Which East Coast Condo Has The Best Rental Yield?

Throughout this series analysing the rental market in Singapore, we’ve taken a broad look at the different types of chart-topping properties, examining them in terms of unit type, age and tenure.

This week, we’ll narrow the lens to a single district, and District 15 turns out to be a useful test case for two assumptions that shape how a lot of East Coast buyers think about the rental market there.

There are some assumptions that guide our perception of rentability. For example, a sea-facing unit in Tanjong Rhu or along the East Coast waterfront usually costs more than an equivalent inland unit. But it is also usually able to rent at prices which rarely see the yield gap compressing. A freehold unit, on the other hand, usually costs a lot more than a similarly sized 99-year leasehold neighbour, and its rent rarely closes that gap.

To help provide consistency in our research, we kept the same eligibility rule as the rest of the article in this series: at least 10 registered rental contracts, at least five resale transactions, and a Temporary Occupation Permit (TOP) of at least 24 months, all within the same 12-month window.

Since URA rental records don’t disclose floor level, facing, renovation quality or furnishings, the figures we’ve cited here are a project-level average rather than the expected return on any specific unit.

District 15 covers East Coast, Marine Parade, Katong, Tanjong Rhu, Joo Chiat and Siglap, and the neighbourhoods there are among the most sought-after residential addresses in Singapore. The area combines waterfront living along East Coast Park, a park connector network that runs all the way to Gardens by the Bay, and the dining and retail strip through Marine Parade and Katong, with a city-fringe location that keeps the commute into the central business district short.