Floor Area as Factor to Determine Occupancy Cap for Rental of Private Residential Properties

Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin asked the Minister for National Development in respect of the occupancy cap for rental of private residential properties (a) what are the considerations for the cap of eight persons for each rented property; and (b) whether the Ministry can consider scaling the limit according to the property type and floor area to allow a higher but capped number of occupants for larger properties.

Private residential properties are subject to an occupancy cap of six unrelated persons. This is to prevent the property from having too many tenants, which will cause disamenities to other residents in the neighbourhood.

From 22 January 2024 till 31 December 2026, the Urban Redevelopment Authority has relaxed the occupancy cap for larger properties of at least 90 square per metre, to allow up to eight unrelated persons. This temporary relaxation was introduced to meet robust rental demand while maintaining the amenity of residential neighbourhoods.

There are currently no plans to further increase the occupancy cap. While a property with larger floor area could physically accommodate more tenants, having too many tenants in one rental property will cause disamenities to other residents in the vicinity.