By Winfred Quek · CEA R073319H · Published 19 August 2026
A practitioner tradition read, not a valuation report. See the disclaimer below.
If you have rented out a unit in Singapore for any length of time, you have likely fielded at least one feng shui related question during a viewing, even if neither party used that term directly. This guide covers what tenants typically ask, what a landlord can and cannot reasonably do about it, and how to avoid either dismissing a genuine concern or overpromising something you cannot deliver.
What tenants commonly ask about
The floor number comes up often, specifically whether it contains a four, for homophone reasons that also come up when buyers choose a block to purchase in rather than rent. The main door's facing direction is another common question, along with whether the door opens directly opposite a lift or staircase. Some tenants ask more pointed questions about the unit's history: how long it has been vacant, whether the previous tenant left on good terms, and occasionally whether anyone has died in the unit.
These questions are asked most consistently by tenants from mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, where feng shui consideration in everyday housing decisions tends to run deeper, but plenty of Singaporean tenants ask a lighter version of the same list, often just the floor number and facing.
Reasonable requests versus requests you cannot accommodate
Furniture rearrangement before move in, removing or repositioning a mirror, and some flexibility on the move in date within a normal notice period are all reasonable to accommodate and cost you little to nothing. A request to change the unit's floor, its facing, or its position within the block is not something any landlord can deliver, and a tenant who understands feng shui will not expect you to try.
Where the line gets blurry is anything structural: relocating a toilet, moving a kitchen stove, or altering the layout. These are rarely worth doing for a rental unit regardless of the reason, both because of cost and because most strata developments restrict this kind of work for tenanted or even owner occupied units. Point tenants toward what is actually adjustable rather than either promising the impossible or shutting the conversation down.
Low cost adjustments that widen your tenant pool
Before your first viewing, declutter common areas and the entryway, fix any water leaks promptly, and keep the unit well lit for viewings, all of which help with every tenant, not just feng shui minded ones. Remove or reposition a mirror that sits directly opposite the front door or faces a bed directly, since these are the two most consistently flagged placements across schools.
Where your handover schedule allows it, offer some flexibility on the move in date. Many tenants who care about this are working from a date chosen using a Chinese almanac or by a family member, which we cover more fully in our moving in customs guide, and accommodating a request within a reasonable window costs you little against the value of a longer tenancy with a tenant who feels the process started off on the right foot.
Handling the conversation at a viewing
The easiest way to reduce awkward moments at a viewing is to preempt the most common questions rather than wait to be asked. Stating the floor and general facing plainly in your listing remarks, the same way you would state size or the number of bedrooms, lets tenants who care self select before they even book a slot, and tenants who do not care will not think twice about the extra line. This alone removes a good share of the questions that would otherwise come up mid viewing.
For anything you cannot answer with full confidence, such as the unit's full occupancy history before your own ownership, prepare a short and honest response in advance rather than improvising under pressure while a prospective tenant is standing in the living room. A calm, truthful "I am not sure, but I have not heard of anything unusual" lands far better than a confident answer you are not certain is accurate, which can unravel badly if the tenant later hears something different from a neighbour or the town's grapevine.
Co living and shared unit tenancies raise a lighter version of the same questions. Since each tenant is renting a room rather than the whole apartment, the room's own door position and facing become the relevant unit of analysis rather than the flat as a whole. Landlords and operators managing several tenants in one shared unit sometimes get asked to swap rooms between two tenants for exactly this reason; deciding your own policy on room swap requests before it comes up mid tenancy will save you from negotiating it under pressure later.
If you work with an agent, loop them in on any recurring feng shui questions you get, since a good agent can screen and match tenant expectations before a viewing is even scheduled, saving everyone's time. This is a normal part of a wider tenant screening process, covered in our tenant screening guide, and it sits comfortably alongside the usual checks on income and references rather than replacing them.
What not to do as a landlord
Do not dismiss a tenant's question outright, even if you personally think it is unimportant. A curt or defensive answer to a sincere question can lose an otherwise qualified tenant who simply wanted a straight answer. On the other side, do not overstate a unit's feng shui merits in your listing copy or verbally during a viewing to justify a higher asking rent; a subjective claim you cannot substantiate is not a strong basis for pricing, and it risks disappointing a tenant who later brings in their own practitioner for a second opinion.
Cultural range among tenants
Not every tenant who asks about feng shui is deeply invested in it, and not every tenant who says nothing is indifferent; some simply do not raise it during a first viewing. Be ready to answer these questions plainly whether or not the tenant brings it up first, and avoid assuming any one nationality or background will or will not care, since the range of interest varies by individual and family, not by any fixed rule.
Landlord readiness checklist
- Know your unit's floor number, facing, and whether the main door faces a lift or staircase
- Have a plain, honest answer ready about the unit's occupancy history
- Declutter common areas and fix water leaks before the first viewing
- Remove or reposition any mirror directly opposite the front door or facing a bed
- Decide in advance how much flexibility you can offer on move in date
- Avoid overstating feng shui merits in your listing copy or during viewings
- Do not dismiss a tenant's question, even if you do not share the belief
- Keep tenant screening focused on income, references and conduct, not beliefs
- Confirm any agreed adjustments in writing as part of the tenancy agreement process
- Revisit this list each time a unit changes hands, since new tenants may ask different questions
Frequently asked questions
What do tenants most commonly ask landlords about feng shui?
The floor number, particularly whether it contains a four, the direction the main door faces, and whether the main door faces a lift or staircase directly. Some tenants also ask about the unit's history, and whether any previous cure such as a bagua mirror was installed by a past occupant. These questions come up most often from tenants from mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, though plenty of Singaporean tenants ask a lighter version of the same questions.
Can I change my unit's floor or facing for a tenant?
No, and any tenant who understands feng shui will not expect you to. Floor, facing, and the unit's position within the block are fixed. What you can reasonably offer is furniture rearrangement, removing or repositioning a mirror, and flexibility on the move in date within a normal notice period.
Should I let a tenant choose their own move in date?
Where your schedule allows it, yes, since many tenants who care about this are working from an auspicious date selected from an almanac or by a family member, and it costs you little to accommodate a date within a reasonable window. Where the date conflicts with your own handover schedule or the outgoing tenant's move out, be upfront early rather than promising something you cannot deliver.
Is it fair to charge more for a unit with good feng shui?
Rent should reflect the same fundamentals as any other unit: location, condition, size and market comparables. A unit that happens to suit feng shui minded tenants may attract more enquiries and let faster, which is a real advantage, but pricing a premium purely on a claimed feng shui benefit in your listing copy rests on a subjective claim you cannot substantiate to every prospective tenant.
What if a tenant asks whether anyone died in the unit?
Answer honestly to the best of your knowledge rather than deflecting the question, since dismissing it outright can lose an otherwise interested tenant who has a genuine concern. If you do not know the unit's full history, say so plainly rather than guessing. This is a reasonable question for a tenant to ask and does not require you to have a dramatic answer either way.
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Ask Winfred on WhatsApp Book a portfolio analysisWinfred Quek is a salesperson of Crestbrick Pte Ltd (CEA Licence No. L31010886H), advising Singapore upgraders, investors, and families. CEA R073319H. Feng shui principles on this page are presented as cultural and traditional practice, not as fact, financial advice, or a guarantee of any outcome. They reflect general classical teaching as commonly referenced by practitioners, and views vary between schools and individual practitioners. This is not investment, financial or professional feng shui advice; verify with a qualified practitioner for any decision you plan to act on.