Sentosa Rents Soar

Source : TODAY, Thursday, July 3, 2008

Construction not putting tenants off

SENTOSA Cove is slowly, but surely, attracting high-end tenants with the completion of an estimated 300 homes, including the 200-unit The Berth by the Cove condominium.

Despite ugly construction sites dotting many parts of Sentosa, the first luxury condo units and landed properties have drawn rents comparable to, if not higher than those in prime districts on the mainland, including Nassim Park and Grange Residences.

Colliers International has just completed its first rental survey of Sentosa Cove and says two-bedroom condos are fetching an average $5,350 a month, or $4.61 per square foot (psf).

Larger, four-bedroom units have rented for an average $10,625, which also equates to $4.61psf. However, one rented for $12,250.

As for landed homes, terrace houses ranging in size from 2,600 to 3,600 square feet have let for an average $15,333, or $5.19psf, while the first luxury bungalows ranging in size from 2,530 to 4,983 sq ft have been let for an average $24,000. The highest rental to date is $30,000.

“This is encouraging, given that so much construction is going on,” said Tay Huey Ying, Colliers director of research and advisory. “When fully-developed, it should be even more appealing to potential tenants.”

The idea of developing the 117-hectare cove into a waterfront enclave was first mooted in the ’80s. However, the first land parcel was only sold to the private sector in end-2003. Five years on, temporary occupation permits have been granted to just the first five small developments completed, with Ho Bee Group’ 200-unit The Berth being by far the largest.

More is to come, with land already sold capable of accommodating over 2,000 condo units and 400 bungalows or terrace homes.

Colliers said investors who bought units in The Berth at the end of 2004 or early 2005 and have held onto them are today enjoying attractive net rental yields of 5.5 per cent. Purchase prices have since surged. As such, Colliers said those who entered the market later in 2007 now have to contend with lower yields averaging at 3.5 per cent.

Prices of non-landed homes have shot up from an initial launch price of $785 per sq ft in November 2004 for The Berth to current $2,800psf for Lippo Group’s The Marina Collection.