No, room rentals work differently from whole-flat subletting. As long as you (the owner-occupier) still live in the flat, HDB doesn't require a separate subletting approval per room. You do still need to register the tenants under HDB's Renting of Bedrooms scheme via the HDB portal, and that registration carries over on renewal as long as the same tenants stay. If a new tenant replaces an old one, update the registration with the new tenant's details before they move in.

Yes, and it's the most common thing landlords forget. The cap is 4 unrelated tenants total for a 4-room or larger flat, and 2 unrelated tenants for a 3-room flat. That total includes everyone living in the flat besides the owner's family, across all rooms. If you renew with the same tenants and you're already at the cap, you're fine. If you're renewing one room and adding a new tenant in another room, double-check the headcount before signing.

Master bedroom typically goes for $1,200 to $2,000 a month, common room for $700 to $1,200, depending on area, MRT proximity, condition and whether the room has its own bathroom. Central areas (Tiong Bahru, Queenstown, Bishan) sit at the top of those ranges. Outskirts (Woodlands, Jurong West, Sengkang) sit lower. On renewal, market rates have been climbing the last two years, so a small increase ($50–$150) is usually reasonable if your tenant has been good and you don't want to risk turnover.

Three reasons. First, size — master is usually 30–50% bigger. Second, attached bathroom in most flats means no sharing for the master tenant. Third, master rooms typically have better windows and ventilation. The premium of roughly $400–$800 over a common room reflects all three. If your master doesn't have an attached bathroom (some older 4-room flats), the gap narrows.

List them explicitly in the agreement: kitchen, laundry area, common bathroom (if shared), living room, balcony, parking lot if applicable. Specify what's included (gas/water for cooking, washing machine usage) and any limits (laundry hours, no overnight kitchen use). The previous tenancy probably had something — copy what's been working and tighten the wording on anything that caused friction during the term.

If you've been splitting utilities (typical for room rentals — usually equally between tenants, or owner pays a fixed share), the arrangement carries forward unless either side wants to change it. Renewal is a clean point to switch from 'split equally' to 'fixed amount per month' or vice versa, especially if one tenant uses noticeably more than the others. Write the new arrangement clearly in the renewal agreement so there's no argument month to month.

Three signals: high tenant turnover (more than 1 swap per room per year), recurring conflict between tenants over shared facilities, or the owner-occupier (you) actually moving out. Whole-flat subletting needs separate HDB approval and a different agreement structure, but it's simpler to manage — one tenant, one rent, one set of utilities. The flip side: per-room usually grosses more total rent ($2,800–$4,000 for a 4-room flat with master + 2 commons rented vs $2,500–$3,200 whole-flat), so you're trading yield for simplicity.

Generally no for HDB. HDB's rule is one occupant per bedroom under the Renting of Bedrooms scheme, with limited exceptions for couples or family members. Putting two unrelated tenants in one room breaches the rules and risks penalties. If a tenant asks (often to split rent), the answer is no, and explain why in the agreement. For couples or married pairs, that's allowed, but they still count as 2 tenants against the occupancy cap.