Singapore private residential rental trends by floor level for 2026: how rental transactions distributed across floor level categories during the year. Continuing equilibrium. Q1 2026 URA PPI rose 0.9% q-o-q (final). Budget 2026 (Feb) introduced one-off property tax rebate but no structural cooling-measure changes. Use the dataset to spot which segments led on volume and pricing (as of 2026-12).
Singapore’s URA REALIS caveat database publishes every private residential transaction with full detail: unit type, floor level, transacted size, price, and lease type. Slicing the year’s rental transactions by floor level surfaces patterns invisible from the headline price index, which aggregates across all unit types.
The macro backdrop for 2026: Continuing equilibrium. Q1 2026 URA PPI rose 0.9% q-o-q (final). Budget 2026 (Feb) introduced one-off property tax rebate but no structural cooling-measure changes. These macro forces shaped the floor-level distribution of activity in non-trivial ways — for example, in high-rate environments larger unit types see proportionally larger volume drops because the TDSR maths becomes constraining at higher absolute prices. Use the MAS SORA dashboard for the cycle context.
For trend analysis the canonical reading is year-over-year change in volume share by floor level category. If 4-bedroom share of total sales rose from 12% in 2023 to 16% in 2024, that signals upgrader demand for larger units strengthening despite higher rates. Conversely, if shoebox (≤500 sqft) sales fell from 18% to 10% over the same period, that signals investor demand compression under elevated ABSD plus SORA. Both readings inform buyer and seller strategy in subsequent years. The URA CCR/RCR/OCR segment definitions also matter when interpreting cross-segment movements.
- 21,446 rental leases in 2026, analysed by bedroom type as a floor-level proxy.
- Overall average rent was $5,272/mo.
- 2-Bedroom units were the most leased with 6,835 transactions.
Overview
This report examines 2026 rental trends with a focus on unit configuration and floor-level characteristics.
Rental by Bedroom Type (Floor Proxy)
| Bedroom | Leases | Avg Rent | Avg Rent PSF | Avg Size | YoY Rent Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | 2,580 | $7,023/mo | $4.44 | 1,822 | ↓ 1.4% |
| 1-Bedroom | 4,830 | $3,432/mo | $6.52 | 541 | ↑ 0.3% |
| 2-Bedroom | 6,835 | $4,404/mo | $5.28 | 859 | ↓ 0.0% |
| 3-Bedroom | 5,836 | $5,928/mo | $4.48 | 1,336 | ↓ 0.0% |
| 4-Bedroom | 1,298 | $9,892/mo | $4.84 | 2,019 | ↓ 0.7% |
| 5-Bedroom+ | 64 | $12,523/mo | $4.77 | 2,597 | ↓ 5.1% |
| 6-Bedroom+ | 3 | $9,277/mo | $3.57 | 2,483 | ↓ 50.1% |
Market Commentary
Rental pricing in 2026 correlates strongly with unit size. High-floor units typically command 5-15% rental premiums over low-floor counterparts.
Key Events
Editorial analysis for this section is being prepared.
Reading the 2026 Rental Trends by Floor Level data requires interpreting three layers: (a) volume share by floor level category, (b) median PSF or rent within each category, and (c) the year-over-year shift versus 2025.
Floor-level distribution for 2026 rental transactions commonly breaks into: low floor (1st–5th) at 25–30%; mid floor (6th–15th) at 35–40% (most common); high floor (16th–30th) at 20–25%; premium high floor (30th+ floor) at 8–12% (skewed to D1/D9 high-rise stock). The mid-floor band dominates because most Singapore condos are 15–25 storeys total, making the 6th–15th range the largest inventory slice.
Premium-floor PSF typically commands 5–15% over equivalent low-floor units in the same project. The exception is ground-floor or 2nd-floor units with private outdoor space (terraces or PES) which sometimes command a small premium of their own. For investors, mid-floor units offer the best yield-to-PSF tradeoff — high enough for view and noise reduction, low enough to avoid the premium-floor markup. Use the price heatmap to compare district-level PSF concentration.
The macro-policy linkage matters when interpreting 2026 trends: Continuing equilibrium. Q1 2026 URA PPI rose 0.9% q-o-q (final). Budget 2026 (Feb) introduced one-off property tax rebate but no structural cooling-measure changes. The interplay of ABSD regime + SORA-rate environment + URA Property Price Index trajectory defines the cycle context within which any floor-level distribution should be read.
For rental-specific dynamics: rental volume responds to expatriate flow + corporate-relocation activity + HDB upgrade-cycle timing. The URA rental caveats portal tracks tenancy agreements lodged with SLA; reporting lag is 1–2 quarters for newly-signed leases. Use the buy-to-rent ROI calculator to test investor-side cash-flow scenarios at the relevant rate level.
The forward-looking application: identifying which floor categories are gaining or losing share in 2026 helps buyers choose where to enter (or sellers choose where to exit). Growing-share categories typically combine demographic tailwind + favourable cost-of-financing positioning; shrinking-share categories often signal demand suppression from policy + rates that may persist. Use the district comparison calculator for the locational lens on top of the floor lens.
[
{
"buyer_type": "First-time SC buyer",
"action": "Read the floor-level distribution to identify the dominant category in your target price range. Modal categories (2- and 3-bedroom; mid-floor) offer best resale liquidity. Use the affordability calculator to size your TDSR-compliant loan quantum at current rates."
},
{
"buyer_type": "HDB upgrader to private",
"action": "The 3-bedroom upgrader segment (1,100–1,400 sqft) typically dominates upgrade purchases. Compare median PSF and absolute prices in your target segment via the URA caveats portal before committing to a price band."
},
{
"buyer_type": "Investor (yield focus)",
"action": "Shoebox and 1-bedroom units historically delivered higher yields but face structural ABSD pressure since April 2023. Run the ROI calculator across multiple bedroom types at current rates to compare yield-adjusted returns."
},
{
"buyer_type": "Investor (capital appreciation focus)",
"action": "Larger family units (3- and 4-bedroom in CCR/RCR) historically outperform on absolute capital appreciation, though with higher absolute price risk. Cross-reference URA PPI trajectory with the floor-level data to identify outperforming categories."
},
{
"buyer_type": "Seller",
"action": "Benchmark your unit’s floor category against the year-over-year share trend. If your category is gaining share, you have pricing flexibility; if losing share, accept that days-on-market will be longer and price defensively."
}
]
- Pull the full 2026 rental caveats by floor level from the URA Property Data portal for the authoritative dataset.
- Cross-reference with the URA PPI quarterly for cycle context.
- Run your target purchase through the BSD/ABSD stamp duty calculator for upfront tax cost.
- Verify TDSR headroom via the TDSR/MSR affordability calculator.
- Compare floor-level PSF concentration visually via the price heatmap.
- For investor yield analysis, run the buy-to-rent ROI calculator at the current SORA-linked mortgage rate.
Bull case — segment-specific demand patterns will continue. Singapore’s structural drivers (population growth, HDB upgrader pipeline, finite land) anchor long-run demand for the dominant floor categories. The 3-bedroom upgrader and 2-bedroom first-time-buyer segments in particular tend to grow share through demographic cycles, supporting prices in those categories.
Bear case — the cooling-measure regime crowds out specific floor categories. Elevated ABSD plus high SORA particularly suppresses investor-skewed segments (shoebox sales, high-floor luxury, large-unit foreign-buyer-favoured stock). If the regime persists into multi-year horizons, certain floor categories may face structurally lower turnover, with knock-on effects for resale liquidity and price discovery.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does floor level affect rental prices?
High-floor units within the same development typically command 5-15% rental premiums driven by better views and reduced noise.
What was the average condo rent in 2026?
The weighted average rent was $5,272/mo in 2026.
How does SORA affect rental transaction patterns?
Higher SORA compresses qualifying loan quantum under TDSR; this disproportionately affects the larger absolute-price floor categories. A 100bp SORA move compresses qualifying loan quantum by approximately 8–10% at the TDSR ceiling. The MAS SORA dashboard tracks daily rates.
Which floor category offers the best value in 2026?
The honest answer depends on buyer profile. For first-time SC buyers, the modal category (2- and 3-bedroom mid-floor) offers best resale liquidity. For yield-focused investors, smaller units offer higher gross yields but face structural ABSD pressure. For capital-appreciation investors, larger family units in CCR/RCR have historically outperformed. Use the district comparison calculator for a per-district lens.
Where can I find official URA rental transaction data?
The Urban Redevelopment Authority publishes rental caveats via URA rental data portal with transaction-level detail including district, project, size, floor band, and transacted price. ShiokNest aggregates this data for trend analysis.
What does the 2026 rental pattern signal for 2027?
Forward indicators include: continuation or shift in the policy environment (will ABSD ease?), SORA trajectory (will rates ease further?), and the GLS supply pipeline (will new launches concentrate in particular floor categories?). No multi-quarter forecast is reliable; instead, set decision triggers (e.g. “buy if SORA below X%”) and act when conditions cross thresholds.
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Methodology & Sources
The dataset behind this report spans the specified calendar year; we refresh it annually.
Transaction data sourced from URA REALIS.
- Year-over-year (YoY) comparisons use the previous calendar year as baseline.
- Full transaction data sourced from URA REALIS.
Price-per-square-foot (PSF) here means the median deal in the period; means are reserved for volume-weighted aggregates explicitly labelled as such.