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Room rentals near MRT stations like Hougang remain in steady demand, particularly from working adults and foreign workers. The overall market may have softened slightly for whole units but well-located furnished rooms with an MRT nearby continue to move well.
Your listing actually has several strong selling points:

Furnished with essentials — reduces barrier for tenants
Light cooking allowed — a major plus that many tenants specifically look for
Near Hougang MRT — strong connectivity is always attractive
Proven rental history of 4 years — shows the rooms are liveable and desirable

I am confident both rooms can be filled with the right marketing and tenant matching.
On the Mandarin requirement — 我会说华语，可以直接跟房东沟通，不需要担心语言问题。(I speak Mandarin and can communicate directly with the landlord — no language barrier at all.)
Here is what I will do for you:

List both rooms professionally across all major platforms immediately
Handle all communications and viewings on behalf of the landlord
Screen tenants carefully given the elderly landlord's living situation — safety and compatibility matter here
Prepare the tenancy agreement properly
You pay only upon successful tenancy — zero upfront cost

May I have your contact to discuss further and get these rooms filled quickly? Read More

HDB's rules are not always black and white on overseas property situations. The safest approach before proceeding is to:

Write in to HDB directly to seek clarification on your specific situation — HDB does respond to such queries and a written response protects you
Check with the Malaysian bank whether co-borrower status requires co-ownership on title
Consult an HDB lawyer who can advise on the exact implications for your MOP status

Bottom Line:

Co-borrower with co-ownership on title — likely not permissible during MOP, high risk
Co-borrower without ownership — grey area, seek HDB clarification first
Guarantor only — generally safer but still worth confirming with HDB in writing

Do not proceed on assumptions — a written HDB clarification takes a few weeks and protects you completely. Read More

If it is only co-borrower and not co-owner, I do not think it is an issue. When you are still within your MOP for your HDB, you are not suppose to have any form of interest in any kind of private properties regardless at home or abroad. Hope this helps.

——

I have been in the real estate business since 2009, with more than 15 years of experience serving the Singapore real estate market. Check out the EdgeProp featured article on myself recently at https://www.edgeprop.sg/property-news/geryl-lim-leading-landed-real-estate-heart-hustle-and-harmony

I am very active in the residential segment of Singapore real estate market, having transacted hundreds of deals from HDBs to private condominiums and landed properties in Singapore, and have handled many unique cases in sales and purchases as well as rental deals.

Over the years, I have also established a network reaching out to more than 15,900 expatriates, bringing my market presence to both in and outside of Singapore. This has created an additional exposure when I manage my client's portfolios, on top of the conventional on and offline platforms, where other estate agents are relying on. This has allowed me to consistently convert leads into results.

With an evolving market, where change is the only constant, I have also been investing in upgrading of my knowledge and skills sets to improve myself and meet the demands of current and future market.

We are offering our clients a complimentary first consultation without obligations (Absolutely FREE!). Schedule for your FREE session today!

Warmest regards,
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Email: geryl.lim@orangetee.com / geryl7772@gmail.com
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Tenants can visit http://bit.ly/SGExpatRental (Official Rental Requirements - Singapore Expatriates) to indicate your rental requirements.

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(✔1) If you are only a co-borrower without any legal ownership stake in the private property, it may not automatically be treated as ownership interest, but assessment depends on actual beneficial interest

(✔2) During HDB MOP period, you are not allowed to have any form of ownership or interest in private residential property, whether local or overseas

(✔3) HDB will review each case based on structure of ownership, so clarification with HDB is recommended to avoid compliance issues

“Trust, but verify.” — Ronald Reagan
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If you wish to be a co-borrower, banks would typically want you to also have an interest in the property (which HDB explicitly disallows). Being a guarantor without no interest in the overseas property should fulfill HDB's requirement as you have noted.

The key is to prove to HDB that you have zero interest in the overseas property (whether actual legal interest or beneficial interest by virtue of the loan package taken)

Feel free to reach out if you need further advise:

Kay Cloud
The Harvard Educated Agent
Propnex Realty Pte Ltd
cloud@propnex.com
Tel: (+6.5.) 8.5.6.7.4.5.8.5
Whatsapp -> https://wa.me/6585674585 Read More