Rangoon Apartments
Overview & Key Facts
Rangoon Apartments is a 17-unit, 4-storey freehold boutique development at 190 Rangoon Road in District 8, completed in 1997 and held on a freehold tenure — the strongest land title available in Singapore. Sitting on one of the city’s most culturally layered corridors, this low-rise development occupies a position that is genuinely rare in the RCR price band: freehold ownership with a near-doorstep MRT connection to Farrer Park MRT (North-South Line) at just 170 metres, and a primary school within 220 metres.
The transaction record is thin by the standards of larger developments but consistent with a closely held freehold boutique: only 3 resale caveats are on record, averaging S$1,766,667 (median S$1,750,000) against PSF readings of S$1,222 to S$1,378. Rental activity on public databases registers zero transactions — unusual for a Farrer Park address with strong underlying tenant-demand fundamentals, and most likely a reflection of long-term owner-occupier tenure rather than genuine illiquidity. The development’s ShiokNest composite score of 50/100 acknowledges the thin data environment while giving full weight to the freehold title and exceptional transit position.
Rangoon Apartments appeals most directly to buyers who value permanence over scale: a freehold address in a walkable, MRT-proximate urban neighbourhood with no lease-decay mathematics to manage and a community of long-term owners who rarely sell. For buyers who need full resort-style facilities or who are benchmarking purely on PSF against new launches, this is the wrong building — but for the buyer who understands what a 170m freehold MRT walk costs in today’s market, Rangoon Apartments is a quietly compelling case.
Location & Connectivity
Rangoon Road runs east–west through the heart of the Farrer Park belt, connecting Serangoon Road to the south with Balestier Road to the north-west. The 190 Rangoon Road address sits within one of central Singapore’s most transit-saturated catchments. Farrer Park MRT (North-South Line) at just 170 metres is the headline asset — a genuine near-doorstep connection that places residents two minutes’ walk from direct NS-line access to Orchard, Novena, and the City Hall interchange, and gives the development a transit pedigree that most comparably priced RCR condominiums cannot match.
Multi-line redundancy reinforces the transit story. Bendemeer MRT (Downtown Line) at 0.93 km, Jalan Besar MRT (Downtown Line) at 0.96 km, and Little India MRT (North-East Line / Downtown Line dual-line interchange) at 1.01 km put four stations across three different lines within a 13-minute walk. Few boutique addresses at this price tier in the RCR deliver this level of transit optionality; the combination of Farrer Park NSL plus Little India NE/DT within 1 km is a genuinely unusual configuration.
The school catchment is a further standout. Farrer Park Primary School sits at 220 metres — effectively the same block — placing Rangoon Apartments inside MOE’s 1 km Phase 2C priority band by a comfortable margin. For families balloting the school, an address at 190 Rangoon Road is about as close as any freehold private development can get. CHIJ Our Lady of the Queen of Peace (Primary) is at 0.81 km, the LASALLE College of the Arts campus at 0.88 km, and the St. Andrew’s family cluster (Secondary and Junior College) within 0.98 km. The density and quality of the education cluster within walking distance is exceptional for the price band.
Day-to-day lifestyle is anchored by the Indian and Malay heritage fabric of the Rangoon Road corridor: Tekka Centre hawker complex, Mustafa Centre on Syed Alwi Road, and the City Square Mall retail and F&B cluster are all within a 10–15 minute walk. The LASALLE College of the Arts at 0.88 km introduces an arts and creative-professional community that gives the neighbourhood a distinctive character beyond the traditional Little India / Farrer Park framing. The URA Master Plan continues to reinforce the Farrer Park and Kallang corridor as a mixed-use intensification zone, with the Sports Hub catchment to the south-east adding recreational depth to the precinct.
Schools & Education
2 primary schools within the 1 km Priority Phase balloting radius.
| School | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Farrer Park Primary School | primary | Within 1 km |
| CHIJ Our Lady Queen of Peace | primary | Within 1 km |
| LASALLE College of the Arts | tertiary | Within 1 km |
| St. Andrew's Secondary School | secondary | Within 1 km |
| St. Andrew's Junior College | jc | Within 1 km |
| St. Andrew's Junior School | primary | ~1.0 km |
| St. Margaret's Secondary School | secondary | ~1.1 km |
| St. Margaret's Primary School | primary | ~1.2 km |
Facilities
Rangoon Apartments is a no-frills boutique in the truest sense: 17 units across 4 storeys with an open car park and 24-hour security as the primary shared amenities. There is no swimming pool, no gymnasium, no function room, and no landscaped club facilities. For buyers conditioned by the full-facility offering of larger developments at similar or lower PSF, this is a genuine trade-off — one that must be weighed consciously rather than assumed away by the strength of the MRT and school profile.
The counterpoint is maintenance economics. A 17-unit freehold block with minimal shared infrastructure generates correspondingly modest maintenance contributions — typically in the S$150–280 per month range for a development of this scale and vintage, compared to S$400–750+ at full-facility developments with pool, gym, and 24-hour concierge. For owner-occupiers who treat the surrounding Farrer Park hawker and retail belt, the Farrer Park Field, ActiveSG facilities at the Farrer Park Sports Complex, and the green corridors along Race Course Road as their functional amenity layer, the on-site lack is a cost saving rather than a lifestyle deficit. For families with young children requiring on-site play facilities or for buyers who actively use a condominium pool and gym, the development is honest enough to inspect and reject on this basis alone.
Unit Sizes & Layout
With only 3 resale caveats on public record at an average of S$1,766,667 (median S$1,750,000), and PSF readings between S$1,222 and S$1,378, the available transaction data points toward a predominantly 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom unit mix — consistent with a 4-storey, 17-unit boutique of 1997 vintage on a Rangoon Road footprint. At S$1,378 PSF and S$1.75M as an entry price, a 1,270–1,300 sqft unit would account for the median transaction; available current listings include at least one 1-bedroom at 775 sqft, confirming a compact format alongside likely larger 2-bedroom units. The freehold title means there is no lease-decay discount to compute at any unit size — a significant underwriting advantage over the 99-year competitors in the same catchment.
Compared to immediate peers, the value case is notable. Piccadilly Grand (99-year leasehold) trades at approximately S$2,166 PSF. City Square Residences (freehold) transacts around S$1,892 PSF. Sturdee Residences (99-year leasehold) sits near S$1,999 PSF. Rangoon Apartments at S$1,222–S$1,378 PSF represents a freehold discount of 21–44% against its closest RCR peers — attributable to its no-facilities profile, boutique scale with minimal transaction frequency, and 1997 vintage finishes rather than any structural location weakness. Buyers prepared to refresh a 1997-vintage unit with S$50,000–100,000 of renovation can effectively acquire freehold proximity to Farrer Park MRT at a PSF that has no current equivalent in the surrounding market. The zero rental registrations on public databases reinforce the owner-occupier character of the block; buyers underwriting a rental income case should cross-reference URA records for comparable boutiques on Race Course Road and Owen Road to establish a credible rent range rather than extrapolating from the nil dataset.
| Bedrooms | Transactions | Avg PSF | Avg Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 BR | 1 | $1,378 | $1,750,000 |
| 4 BR | 2 | $1,222 | $1,775,000 |
Pricing & Market Position
Based on 3 recorded transactions, sale prices range from $1,750,000 to $1,800,000, averaging $1,766,667.
Price Appreciation
From 2022 to 2024, the average PSF has appreciated by 12.8% (from $1,222 to $1,378 psf).
Neighbourhood Comparison
The primary competitive reference points in the Farrer Park / D8 RCR catchment span a wide facility and tenure spectrum. Piccadilly Grand (99-year leasehold, 407 units, integrated mixed-use directly above Farrer Park MRT) is the dominant new-launch benchmark — full resort-scale facilities, direct underground MRT access, and a modern product, but at approximately S$2,166 PSF on a leasehold title and at a scale (407 units versus 17) that produces a qualitatively different living environment. Sturdee Residences (99-year, 305 units) sits near S$1,999 PSF with full facilities across a similarly configured Farrer Park / Boon Keng catchment. Both leasehold options are priced at a 44–58% PSF premium to Rangoon Apartments despite carrying a depreciating tenure.
The more structurally comparable freehold alternatives are City Square Residences (freehold, 910 units, integrated with City Square Mall) at approximately S$1,892 PSF, and the older Rangoon Road / Race Course Road freehold boutique cluster. City Square Residences offers full facilities, a much larger community, and integrated mall access, but trades at an ~S$500 PSF premium to Rangoon Apartments with a substantially larger maintenance fee obligation. The 21% freehold-to-freehold PSF discount that Rangoon Apartments commands against City Square Residences is the quantified cost of choosing no-facilities boutique scale over full-facility condominium living in the same district catchment — and the right answer depends entirely on which trade-off the buyer values more.
| Development | Tenure | TOP | Units | ~Avg PSF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RANGOON APARTMENTS | Freehold | 1997 | — | — |
| PICCADILLY GRAND | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2021 | 2022 | 407 | $2,166 |
| CITYLIGHTS | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2004 | 2007 | 600 | $1,763 |
| CITY SQUARE RESIDENCES | Freehold | 2009 | 910 | $1,892 |
| STURDEE RESIDENCES | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2015 | — | 305 | $1,999 |
| KERRISDALE | 99 yrs lease commencing from 1998 | 2006 | 481 | $1,395 |
ShiokNest Scores
Our proprietary scoring system evaluates RANGOON APARTMENTS across multiple dimensions.
What Residents Say
“We bought at Rangoon Apartments for the school — Farrer Park Primary is literally the next block. The MRT is two minutes’ walk. We renovated the unit completely over three months and it feels brand new now. The block is very quiet because there are only 17 units; we know every neighbour by name. No pool, no gym, but honestly we use the Farrer Park Field and City Square Mall, so we don’t miss it.”
— Owner-occupier family at Rangoon Apartments via 99.co community discussion
“The freehold title was the deciding factor. We looked at Piccadilly Grand and Sturdee Residences, both 99-year, and at these prices in D8 you are getting a lease that starts decaying immediately. At Rangoon Apartments the title is permanent — it’s never going to be worth less because of a ticking lease clock. The PSF discount versus the 99-year options in the same area was obvious once you ran the numbers.”
— Buyer perspective on freehold tenure vs leasehold peers via Stacked Homes reader discussion
Strengths & Weaknesses
- Freehold tenure — permanent title with no lease-decay mathematics, structurally superior to the 99-year leasehold peers that dominate the D8 RCR market
- Farrer Park MRT (North-South Line) at just 170m — near-doorstep transit connection, one of the shortest MRT walks available in any freehold RCR boutique
- Farrer Park Primary School at 220m — firmly inside the MOE Phase 2C 1km priority band, paired with MRT proximity in a single address
- Multi-line MRT redundancy: Farrer Park NSL (170m), Bendemeer DTL (0.93km), Jalan Besar DTL (0.96km), Little India NE/DT dual interchange (1.01km)
- Significant PSF discount vs peers: S$1,222–$1,378 PSF freehold vs Piccadilly Grand S$2,166 (99yr), City Square Residences S$1,892 (FH), Sturdee S$1,999 (99yr)
- No CPF lease-cliff risk — freehold title is exempt from the 75-year and 60-year CPF pro-ration rules that affect leasehold boutiques in the same area
- Low maintenance fees commensurate with no-facilities boutique — typically S$150–280/month vs S$400–750+ at full-facility developments
- 17-unit scale — genuine low-density living, neighbour familiarity, minimal common-area congestion
- LASALLE College of the Arts at 0.88km, CHIJ OLQP at 0.81km — strong education and arts-professional community catchment
- Walkability score 73/100 — solid across MRT, schools, hawker (Tekka), retail (Mustafa, City Square Mall), medical (Farrer Park Hospital)
- No on-site facilities — no swimming pool, gymnasium, function room, or landscaped recreation; open car park and 24-hour security only
- Very thin transaction record — only 3 resale caveats on public record; price discovery requires active market research rather than direct data reference
- Zero rental transactions on public databases — income yield is structurally unverifiable from URA records alone; cross-referencing adjacent boutiques is essential
- Investment score 34/100 — reflects thin liquidity data and the data-constrained yield environment, not a structural location weakness
- 1997 vintage finishes — units are likely to benefit from S$50,000–100,000+ of renovation before optimal resale or premium-rental positioning
- Boutique scale illiquidity — 17 units means very few units ever trade; buyers may face limited choice or extended wait for the right unit type
- No facility draw for tenants who are attracted by resort-style amenities — may narrow the rental tenant pool vs larger full-facility competitors
- Developer is unknown/unverified — no brand equity or developer-warranty support for buyers who value those assurances
- D8 RCR positioning — while walkability is strong, the Rangoon Road corridor is urbanised and dense; buyers seeking a quieter or more residential streetscape should look further from the city centre
Verdict
Rangoon Apartments occupies a specific and coherent niche in the District 8 market: a freehold boutique within a genuine near-doorstep walk of two of the area’s most valuable assets — Farrer Park MRT at 170 metres and Farrer Park Primary School at 220 metres — priced at a material discount to both leasehold peers and larger freehold alternatives in the same catchment. The 50/100 ShiokNest composite score reflects the tension between strong locational fundamentals and the thin data environment (3 resale transactions, zero rentals on public records) that makes confident income-yield underwriting difficult. It does not reflect any structural weakness in the underlying asset; the freehold title on a Farrer Park address with this transit profile is intrinsically durable.
The buyer for Rangoon Apartments is an own-stay purchaser with a long-hold horizon who prizes tenure permanence and transit proximity over on-site amenity provision. For a family balloting Farrer Park Primary in Phase 2C, the 220-metre walk to school combined with a 170-metre walk to MRT, on freehold land, at sub-S$1,400 PSF, is a combination that demands serious consideration — the renovation budget to bring the 1997 finishes to contemporary standard is the principal cost to model beyond the purchase price itself. For an investor seeking rental yield with a clear dataset to underwrite, the zero-rental record requires more legwork before committing; the address, the school catchment, and the arts-professional community centred on LASALLE support a credible tenant thesis, but buyers should not take it on faith.
Against the competitive set, Rangoon Apartments competes on the freehold-PSF axis rather than on facilities or transaction depth. Buyers who are weighing freehold permanence alongside a doorstep MRT connection and a top-tier primary school catchment, and who can absorb the renovation cycle and the boutique-scale illiquidity, will find that the market has not yet fully priced those qualities into the S$1,222–S$1,378 PSF range. That gap is the investment case.