CommercialCOMMERCIALConservationDistrict 15 · Geylang

281 Joo Chiat Road

Reviewed by Nathan TangUpdated 8 November 2026Data through Jul 2007

Quick Summary

281 Joo Chiat Road is a commercial building in District 15 · Geylang, on land zoned COMMERCIAL under the URA Master Plan with a gross plot ratio of 3.0. 2 transactions are on record since 1995, most recently in Jul 2007. ACRA records 3 live company registrations at this address.

The facts are here — now get the verdict on 281 Joo Chiat Road.

Ask PropKaki

What are the key facts about 281 Joo Chiat Road?

Key takeaway281 Joo Chiat Road is a commercial building in District 15 · Geylang, zoned COMMERCIAL.

Asset class: Commercial
Land-use zone: COMMERCIAL
Gross plot ratio: 3.0
Tenure: Not on record
District / Area: District 15 · Geylang
Address: 281 Joo Chiat Road
Land area: —
Completed: Not on record
Storeys: Not on record
Submarket: City Fringe
Transactions on record: 2 (records start 1995)
Live listings: None
ACRA registrations: 3

About 281 Joo Chiat Road

281 Joo Chiat Road is a commercial property in Geylang (District 15). It is located along Joo Chiat Road, Singapore 427535.

Under the URA Master Plan it sits on land zoned commercial with a gross plot ratio of 3. The site falls within a conservation area, so external alterations are subject to URA conservation guidelines.

2 transactions have been recorded here, at a median of S$736 psf. The most recent was in July 2007.

3 businesses are currently registered at this address with ACRA.

The nearest MRT is Marine Parade MRT, 899 m away (about a 14-minute walk). The closest bus stop (Aft Koon Seng Rd) is 89 m away (about a 1-minute walk).

What is 281 Joo Chiat Road zoned as?

Key takeaway281 Joo Chiat Road sits on land zoned COMMERCIAL with a gross plot ratio of 3.0, with conservation status.

Land-use zone: COMMERCIAL
Gross plot ratio: 3.0
Conservation area: Joo Chiat
Conserved building: Yes

Run the full zoning report for this building →

What has 281 Joo Chiat Road sold for?

Key takeaway2 transactions are on record since 1995, most recently in Jul 2007 — too few to support a median, so the deals themselves are listed instead.

Date	Use	Price	Area	PSF
Jul 2007	Shop House	S$1.15M	1,257 sqft	$915
Jan 2003	Shop House	S$700k	1,257 sqft	$557

URA/JTC records from 1995 — that is where the record starts, not when the building was built. Strata and land deals can mix in one building's history; compare like with like. sqm ↔ sq ft converter

What does space at 281 Joo Chiat Road rent for?

Key takeawayNo rent is published for 281 Joo Chiat Road itself. On its street, Joo Chiat Road, retail space rented at a median of $5.56 psf a month in 2026Q3, with the middle half of leases between $3.85 and $6.47. That is not this building's own rent, and never a quote for a particular unit.

Retail space on Joo Chiat Road

Street level · 2026Q3

25th pct

$3.85

$41.47 psm

Median

$5.56

$59.88 psm

75th pct

$6.47

$69.67 psm

S$ per sq ft per month

2023Q1 · $71.81 psm2026Q3 · $59.88 psm median

URA's percentiles of RETAIL rents (shop, F&B, entertainment, health & fitness) across every lease stamped with IRAS on this STREET in the quarter — the street's figure, not this building's rent and never a unit's. Retail rent swings with floor and frontage, so the spread matters as much as the median. A median needs at least 2 buildings and 3 contracts (percentiles need 4); a blank means below that threshold, not zero.

Source: URA rental statistics by street (IRAS-stamped contracts).

Office space on Joo Chiat Road

Street level · 2026Q3

25th pct

$5.17

$55.63 psm

Median

$5.52

$59.38 psm

75th pct

$6.19

$66.65 psm

S$ per sq ft per month · median -0.4% on a year earlier

2023Q4 · $68.64 psm2026Q3 · $59.38 psm median

URA's percentiles of OFFICE rents across every lease stamped with IRAS on this STREET in the quarter — the street's figure, not this building's rent and never a unit's. URA publishes a median only where the street has at least 2 office buildings and 3 contracts that quarter (percentiles need 4); a blank means below that threshold, not zero.

Source: URA rental statistics by street (IRAS-stamped contracts).

Retail space — District 15 retail

Region band · 2026Q3

25th pct

$7.55

$81.29 psm

Median

$9.14

$98.41 psm

75th pct

$14.01

$150.81 psm

S$ per sq ft per month

A REGION BAND — URA's grid for the whole district or location, not this street or building. Say "across <district/location>, …", never that this building rents for it. The middle of URA's retail grid for District 15 across every floor and size band — a ground-floor shop and an upper-floor unit sit at very different points in it.

Source: URA REALIS retail rental analysis (district × floor × size grid).

Market context around 281 Joo Chiat Road

Key takeawayBrokers' retail figures for this part of Singapore — a broker's market figure, not this building's rent.

CBRE, 2Q 2026 (island-wide)

Islandwide: Rent S$28.15 psf/mth

Singapore Figures Q2 2026

Cushman & Wakefield, 2Q 2026

Other City Areas: Rent S$21.21 psf/mth · Vacancy 7.4% (1Q 2026) · Planned / under construction 0.73m sq ft

Singapore Retail MarketBeat Q2 2026

Official series (URA, 2026Q3): Retail vacancy rate (Whole Island) 6.5 (-0.4 pp on the year) · Retail rental index (Central Region) 81.2 (+1.4% on the year).

Brokers draw submarkets and grades differently; each figure is the broker's own, for its own area, cited to its report. Rents are per square foot per month.

What's been approved at 281 Joo Chiat Road?

Key takeawayURA has approved 2 changes of use at 281 Joo Chiat Road since 2000, most recently in 2024. This is the building's planning history, not today's approved use of any unit: confirm a unit's approved use with URA before signing.

F&B and nightlife here

URA does not approve new eating houses (restaurants, coffee shops, cafes) here; an existing one's permission may be renewed.

Per URA circular DC23-08, Appendix A (2 Oct 2023: no new eating houses in shophouses on listed stretches). A planning guideline for the area, not a decision on any unit; it applies to new eating houses and bars, not to one already approved.

16 Sept 2024Approved
Change of use to museum
Proposed change of use of 2nd storey offices to museum
13 Nov 2019Approved
Additions & alterations
1st extension of written permission for proposed conservation and additions & alterations to the existing 2-storey conservation buildings with roof mezzanine comprising offices on the 2nd storey and roof mezzanine, a shop at the 1st storey of 281 joo chiat road and restaurants at the 1st storey of 283 & 285 joo chiat road
10 Nov 2017Approved
Additions & alterations
Proposed and retention of additions & alterations to the existing 2-storey conservation buildings with roof mezzanine comprising offices on the 2nd storey and roof mezzanine, a shop at the 1st storey of 281 joo chiat road and restaurants at the 1st storey of 283 & 285 joo chiat road on lots 07564k & 07565n mk26 at 281, 283 & 285 joo chiat road (geylang planning area)
2 Jan 2004Approved
Change of use to karaoke lounge
Proposed change of use of the 2-storey shophouse to karaoke lounge

Source: URA planning decisions (URA Data Service), matched to this building by address or land lot. A past approval can lapse (a temporary permission) and belongs to the unit it names. The authoritative approved use of a unit comes from URA's Enquiry on Approved Use of Premises (S$54.50 per unit).

How does Joo Chiat Road price?

Key takeawayAcross 63 strata sales on Joo Chiat Road in the last 5 years, the median is $1,931 psf.

Strata sales on the street (5y)

Street median PSF (strata)

$1,931

Street figures cover strata deals only — land and strata PSF are not comparable.

What do commercial rents run near 281 Joo Chiat Road?

Key takeawayURA publishes contracted-rent percentile grids quarterly (latest: 2026Q3) — the benchmark evidence an asking rent should be weighed against.

Indicative area yield — District 15 retail

Gross yield (area)

3.7%

3.3% net of property tax

Rent side (median of bands)

$98.41 psm/mo

2026Q3

Price side (strata, 5y)

$2,956 psf

85 sales

An INDICATIVE AREA yield for District 15 retail — NOT this building's yield, and not any unit's. Commercial rents are published as a district percentile grid, so both halves describe the district.

Priced on STRATA sales only: rent is quoted per unit of lettable area, and commercial land PSF runs far above strata — mixing them would shift the ratio sharply.

Net deducts the 10% non-residential property tax ONLY — not vacancy, maintenance, agent fees, financing, or the 9% GST on purchase.

Retail rents — District 15 ($ psm/month, 2026Q3)

Floor level · size band	25th pct	Median	75th pct
B1 & Below · 30 & Below	$121.08	$139.73	$241.82
Level 1 · 30 & Below	$69.23	$85.38	$86.21
Level 2 & 3 · 30 & Below	$47.87	$67.50	$87.18
Level 1 · >30 - 100	$73.94	$87.91	$101.01
Level 2 & 3 · >30 - 100	$57.08	$76.47	$184.13
B1 & Below · >30 - 100	$88.64	$163.41	$259.82
Level 2 & 3 · >100 - 300	$93.30	$107.29	$126.41
Level 1 · >100 - 300	$69.67	$89.53	$113.56

URA REALIS rental-contract percentiles for the district/location — an area benchmark, not this building's own rents. Office and retail are dimensioned differently and are never mixed.

What is near 281 Joo Chiat Road?

Key takeawayThe nearest MRT/LRT is Marine Parade MRT, about 899 m away — and 2 competing retail premisess operate nearby.

Getting around

Marine Parade MRT899 m · ~14 min

Amenities nearby

Aft Koon Seng Rd · 89 mJoo Chiat Medical Clinic · 113 mEducational Institution · 123 mKoon Seng Park · 130 mPlace Of Worship · 136 mHotel · 166 mJoo Chiat Community Club · 386 mMarine Parade MRT Exit 3 · 853 mEunos Polyclinic · 899 mParkway East Hospital · 924 m

Competing premises nearby

Retail and F&B premises competing for the same footfall — context for an occupier, not a selling point.

Dunman Food Centre · 86 mi12 Katong · 642 m

Straight-line distances. Source: PropKaki amenities data.

Getting there and parking at 281 Joo Chiat Road

Key takeawayThe nearest station is Marine Parade (TE26), 853 m away — a moderately busy station, with about 23,000 taps in and out on an average weekday. 16 public car parks are within 500 m.

Foot traffic: busier than 8% of retail buildings

nearest MRT/LRT Marine Parade (TE26) 853 m, about 23,000 taps a weekday; bus stops within 400 m: 8, about 5,795 taps a weekday; Geylang: 116,481 resident workers (Census 2020, by workplace); about 38,000 residents within 1 km (June 2026); 3 other malls within 1 km. Ranked against 12,856 retail buildings by PropKaki's model: a relative score, not a footfall count.

A relative score from PropKaki's model (station and bus taps nearby, workers and residents around, and competing malls), not a count of people.

Stations within 1 km

Marine Parade (TE26)853 m · about 23,000 weekday taps

Taps are fare-card taps in and out at the station's gates on an average weekday (Jul 2026 to Sep 2026) — people passing through, not visitors to 281 Joo Chiat Road. Transfers between lines don't tap, so interchanges read low.

Bus

8 bus stops within 400 m, with 5,795 boardings and alightings on an average weekday.

Public car parks within 500 m

Backlane (Onan Rd - Jo O Chiat Rd) (URA)53 m
Joo Chiat Rd (Changi R D - East Coast Rd) (URA)64 m
S$0.60 per half-hour at midday on a weekday · 107 car lots
Onan Rd Off St (URA)75 m
S$0.60 per half-hour at midday on a weekday · 15 car lots
Dunman Rd Food Centre Off St (URA)83 m
S$0.60 per half-hour at midday on a weekday · 8 car lots
Tembeling Rd (URA)118 m
S$0.60 per half-hour at midday on a weekday · 61 car lots

Nearest URA season parking: Joo Chiat Area (Haig R Oad-Telok Kurau Road), 749 m away, S$90/month.

Public car parks only, by straight-line distance, with the operator's published rates. 281 Joo Chiat Road's own car park, if it has one, and its charges are not in the open data.

Who's registered at 281 Joo Chiat Road?

Key takeaway3 live companies (and LLPs and branches; sole proprietors are not counted) list 281 Joo Chiat Road as their registered address. These are registered businesses, not who occupies the space.

Wholesale and retail trade
1
Professional, scientific and technical services
1
Health and social services
1
Accommodation and food services
0
Administrative and support services
0
Arts, entertainment and recreation
0

Registered businesses, not who occupies the space: companies, LLPs and branches whose REGISTERED address is this building (ACRA), by industry. Sole proprietors are not counted; no business is named. ACRA, as of 2026-09-16.

Frequently asked questions about 281 Joo Chiat Road

Where is 281 Joo Chiat Road?⌄

281 Joo Chiat Road is at 281 Joo Chiat Road, Singapore 427535, in the Geylang planning area.

What is 281 Joo Chiat Road zoned as?⌄

281 Joo Chiat Road sits on land zoned commercial under the URA Master Plan, with a gross plot ratio of 3.

Is 281 Joo Chiat Road a conserved property?⌄

Yes. 281 Joo Chiat Road falls within a URA conservation area, so external works are subject to conservation guidelines.

What have units at 281 Joo Chiat Road sold for?⌄

Across 2 recorded transactions, the median price is S$736 psf. The latest was in July 2007.

What is the nearest MRT station to 281 Joo Chiat Road?⌄

Marine Parade MRT is the closest, 899 m away (about a 14-minute walk).

How many businesses are registered at 281 Joo Chiat Road?⌄

3 businesses are currently registered at this address with ACRA. That is a measure of registered addresses, not of how many businesses physically occupy the building.

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Read the figures right

Year of completion is not on record for this building. Building age cannot be stated.

Submarket: PropKaki's own map from URA's planning subzones (CBD core, City Hall / Bugis, Orchard, city fringe, regional centres, suburban). Brokers draw these lines differently.

Changes of use: URA planning approvals recorded at this building since 2000 (any unit; renewals of a temporary permission not counted). History only — Past approvals are not today's approved use; check with URA's approved-use enquiry before signing. Never say a use is allowed, permitted or approved for a unit, and never say a use would be approved.

F&B / nightlife: per URA circular DC23-08, Appendix A (2 Oct 2023: no new eating houses in shophouses on listed stretches). A planning guideline, not a decision on any unit.

Station taps: average weekday fare-card taps in and out at the nearest MRT/LRT station (LTA DataMall). People passing the station's gates, not people visiting this building.

Foot-traffic score: PropKaki's relative score from nearby MRT and bus taps, workers and residents around (and, for retail, competing malls), ranked against buildings of the same kind. A percentile, not a count of people.

Company REGISTRATIONS at this address (ACRA), not a tenancy schedule. Registration does not mean the company physically occupies space here, and a low count does not mean the building is empty. Do not describe this as occupancy or vacancy.

Unbuilt GFA cannot be computed here — it needs BCA built-GFA, which covers about 5% of commercial buildings and no industrial ones. Zoning and plot ratio are on record; headroom is not.

Tenure is not recorded for this building. Commercial tenure coverage is roughly 40% (industrial is far better at ~90%).

Reviewed by Nathan Tang

Nathan Tang has over 10 years of property experience across condominiums, HDB flats and commercial property, specialising in property research and finance.

Figures draw on URA and JTC records, URA Master Plan zoning, ACRA registrations and live commercial-portal listings; building facts from PropKaki's submarket map, URA planning decisions, URA circular DC23-08 (2 Oct 2023), URA car park data (URA Data Service), LTA DataMall passenger volumes, PropKaki's foot-traffic model — see our methodology. Last updated 8 November 2026. For general information, not financial advice.

Getting there and parking: LTA DataMall passenger volumes and car parks, URA Data Service car park rates, HDB and JTC car park information (data.gov.sg) and HDB's published parking charges, Census of Population 2020 and the Singapore Department of Statistics' June 2026 resident population (Singapore Open Data Licence). The foot-traffic score is PropKaki's own relative model, not a count.

Market context: figures cited from CBRE Research (Singapore Figures) and Cushman & Wakefield (Singapore MarketBeat), each with its quarter and report; flexible-workspace centres from the operators' public location lists; collective sales from marketing agents' announcements and news reports, each linked.

Rents: URA rental statistics for office and retail space by street (IRAS-stamped contracts), JTC J-SPACE rentals by building and by street, JTC price tenders, and URA REALIS rental grids. SLA tender results and JTC posted land rents are held for state and JTC land.