In Singapore, more landlords seek tenants who don’t work from home: ‘like being invaded’
- It is especially common for single-room rentals, as landlords want to avoid the hassle of splitting the utility bill, especially if tenants are home all day
- Privacy is another concern, as landlords learned during the height of the Covid-19 restrictions in late 2020 when people were told to stay home
Until one comes to this line: “Prefer tenant who does not work from home (WFH)”.
A quick scan of rental room advertisements on Carousell and PropertyGuru revealed that this requirement is not unique – quite a number of rooms available for lease specify that the landlord would prefer tenants who do not work from home.
Two property agents said they have received more of such stipulations from landlords in recent months.
It is especially common for single-room rentals, as landlords apparently do not want to go through the hassle of splitting the utility bill, especially if tenants are home all day.
Another reason landlords would prefer tenants not to work from home is the issue of privacy, said Jeanette Goh, a property agent who listed a single common room for rent in the west of Singapore.