Bed rents for workers’ dorms could grow 5% to 8% in 2025: Knight Frank

/ EdgeProp Singapore |

February 5, 2025 5:03 PM SGT

In 2024, the average islandwide rent for worker dormitories stood at $460 per bed per month (Picture: Albert Chua/The Edge Singapore)

Rents at worker dormitories have seen a surge in the past couple of years due to a lack of supply, according to a research report by Knight Frank Singapore and the Dormitory Association of Singapore Limited (DASL).

Based on the report, the average islandwide rent for a bed in a commercial dormitory shot up from a low of $270 per bed per month (pb pm) before the pandemic to $305 pb pm in 2H2022, as demand could not keep pace with existing availability.

Subsequently, the average rent spiked 36% to $415 pb pm in 2H2023. In 2024, the average rent stood at $460 pb pm, representing a 10.8% gain y-o-y, the report states.

The report by Knight Franks and DALS is the first of a new series of half-yearly research coverage on worker dormitories, which are premises used to house migrant workers in the construction, marine shipyard and process (CMP) sectors.

Data used for the report were sourced from dormitory operators and other publicly available sources. The report focuses on Class 4 worker dormitories, which refer to dormitories that can accommodate 1,000 more residents. Of the 439,198 beds available across 1,441 dormitories in Singapore as of December 2024, over 60% fall under Class 4.

Near-full occupancy

The surge in rents comes in tandem with a recovery in occupancy rates following the relaxation of global border restrictions that came into effect at the onset of the pandemic. Based on a basket of Class 4 purpose-build dormitories aggregated by DASL, the islandwide average occupancy rate fell to a low of 73.7% in 2H2020 at the height of the pandemic before tentatively recovering to 79.1% in 2H2021.

However, the easing of border controls, coupled with nationwide vaccine programmes, led to a strong rebound in 2022, with islandwide occupancy hitting 98.8% in 2H2022. Since then, occupancy levels in all dormitories have continued to remain near full, with an average island-wide occupancy rate of 96.7% as of 2H2024.

Data compiled in the report showed that demand was strongest at dormitories located in the east and the west, which have remained almost fully occupied. Dormitories in the central zone, however, saw a slight dip in occupancy in the last year, going from 98.1% in 1H2024 to 93% in 2H2024.

The dip may coincide with the costlier rents for centrally-located dormitories. In 2H2024, centrally located dormitories had an average rent of $510 pb pm – higher than the $475 pb pm average for dormitories in the east and the $390 pb pm average for dormitories in the west.

Read also: Centurion Corp’s balancing act

Average dormitory bed rents islandwide and by zones

Future supply

In recent years, new standards governing worker dormitories have been introduced, which are expected to result in a decrease in overall inventory, according to the report. Existing worker dormitories will need to be refurbished to meet the guidelines set under the Ministry of Manpower’s (MOM) Dormitory Transition Scheme by 2030 and the New Dormitory Standards by 2040.

Under the new standards, each worker is expected to be allotted a larger living space, with a maximum of 12 workers to a room and en-suite toilets for every six workers. As existing dormitories go through upgrades to meet the new standards, this will likely lead to a decrease in the number of beds per room, thus reducing bed numbers islandwide.

At the same time, MOM will be introducing more beds through its self-developed worker dormitories in the coming years. A total of 2,400 and 7,200 beds are anticipated to come on-stream by 2026 and 2028 respectively, across two dormitories located at Tukang and Sengkang. MOM announced in August 2023 that about 47,000 more beds will be available over the next five years, with a total of seven purpose-built dormitories to be completed.

Looking ahead, demand for worker dormitories is expected to stay resilient as more foreign workers are brought in to support the city-state’s infrastructure project and other labour-intensive requirements.

The strong demand, in turn, is anticipated to underpin a continued rise in bed rents. Nonetheless, Knight Frank and DASL believe the pace may moderate compared to the “aggressive increases” witnessed in 2023. The report projects average bed rents islandwide could between 5% and 8% in 2025, easing from the 10.8% growth recorded the year before.

"Foreign worker dormitories can generate high yields for owners, as strong demand for places to house foreign workers presently exceed the limited supply of dormitories," comments Leonard Tay, head of research at Knight Frank Singapore. "This demand is expected to remain strong, as most of the CMP industries are expecting to increase the size of their respective workforce in the future."

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workers' accommodation worker dormitories

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