Tanjong Ria Condominium
Overview & Key Facts
Tanjong Ria Condominium occupies a waterfront site along Tanjong Rhu Road in District 15 — a quiet residential enclave nestled between the Kallang Basin, the Singapore Sports Hub, and the Geylang River mouth. Developed by Kingswood Development Pte Ltd, a subsidiary of Hong Leong Holdings, and completed in 1997, it comprises 168 units across a low-density site that has aged with the understated solidity typical of Hong Leong projects from that era.
The Tanjong Rhu enclave is one of Singapore’s more unusual residential pockets. Bordered by water on two sides and the Sports Hub precinct to the south, it feels disconnected from the bustle of Geylang and Katong despite technically sitting within D15’s boundaries. The area has historically attracted residents who value quiet waterfront living over urban convenience — a trade-off that defines the Tanjong Ria experience. With the Thomson-East Coast Line’s Tanjong Rhu station now operational just 460 metres away, that equation has shifted meaningfully in the development’s favour.
At 168 units, Tanjong Ria sits comfortably in the boutique-to-mid-size range. The development predates the era of sky gardens and infinity pools — its appeal lies in generous unit proportions, reservoir-facing views from upper floors, and the kind of low-key residential character that Hong Leong’s 1990s projects were known for. The 99-year lease commenced in 1993, leaving approximately 66 years remaining as of 2026 — a figure that demands careful consideration given the approaching 60-year financing threshold.
Location & Connectivity
The single biggest change to Tanjong Ria’s location proposition in its 28-year history is the Thomson-East Coast Line Tanjong Rhu MRT station, situated approximately 460 metres from the development. For a condo that spent decades as “nice but MRT-inaccessible,” this is transformative. The TEL connects directly to Orchard, Marina Bay, and the future cross-island network, giving residents a rail option that simply did not exist before. Stadium MRT on the Circle Line is also within 700 metres, providing a second rail connection.
For drivers, Tanjong Rhu Road feeds into the East Coast Parkway and Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway without difficulty. The CBD is roughly 10 minutes by car in off-peak conditions — one of the genuine advantages of the Kallang Basin position. Marina Bay Sands, Gardens by the Bay, and the Sports Hub are all within a short drive or even a pleasant walk along the waterfront.
The honest weakness is daily walkable amenities. Tanjong Rhu is a residential enclave, not a town centre. The nearest significant retail is at Kallang Wave Mall within the Sports Hub complex, or further afield at Katong and Paya Lebar. There is no hawker centre, wet market, or neighbourhood supermarket within comfortable walking distance. Residents who do not drive will find daily errands require a bus or MRT trip — the walkability score of 40/100 accurately reflects this reality.
Schools are another gap. There are no primary or secondary schools within 1 km of the development, with the nearest options approximately 1.66 km away. For families with school-age children, this is a material consideration for P1 registration balloting and daily logistics.
Schools & Education
| School | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| One World International School (Mountbatten) | international | ~1.7 km |
| St. Andrew's Junior School | primary | ~1.9 km |
| St. Andrew's Secondary School | secondary | ~2.0 km |
| St. Andrew's Junior College | jc | ~2.0 km |
Facilities
Tanjong Ria Condominium’s facilities reflect its 1997 vintage and 168-unit scale. The development offers a swimming pool, wading pool, tennis court, BBQ area, playground, and a function room — a standard roster for a Hong Leong project of that era. There is no gymnasium, no clubhouse in the modern sense, and none of the lifestyle amenities (rooftop decks, co-working spaces, yoga studios) that post-2010 developments take for granted.
What it does offer is space. At 168 units, the facilities-to-resident ratio is considerably more favourable than the mega-developments that dominate new launch marketing. The pool is rarely overcrowded, the tennis court is bookable without weeks of waiting, and the BBQ areas are genuinely usable on weekends — small advantages that compound over years of daily living. The grounds are mature and well-maintained, with established trees that give the compound a settled, leafy character absent from newer developments.
Buyers expecting resort-grade amenities will be disappointed. But for residents who prefer low maintenance fees and actually usable (rather than Instagram-ready) common areas, the trade-off is rational. The maintenance fees reflect the modest facilities roster — significantly lower than comparable-sized newer developments in D15 that must fund elaborate but underused amenity decks.
Unit Sizes & Layout
Units at Tanjong Ria benefit from the generous proportions typical of 1990s developments. Floor plates are larger than what contemporary launches deliver at equivalent bedroom counts, with layouts that prioritise functional living space over architectural flourish. The absence of the now-ubiquitous balcony mandate (pre-URA guidelines) means more usable indoor area per square foot of quoted space.
The premium stacks face the Kallang Basin and Tanjong Rhu reservoir, offering water views that are genuinely distinctive for a D15 address. Upper-floor units on these stacks enjoy sweeping sightlines toward the city skyline, Marina Bay, and the Sports Hub — views that improve with height and are unlikely to be blocked given the waterfront orientation. Internal-facing and road-facing units are more prosaic but correspondingly more affordable.
Interior finishings are dated by contemporary standards. Most resale units will have been renovated at least once since TOP, but buyers should budget for modernisation of bathrooms, kitchen fittings, and flooring. The solid construction quality typical of Hong Leong projects means the bones are sound — it is the surface layer that shows its age.
| Bedrooms | Transactions | Avg PSF | Avg Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 BR | 7 | $1,492 | $936,286 |
| 2 BR | 11 | $1,474 | $1,257,091 |
| 3 BR | 12 | $1,483 | $1,806,741 |
| 4 BR | 12 | $1,421 | $1,975,000 |
Pricing & Market Position
Based on 42 recorded transactions, sale prices range from $828,000 to $2,400,000, averaging $1,565,783 (~$1,643 psf).
Rents range from $1,700 to $6,600 per month across 214 rental transactions. Current rental yield sits at approximately 2.9%.
Price Appreciation
From 2021 to 2026, the average PSF has appreciated by 32.9% (from $1,231 to $1,636 psf).
Neighbourhood Comparison
The competitive landscape in D15 has shifted dramatically with the wave of new launches along the East Coast corridor. Grand Dunman ($2,537 PSF) offers a fresh 99-year lease, MRT adjacency at Dakota, and full-scale modern amenities — but at a 60% PSF premium that translates to hundreds of thousands more in absolute quantum. Emerald of Katong ($2,640 PSF) and Tembusu Grand ($2,461 PSF) present similarly stark premium-versus-lease trade-offs.
Within the Tanjong Rhu enclave itself, Tanjong Ria competes with the larger Pebble Bay (also a 1990s Hong Leong development, 510 units, similar lease vintage) and the newer, freehold-tenure options further along the waterfront. The key differentiator is price: at $1,584 PSF and an average transaction of $1.58M, Tanjong Ria offers a D15 waterfront address at a quantum that the new launches simply cannot touch. The question is whether that price advantage sufficiently compensates for the lease erosion that will accelerate over the next decade.
For buyers weighing Tanjong Ria against older D15 resale options with longer leases, the math is straightforward: every year of remaining lease matters more as you approach financing thresholds. A comparable D15 condo with 75+ years remaining will command a premium — but that premium buys real optionality in terms of CPF usage, loan eligibility, and resale buyer pool size. Tanjong Ria’s advantage lies in its specific location attributes — waterfront, TEL MRT, enclave quiet — that are not easily replicated at any price point.
| Development | Tenure | TOP | Units | ~Avg PSF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TANJONG RIA CONDOMINIUM | 99 yrs lease commencing from 1993 | 1997 | 168 | $1,643 |
| GRAND DUNMAN | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2022 | 2023 | 1,008 | $2,537 |
| EMERALD OF KATONG | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2023 | 2024 | 846 | $2,640 |
| THE CONTINUUM | Freehold | 2023 | 816 | $2,790 |
| TEMBUSU GRAND | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2022 | 2023 | 638 | $2,462 |
| AMBER PARK | Freehold | 2021 | 592 | $2,544 |
Lease Decay Analysis
The 99-year lease runs from 1993, meaning approximately 33 years have already been consumed. Roughly 66 years remain — still comfortably within the range where most banks will offer full financing without restrictions.
| Year | Lease remaining | Implication |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (now) | ~66 years | Full bank financing available |
| 2032 | ~59 years | Approaching 60-year threshold — CPF limits begin for some |
| 2052 | ~39 years | Significant financing restrictions for next buyer |
| 2092 | Expiry | Lease reverts to state |
For a buyer purchasing today with a 10-year horizon (exit around 2036), the lease situation is essentially a non-issue — you’d be selling a property with ~56 years remaining, which is still very bankable. The risk profile changes for longer holds.
ShiokNest Scores
Our proprietary scoring system evaluates TANJONG RIA CONDOMINIUM across multiple dimensions.
What Residents Say
“Very peaceful and quiet area. The reservoir views from upper floors are stunning, especially at sunset. It feels like you’re living by the water without paying waterfront condo prices.”
— Resident review via EdgeProp
“The new TEL MRT has made a huge difference. Before that, getting around without a car was genuinely difficult. Now we walk to Tanjong Rhu station in 5 minutes.”
— Owner feedback via PropertyGuru
“The facilities are basic compared to newer condos, but at 168 units you actually get to use them. The pool is never crowded. Main downside is the lack of shops and food nearby — you need to drive or take the MRT for almost everything.”
— Resident review via 99.co
The recurring theme across resident feedback is appreciation for the quiet, waterfront setting and the TEL MRT’s transformative impact on connectivity, balanced against frustration with the lack of walkable amenities. Long-term residents tend to be car-owning households who chose Tanjong Rhu for its enclave character and have adapted to the area’s self-contained lifestyle. The development’s management and upkeep receive generally positive marks, consistent with Hong Leong’s reputation for well-maintained older estates. The lease situation is a growing topic of discussion among owners, particularly those considering whether to hold or sell in the coming years.
Strengths & Weaknesses
- TEL Tanjong Rhu MRT just 460m away — transformative for a formerly MRT-distant enclave
- Kallang Basin waterfront views from premium stacks — structurally protected by water body
- Significant PSF discount vs D15 new launches (37–42% below Grand Dunman, Emerald of Katong)
- Low-density 168 units — uncrowded facilities and quiet residential character
- Hong Leong construction quality — solid bones despite dated finishings
- Stadium MRT (Circle Line) also within 700m — dual rail access
- Proximity to Sports Hub, Gardens by the Bay, and Marina Barrage for lifestyle
- Park connector network access for waterfront running and cycling
- Mature, well-maintained compound with established landscaping
- Healthy rental demand supported by Kallang Basin and CBD proximity
- 66-year remaining lease — crosses critical 60-year threshold in ~6 years
- Low walkability (40/100) — no shops, hawker centres, or supermarkets nearby
- No primary or secondary schools within 1 km (nearest 1.66 km)
- Facilities are basic by modern standards — no gym, no clubhouse amenities
- Interior finishings dated — renovation budget required for most units
- PSF trend plateauing/declining ($1,596 → $1,573) as lease erosion accelerates
- Modest 2.94% gross yield — below D15 average for newer developments
- Sports Hub event days bring traffic and crowd congestion to Tanjong Rhu Road
- Limited daily convenience — car or MRT trip required for most errands
Verdict
Tanjong Ria Condominium presents a nuanced value proposition that hinges almost entirely on how you weigh two factors: the TEL MRT access that has fundamentally improved the location, and the 66-year remaining lease that increasingly constrains the financial outlook. At an average PSF of $1,584, it sits well below the D15 new-launch corridor where Grand Dunman ($2,537 PSF), Emerald of Katong ($2,640 PSF), and Tembusu Grand ($2,461 PSF) command 55–67% premiums. That gap reflects the lease differential — and fairly so.
The critical timeline is the 60-year lease threshold, which Tanjong Ria will cross in approximately 6 years. Below 60 years, CPF usage restrictions tighten, loan-to-value ratios compress, and the pool of eligible buyers narrows. For owner-occupiers planning a long stay (10+ years), this is not necessarily disqualifying — but it fundamentally changes the exit calculus. Buyers must be comfortable with the possibility of reduced resale liquidity and a smaller buyer pool when they eventually sell.
The PSF trend tells its own story: $1,338 → $1,470 → $1,564 → $1,596 → $1,573. Prices have plateaued and show early signs of decline, consistent with what typically happens as leasehold properties approach financing thresholds. The 2.94% gross yield is modest but reflects the lower PSF entry point and steady rental demand in the Kallang Basin area, supported by proximity to the Sports Hub and CBD.
For the right buyer — someone who values waterfront living, wants TEL MRT access, and is buying primarily for own-stay with a 5–8 year horizon — Tanjong Ria offers a lifestyle that newer, pricier D15 launches cannot match at this quantum. For investors or anyone thinking about a 15+ year hold-and-sell, the lease arithmetic is uncomfortable and the numbers favour redirecting capital toward developments with longer remaining tenure.