mixture of 1 and 2-room flats.
If you are worried about privacy, these flats will have partitions put up to accommodate two or three persons.
The flats are also in move-in condition as HDB provides basic household furnishings and appliances such as wardrobes, a water heater, a washing machine and a refrigerator so that tenants can move in quickly.
And without a doubt, living together is not easy. To facilitate the bedding process, the HDB appointed operator will introduce tenants to each other and step in to mediate any disagreements.
Interested in this pilot?
Here is all you need to know.
TL;DR: Joint Singles Scheme Operator-Run (JSS-OR) Pilot Guide: Eligibility, Costs, Location, How to Apply and More!
| Cost Per Single Occupier (Assuming 2 Pax) | 1-Room Flat | 2-Room Flat |
|---|---|---|
| Service & Conservancy Charges | $10.25/month | $15.25/month |
| Utilities (Based on national average) | $32.50/month | $38/month |
| Rental (Must pay 1 month's rent as deposit) | $13 – $102.50 | $22 – $137.50 |
| Total Cost: | $55.75 - $145.25/month | $75.25 - $190.75/month |
Joint Singles Scheme Operator-Run (JSS-OR) Pilot Eligibility Requirements
According to HDB, here are the eligibility requirements for the Joint Singles Scheme Operator-Run (JSS-OR) Pilot, which are the same requirements for the current Joint Singles Scheme (JSS):
- You and your listed occupier must be Singapore Citizens
- No family support. You and your listed occupiers will not be eligible to rent an HDB flat under this pilot if any of your children are:
- Able to house you in their home
- Financially able to provide other housing options for you
-
Any of the following is considered as singles:
- Unmarried and at least 35 years old
- Divorced or legally separated from a spouse, with legal documents, and at least 35 years old
- Widowed or orphaned, and at least 21 years old
- Your total household gross income should not exceed $1,500 per month. If it exceeds $1,500, you can still submit an application for HDB to review. HDB will take into consideration whether you have other housing options.
- You and your listed occupiers should not be existing tenants or essential occupiers of an HDB flat.
- You and your listed occupiers should not own/ have an estate or interest in such property at the point of application:
- HDB flat or Design, Build & Sell Scheme flat
- Local or overseas private property (house, building, or land), residential or otherwise
- Executive Condominium
- If you have previously owned any property, HDB will take into account the proceeds from the sale of your last property in assessing your housing budget.
Joint Singles Scheme Operator-Run (JSS-OR) Pilot Cost
For the JSS-OR pilot, occupiers will have to pay their share of Town Council Service and Conservancy Charges (S&CC), utilities and rent.
Assuming the costs are split evenly, here’s an estimation of how much each JSS-OR occupier has to pay each month.
Reduced Service and Conservancy Charges (S&CC): 1-Room and 2-Room Flats
Since JSS-OR occupiers have to be Singapore Citizens, they will enjoy reduced/subsidised S&CC rates.
We will be looking at the reduced S&CC charges for the East Coast Town Council and Sengkang Town Council to match the first two locations for the pilot.
The East Coast Town Council charges $20.50 a month for 1-room flats and $30.50 a month for 2-room flats.
In addition, the Sengkang Town Council charges $20.50 a month for 1-room flats and $30.50 a month for 2-room flats.
As such, each JSS-OR occupier will have to pay S&CC charges of $10.25 a month for 1-room flats and $15.25 a month for 2-room flats.
Average Utilities Bill in Singapore For 1-Room and 2-Room Flats
| Premises Type | Oct '21 | Sep '21 | Aug '21 | Jul '21 | Jun '21 | May '21 | Apr '21 | Mar '21 | Feb '21 | Jan '21 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Utility Bill Average ($) for households with gas | ||||||||||
| HDB 1-Room | 69.31 | 69.15 | 72.84 | 70.28 | 71.91 | 68 | 64.37 | 58.89 | 65.49 | 63.96 |
| HDB 2-Room | 80.47 | 83.28 | 86.03 | 83.08 | 84.79 | 80.49 | 76.85 | 70.72 | 72.35 | 76.38 |
| Utility Bill Average ($) for households without gas | ||||||||||
| HDB 1-Room | 60.5 | 60.8 | 63.84 | 62.01 | 63.52 | 59.85 | 56.12 | 51.38 | 56.78 | 55.56 |
| HDB 2-Room | 71.59 | 74.04 | 76.47 | 73.84 | 75.44 | 71.71 | 68.14 | 62.33 | 63.57 | 67.65 |
Source: Singapore Power (SP)
Note that the figures exclude electricity charges for Pay-As-You-Use (PAYU) customers and customers who are not purchasing electricity at the regulated tariff.
Take the latest utility bill average for October 2021 for households that use gas and household do not and average it out; 1-room flat households will pay about $65 a month, while 2-room flat households will pay about $76 a month.
Thus for utilities, each JSS-OR occupier will have to pay $32.50 a month for 1-room flats and $38 a month for 2-room flats.
Joint Singles Operator-Run (JSS-OR) Rent
As for the rent, the amount that each JSS-OR occupier has to pay depends on your monthly household income, the flat type, and whether you are a first or second-timer applicant.
Also, occupiers will have to put up one month’s worth of rent as a deposit before they can collect their keys.
Here is how much they will have to pay each month:
| Monthly Household Income | Applicant Type | Monthly Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-Room | 2-Room | ||
| $800 or less | First-timer | $26 – $33 | $44 – $75 |
| Second-timer | $90 – $123 | $123 – $165 | |
| Between $801 and $1,500 | First-timer | $90 – $123 | $123 – $165 |
| Second-timer | $150 – $205 | $205 – $275 | |
Source: HDB
Note: For the JSS-OR Pilot, the rent charged will be similar to the existing JSS, along with each tenant’s share of service and conservancy charges and utilities.
If you were wondering, here is how HDB defines First-timer applicants and Second-timer applicants.
- Do not currently own or have not sold off:
- An HDB flat bought from us
- An HDB resale flat bought with the CPF Housing Grant
- Have not previously obtained other forms of housing subsidy from:
- Buying an Executive Condominium from a developer
-
Benefitting under the Selective En bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS)
-
Privatisation of Housing and Urban Development Company (HUDC) estates
You are considered a second-timer applicant if you and your listed occupiers have:
- Owned or sold off:
- An HDB flat bought from us
- An HDB resale flat that was bought under the CPF Housing Grant Scheme
- Obtained other forms of housing subsidy from:
- Buying an Executive Condominium from a developer
- Benefitting under SERS
- Privatisation of HUDC estates
Assuming the rent is split, JSS-OR occupiers will be paying rent of anywhere from $13 – $102.50 a month for 1-room flats and $22 – $137.50 a month for 2-room flats.
Total Monthly Cost Per JSS-OR Pilot Occupier
| Cost Per Single Occupier (Assuming 2 Pax) | 1-Room Flat | 2-Room Flat |
|---|---|---|
| Service & Conservancy Charges | $10.25/month | $15.25/month |
| Utilities (Based on national average) | $32.50/month | $38/month |
| Rental (Must pay 1 month's rent as deposit) | $13 – $102.50 | $22 – $137.50 |
| Total Cost: | $55.75 - $145.25/month | $75.25 - $190.75/month |
Locations For Joint Singles Scheme Operator-Run (JSS-OR) Pilot
The JSS-OR pilot will launch with two locations that will be operated by Good News Community Services.
429A Bedok North Road
The first location is at 429A Bedok North Road:
| Location | Blk 429A Bedok North Road S(461429) |
| Number of units | 55 flats |
| Capacity | 141 persons |
| Operator | Good News Community Services |
| Â Site Office | Blk 429A Bedok North Road #04-393 S(461429) |
| Â Office Hours | 8:30am to 6:00pm (Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri) 8:30am to 9:00pm (Wed) |
Source: HDB
Here is how this block looks like:
Here is where the block is located.
In addition, the nearest Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station from this block is Bedok Reservoir MRT Station (DT30) which is about 0.9km or a little under 13 minutes walk away.
Bedok MRT Station (EW5) is also relatively accessible as it is about 1km or about 13 minutes walk away.
999A Buangkok Crescent
If you think the East side is not the best side, you can opt for the other JSS-OR pilot location at Blk 999A Buangkok Crescent:
| Location | Blk 999A Buangkok Crescent S(532999) |
| Number of units | 54 flats |
| Capacity | 135 persons |
| Operator | Good News Community Services |
| Site Office | Blk 999A Buangkok Crescent #11-773 S(531999) |
| Office Hours | 8:30am to 6:00pm (Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri)8:30am to 9:00pm (Wed) |
Source: HDB
Here is how this block looks like:
Here is where the block is located:
In terms of accessibility, the Buangkok location lags behind the Bedok North location as the nearest MRT is Buangkok MRT Station (NE15) which is 2.2km or a 31-minute walk away.
Instead, you will have to take bus number 114 to Buangkok, which will take you around 22 minutes or so.
If these two locations don’t appeal to you, note that HDB will be calling for a tender in January 2022 at Bukit Batok for a third location under the pilot.
How to Apply For The Joint Singles Scheme Operator-Run (JSS-OR) Pilot
If you would like to apply for the JSS-OR pilot scheme, head on over to HDB’s website to do so.
