Living on campus, or in S P Jain sponsored housing is the easiest (and often most fun) way to go. It's super-convenient, and near to all your friends. However, if finances are an issue, you can save money by living on your own, off-campus. In Singapore, you can rent a room with a family, or rent an apartment (maybe with other Jaguars). In Dubai, you can go together with your friends and rent a serviced apartment. In Sydney, you can rent a room, an apartment, whatever.
HOWEVER -- there are a lot of hassles with doing it on your own. First, if you're not 21 yet, you can't legally sign a contract. Your parents or some other will adult will have to do so. Also, landlords don't really want to rent to people for only 8 months at a time (which is how long you are in Singapore and Dubai). So you're often stuck with paying for 12 months. You may not have decent Internet. Getting back and forth to campus can be a hassle if you're living on your own. This makes it harder to be part of school activities (including mandatory group projects for classes). So, most students who can afford it opt for school housing.
Note: If you're in BBA14 (starting in Singapore in September 2014), the cohort is going to be larger than any other in the past. So housing on campus may be limited. Some students may be housed in S P Jain-arranged apartments off campus. Here is information in case you want to find lodging on your own.
Student hostels in Singapore near SP Jain (within 45 mins)
a) Yoha Student Hostel, 100 Ulu Pandan Road, Singapore 596471, Tel: +65 6467 8377, Fax: +65 6467 8375, http://yoha.com.sg/hostel-detail.aspx?hid=4, Email info@yoha.com.sg
b) Evan Student Hostel, 26 Evans Road, Singapore 259367, Tel: +65 6836 5835, Fax: +65 6440 5160, www.katonghostel.com/evan/index.html, email: info@katonghostel.com
c) East Lodge Student Hostel, 408, Joo Chiat Place, Singapore 428045, Tel: +65 63457088, Fax: +65 63463379, www.eastlodge.com.sg/index.php, email: admin@eastlodge.com.sg
Real estate agents in Singapore who can help you rent a room or apartment
a) Amit at Reegno.com runs a website dedicated to helping students find off-campus rooms areas near their colleges. He has promised to give special attention to S P Jain Jaguars and be a partner with us. Go to: www.reegno.com.sg
b) Martin Liew, OrangeTee Real Estate, +65 9489 1144 martin.liew@orangetee.com is a helpful agent.
c) M. Adli, ERA Real Estate +65 9847 7264, adli.jallani@gmail.com [editor's note: couldn't read his card really well; it might be Adil instead of Adli???]
d) acqueline Lee at SLP Scotia -- this is a website with featured agents: +65 9791 7998 jacquelinelee.irealtor.sg
Housing & Development Board (HDB)
This is Singapore's public housing authority and a statutory board under the Ministry of National Development. If you are thinking about renting a room from a family in Singapore, please go to HDB's website to read about government regulations: www.hdb.gov.sg, especially to this page: www.hdb.gov.sg/fi10/fi10323p.nsf/w/RentOpenMktRentingSteps?OpenDocument
Off-Campus Tips from Wan BBA10
I have been staying off-campus since the first semester till my last in S P Jain and I love it. Being in the first batch, I did not go to Dubai, so unfortunately I can only give you some tips for staying off-campus in Singapore and Sydney.
How did I find my accommodations both in Singapore and Sydney? In Singapore I rented a room with Kezia, another Jag from Indonesia. We lived in an HDB flat, which is where a typical Singaporean will live. My sister, who was also an overseas student in Singapore at the time, found us the accommodation through an agent. That’s how I got my accommodation in Singapore. Simple isn’t it? So if you know anyone in Singapore, Dubai, or Sydney, make use of your contacts; ask them either for information or for help in hunting a suitable accommodation for yourself.
If you don’t have any contacts, fear not. Make use of the Internet! That’s how I found my accommodation in Sydney. Right now I am sharing with Kezia, Tam (Jag from Vietnam), and Yoyo (Jag from China) in a small unit at Lidcombe. Lidcombe is a suburb that is only five minutes away from Olympic Park (where S P Jain Sydney campus is located) by train. And the unit we are staying at is only two minutes walk from Lidcombe station, so it’s really cool. I found this unit on a website and asked Jeremy (Jag from New Zealand) who was already in Sydney at that time to do the house inspection for us. The day Kezia and I arrived in Sydney, we headed to the agent office in the city to get the leasing agreement signed and whoola! We have been staying in this unit for more than a year now.
It’s true that on-campus accommodation could save you a lot of hassle and time of searching. In Singapore, opting for on-campus accommodation can be very appealing: Your room and lecture rooms will be in the same building so you will have the privilege of waking up five minutes before class and sit for lectures with your pajamas (oh yes, some of us did!). You will also save some money on travelling to and from campus. The majority of the students stay on-campus, so you get to chill around with them. It also helps when there are group projects, which sometimes (or all the time) you put up till last minute to get it done and you have to pull all-nighters with your group mates. However, if you live off-campus you get to live in the local neighborhood which will merge you into the local culture and living style.
As for accommodation provided by S P Jain in Sydney, it is located further away from campus. It is at Wentworth Point which is still a developing suburb. There is no train station nearby, only buses that run every 30 minutes or one hour during weekends and holidays. Shopping for daily groceries and reaching malls and crowds can be a pain. Therefore, in Sydney, living off-campus can be way more convenient. You will also learn quite a lot in the process of getting your own accommodation in Sydney: understanding how things work in the country, handling contracts, learning how to negotiate, and dealing with people.
Apart from convenience and learning, off-campus accommodation can be very cost effective as well. During my stay in Singapore, I paid around US$240/month (two people in a room) while students who stayed on campus paid around US$630/month (four people in a room). Transportation fees to and from campus was around US$3. Right now in Sydney I am paying around US$6,600 (four people in a unit) for 17 months while students from my batch who opted for campus accommodation are paying around US$12,500 (four people in a unit) for 17 months stay. In Sydney you have to pay for public transport to go to campus regardless or your choice of accommodation. It ranges between US$4-6 depending on where you stay. (P.S. Prices are subjected to inflation and exchange rate fluctuation.)
You can simply Google it and you should be able to find units or rooms that are available for leasing. For your reference, here are few websites you can look at to give you an idea about off-campus accommodation:
Singapore:
Eton Hall: http://etonhallsingapore.wordpress.com/ This one is a student hostel that is a very short walk or bike ride from the campus. In 2013, students paid US$300/month. [Here's advice from Prof Golo about Eton Hall: Good things: Within walking/ cycling distance of SP Jain; colonial ambiance; green surroundings. Not-so-good things: Run-down environment, rooms are rather dark, and there's nothing much to eat or do there.]
You can also look for info at: http://singapore.roomsdb.net/ and http://www.easyroommate.com.sg/
Sydney:
http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-real-estate/lidcombe-sydney/c9296l3003443 This is the website where I found my accommodation.
http://www.domain.com.au/keyasset This is my agent.
Some tips:
- In Singapore if you get the accommodation through agent, agents are mostly responsible until you and the owner come to terms regarding price and other agreements. After that you pay them agent fees (usually 50% of your monthly rent) and you deal with owner from that point onwards.
- In Sydney if you get the accommodation through agent, your agent will be your point of contact throughout the period of the leasing agreement. Sometimes you won’t even know who the owner is. You pay rent to the agent and agent will draw the commission before paying the owner (thus there is no agent fees that you have to pay). If there is any problem with the property you will have to contact the agent who will then inform the owner.
- In Singapore you pay rent monthly but in Sydney you pay rent weekly (you will also get paid weekly or fortnightly if you work).
- If possible, find other people for sharing the accommodation. Trust me, it will make your life easier.
- Beware of spam and fake ads. Never transfer any payment until you or your friends see the physical property.
Off-Campus Housing in Dubai -- Tips from Aurora BBA12
Two other girls and I found accommodation outside the school hostel, and everything is fine so far. It is just 10 steps away from the S P Jain hostel in China Cluster (the name of the development). Every building here follows the same "copy and paste" structure, so no matter whether you stay in the hostel or outside, the room is still the same. We found the place through an agency whose office is near the hostel. The monthly payment is 3000 AED = $820 (excluding electricity and internet), so each of us has to pay roughly $300 a month. Some of the landlords in China Cluster prefer Chinese students. I am from Vietnam, and therefore found the agent helpful. This agent is a good one: Aqeel Ahmed, info@unity-realestate.com, phone +971-4-37-46285-86.
Off-Campus in Dubai -- Agent Contact from Jevin
Here's the email of Pramod, another good agent who can help you get a place at China Cluster in Dubai: pramodkalyan@gmail.com
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