Black and white houses in Singapore: How to rent these pieces of history

If you’ve ever gone for a walk along the Southern Ridges, chances are, you might have noticed some bungalows with whitewashed walls along Preston Road, which is around 500m away from the Alexandra Arch. In Singapore, these bungalows are also widely known as black and white houses.

What are black and white houses?

Built between 1903 and 1941, black and white houses got their name from their signature whitewashed walls and dark timber beams. Other notable features include overhanging eaves to keep rainwater off the house, and verandahs to keep it airy.

The design was also said to be inspired by indigenous Malay houses, in which homes were propped up on stilts to allow air to circulate underneath the house, as well as prevent termites and damage from flash floods.

According to a National Heritage Board article, the black and white house design was attributed to architect Regent Alfred John Bidwell of Swan & Maclaren. This was due to his design of the W. Patchitt House at Cluny Road, the first-ever black and white house, in 1903.

This Cluny Road house, which is no longer standing today, started the black and white house trend. The well-heeled, including government officials, barristers and brokers, started buying up large plots of land and commissioned for houses to be built in such a style.

These days, there are approximately 500 black and white houses in Singapore. Most of them are now owned by the state and rented out.

Some are used as restaurants and bars, such as in Dempsey Hill, Rochester Park and Seletar Aerospace Park.

How to rent a black and white house in Singapore?

If you’re thinking of renting a black and white house, one way is to go for those rented out by SLA. Here’s a handy guide that will bring you through the process!

#1: Consider your options

Head over to SLA’s website, and check out the different properties which are available to rent. Some listings even come with layout plans attached, so look through these thoroughly before shortlisting a few options!

Take note that SLA rents these black and white houses through open bidding, and they’re highly sought after due to their scarcity. So be prepared to fork out a substantial amount for it.

It’s also why SLA recommends that individuals planning to rent these houses should at least have an average monthly income of three times the bid rent, or be assessed by SLA to have sound financial status.

To give you an idea of how high the rent is, let’s take a look at the bidding results for this black and white house with a land area of 34,923.51 sqft at 5 Pender Road.

Among the six bids received, four of them are at least $15,000, with the highest being $19,000.

#2: Make an appointment to view the black and white house

There's usually an open house date listed on each listing, so do call the managing agent and arrange for a viewing appointment before the bidding period. You can also request an alternative date if you can't make it for the open house date. To make the most out of your appointment, read our article on tenant tips for viewing properties to rent in Singapore!

#3: Apply to rent the black and white house

Once you've found the black and white house of your dreams, all that's left to do is send in your application.

Download the bidding form online and submit it together with all the supporting documents. These include payslips for the last three months, a copy of your NRIC or passport, and work pass for foreigners.

On top of these documents, there's also the bidding deposit to submit, which is equivalent to the bid rent per month. This will be returned to you if the bidding is unsuccessful.

Then sit back and keep your fingers crossed!

#4: Sign the tenancy agreement

If the bid is successful, SLA's agent will inform you by giving you a call and emailing you a Letter of Acceptance.

Within three working days of accepting the Letter of Acceptance, you'll have to sign the Tenancy Agreement, pay a security deposit (equivalent to three months of rent) and rental stamp duty, and submit a GIRO form for the monthly rental payment.

ALSO READ: Living in a contemporary mid-century black-and-white bungalow in Singapore

If you can't afford to rent a black and white house…

Renting a black and white house can get pretty pricey - there's no doubt about that. If you can't afford to rent one, you can always rent or purchase a condo which is styled in a way that's reminiscent of a colonial bungalow.

One such option is The Verandah Residences at Pasir Panjang. This freehold 170-unit low-rise project is decked out in a classic black and white design, and every unit within the development comes with an attached balcony.

This article was first published in 99.co.