Status and Terms of Tenancy Renewal and Agreements for 26 and 31 Ridout Road
Ministry of LawSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns the renewal status and terms of tenancy agreements for 26 and 31 Ridout Road, as raised by Mr Leong Mun Wai regarding 2024 rental rates. Second Minister for Law Edwin Tong Chun Fai clarified that the Singapore Land Authority renewed the tenancy for 26 Ridout Road, occupied by Minister K Shanmugam, for a third three-year term in June 2024. The new rental rate was increased based on professional market valuations and remains consistent with other heritage bungalow renewals in the estate from late 2023 to mid-2024. Regarding 31 Ridout Road, occupied by Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, the Minister noted that the current second three-year term is still ongoing and has yet to be completed. These specific details were disclosed due to public interest, although the Singapore Land Authority typically treats residential tenancy renewals as private information according to prevailing guidelines.
Transcript
17 Mr Leong Mun Wai asked the Minister for Law (a) whether the Singapore Land Authority has renewed the tenancy agreements for 26 and 31 Ridout Road in 2024; and (b) if so, what are the terms of the renewal and how do the rental rates compare with other black-and-white bungalow rental transactions in the Ridout Road estate in 2024.
Mr Edwin Tong Chun Fai (The Second Minister for Law): The Singapore Land Authority (SLA) does not typically make public information on the renewal of tenancies for specific residential State properties. Most tenants will consider this private information. Nonetheless, given that 26 Ridout Road and 31 Ridout Road are currently occupied by Minister K Shanmugam and Minister Vivian Balakrishnan respectively and there has been public interest in the matter, relevant information on the renewal of the tenancies of the two properties are set out below.
The house on 26 Ridout Road is subject to a Tenancy Agreement of 3+3+3 years commencing in June 20181. In line with SLA's prevailing guidelines, the tenancy was renewed for a third three-year term commencing in June 2024, with an increased rental that was assessed by SLA's professional valuers based on prevailing market rates. The renewal rental rate, on a per unit floor area basis, falls within the range for renewal transactions for other heritage bungalows in the Ridout Road estate from the third quarter of 2023 to the second quarter of 2024.
The house on 31 Ridout Road is subject to a Tenancy Agreement of 3+3+2 years commencing in October 20192. The second three-year term commenced in October 2022 and has yet to be completed.