in sg many landlords hire agents to run everything from finding tenants to partitioning rooms for more rental yields to repair of essentials like electrical outlets and plumbling. rate is about 5%. agents will do anything in their power (of attorney) to sextract the highest rent by turning a 699 sq ft apartment or condo into a shithole sleeping 6. conditions are appalling and filthy unless agent rents to an angmoh or jap family. however, rental yield from 6 individual tenants is typically higher than that from a small family, thus agent is incentivised to rent it out to multiple tenants by subdividing the rooms. i’ve walked into apartments and condos for viewing and am utterly not surprised to find tiongs, pinoys, banglas, cecas, jiuhukias, burmese, cumbodians, viets, siamese squeezed like lab rats in partitioned rooms. agents even suggest partitioning the living room to squeeze more mattresses (not beds). beds take up space while lightweight mattresses can be stacked upright against the wall.
in reality, a lot of housing in sg has becum shitholes with influx of cheap labor from surrounding region. in 2024, larger and older hdb flats, private apartments and condos over 90 sqm can house 8 without any family relations. more shitholes to be partitioned. don’t expect to see any living rooms nor dining rooms.