Singapore expats are often envied for their generous pay packets but facing the prospect of salary cuts as the coronavirus batters businesses, some are tightening their belts and asking for lower rent.
Clarence Foo, a real estate agent at APAC Realty Ltd. unit ERA, has come across seven such cases over the past month — the highest number of requests he’s received during his seven-year career. Four were successful.
One was an American woman who texted Foo last week. In her message, she said she had just been informed of a 20 percent drop in pay effective from May 1 until July 31, after which her employer will reassess the company’s financial health.