About 36 units will be made available by first half of this year.
RESPONSE to the open bidding for black-and-white bungalows and apartments has been so keen that Singapore Land Authority is offering more such state properties for rent this month.
Four bungalows and two semi-detached in Seletar, Sembawang and Lornie Road will be put up for bidding from next weekend. The rents start at $1,800 a month for the semi-detached and between $3,400 and $6,600 for the bungalows.
Bidders can submit their bids at SLA's office on Feb 18, after the open house on Feb 16.
This follows a successful launch in January, which saw 75 bids for five residential properties comprising two black-and-white bungalows and three apartments.
There was keen interest with over 200 prospective tenants attending the open house at Clemenceau Ave North, Hyderabad Road, and Dover Road, said SLA in a statement on Tuesday.
The winning bids ranged between $1,856 per month for an apartment at Clemenceau Avenue North, with a built-in floor area of about 53 sqm, and $20,258 per month, for a bungalow at Hyderabad with a built-in floor area of 369 sqm.
'SLA has received positive response to the open bidding. The open bidding system enhances transparency compared to the previous 'first-come-first-serve' under a waiting list or balloting system,' said the land authority. 'The public has access to a wide choice of properties and the process is also more efficient.'
SLA currently manages about 2,360 residential state properties and will make progressively place those with available tenancies for at least two years on the opening bidding system.
It plans to put up eight more properties for rent in March and about 36 units in total by the first half of this year.
Said SLA's Deputy Director of Land Lease Private, Mr Teo Cher Hian: 'The keen response to the launch of the open bidding system for residential State properties shows that the rental market for residential properties is still buoyant. This is evident even for the smaller apartments, which are very popular with singles and those with small families.'
The appeal of living in a heritage black-and-white building is shared by many. Lush greenery, unique and heritage architectural designs and most of all, the ideal location near many public amenities, were often cited as reasons for their penchant for heritage State buildings.
For 47-year-old Mr Quah Jin Kok, it appeared to be an obvious choice. A second-time bidder, he liked the new system as it allowed him to bid for the next available apartment if he was not successful in the previous round.
'When I first saw a picture of the apartment, I was attracted to its simple structure and its peaceful environment. It is in a building built in the early 60s. I like its resemblance to an old colonial building with old style windows,' said Mr Quah, a business analyst, who is renting a third -storey apartment at Clemenceau Ave North, after an unsuccessful bid for another on the eighth floor. He put in the top bid of $2,500 per month for a two-year tenancy.
Previously, Mr Quah was renting a HDB flat at Waterloo Street. 'Most of the State properties that I am aware of are old but well-preserved.'
Besides Mr Quah, another first-time bidder Ms Norfalizah Bte Sowtali also managed to get the apartment she wanted. Ms Norfalizah, 29, a personal trainer, was looking for a place near her workplace at Novena, and which has public amenities nearby such as a MRT station and a food centre. The unit at Clemenceau North hence suited her needs.
The results of the bidding showing the top five bids will be published on SLA's State Property Information Online (SPIO) website at www.spio.sla.gov.sg within hours of the close of bidding.
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