Helper Room Setup Singapore 2026: MOM Requirements + 12-Item Checklist

TL;DR: For helper room setup in Singapore (2026), MOM requires adequate shelter, basic amenities (at least a mattress, pillow and blanket, plus bathroom amenities and toiletries), sufficient ventilation, safety and sanitation, modesty, and space and privacy, including no cameras where she sleeps or changes. Most families go further: a private room, a real single bed, Wi-Fi and a fan. If you use the HDB bomb shelter, SCDF rules limit drilling and ban changes to the door and vents.

Whether you hire through a maid agency in Singapore or direct, most first-time employers think the helper's room is a side problem. It is not. The room is where your helper lives, sleeps and recovers, and it shapes how settled she feels in your home.

Singapore's Ministry of Manpower (MOM) sets minimum requirements. Those minimums are a floor, not a target, and meeting them comfortably is part of keeping a good helper.

This guide walks through the MOM rules, what good employers actually do, room options by housing type, a 12-item setup checklist, and the bomb shelter details nobody explains properly.

What MOM Actually Requires (2026)

MOM's accommodation requirements for migrant domestic workers (MDWs) cover these points:

• Adequate shelter. The accommodation must protect her from sun, rain and strong winds.
• Basic amenities. At minimum a mattress, pillow and blanket, plus bathroom amenities and toiletries. Good lighting and a lockable space are sensible practice, though not stated MOM rules.
• Sufficient ventilation. Mechanical ventilation, such as an electric fan, must be provided if natural ventilation is inadequate.
• Safety and sanitation. She must not sleep near dangerous equipment or structures that could harm her, or near wet areas or areas with sanitation problems, such as next to the toilet.
• Modesty. She must not sleep in the same room as a male adult or teenager.
• Space and privacy. MOM says you should provide a separate room; if that is not possible, her accommodation must have adequate space and privacy.
• Cameras. If you use video recording devices at home, tell her about them and where they are, and never place them where she sleeps, changes clothes, or in the bathroom.

That is the floor. "Acceptable to MOM" is often well below what a reasonable employer should provide.

What Good Employers Provide in 2026

Beyond the legal minimum, the setup that tends to work best across HDB, condo and landed homes is:

• Her own room with a door that closes
• A proper single bed, not a mattress on the floor
• Storage she controls (cupboard and lockable space for valuables)
• Wi-Fi access so she can call her family
• Good air circulation: a fan at minimum, and air-con if the room runs hot

Helpers talk, and a household's reputation for how it treats its helper travels. A good room is not generosity. It is operationally smart.

Preparing for a new helper? Upwill (MOM EA Licence 24C2628) guides you through the room setup and every other pre-arrival requirement as part of placement. Chat with us on WhatsApp or see our maid placement service.

Room Options by Housing Type

How big is a household shelter? SCDF sets the size: a minimum internal floor area of 2.2 sqm for flats above 45 up to 75 sqm, 2.8 sqm for flats above 75 up to 140 sqm, and 3.4 sqm above that, with a minimum width of 1.2 m and a maximum floor area of 4.8 sqm. Measure yours before you buy furniture. For a full breakdown of acceptable layouts and what to avoid, see our reference page on helper accommodation in Singapore.

The 12-Item Setup Checklist

If you are setting up the room from scratch before your helper arrives, this is what you actually need. Prices vary by brand and retailer, so compare a couple of stores before buying.

1. Single bed and mattress. A real bed frame, not a floor mattress.
2. Pillow, blanket and two sets of bedsheets. The mattress, pillow and blanket are MOM's stated minimum.
3. Cupboard or wardrobe. Freestanding if the room is a household shelter.
4. Lockable drawer or small locker for valuables.
5. Fan or air-conditioning. A fan is required if natural ventilation is inadequate.
6. Bedside lamp.
7. Small mirror.
8. Bathroom amenities and toiletries. Also part of MOM's minimum.
9. Trash bin.
10. Privacy on her side. A door she can close, or a solid partition if there is no door.
11. Wi-Fi access. Share the password.
12. Power outlet for phone charging. Add a power strip if needed.

These are one-time purchases. The mattress, pillow, blanket, toiletries and (where airflow is poor) a fan are the parts MOM's rules require; the rest is what makes the room somewhere she wants to stay.

Bomb Shelter Conversion: The HDB Reality

Many HDB employers use the household shelter (bomb shelter) as the helper's room. SCDF's list of permitted and not permitted works for household shelters (PDF) sets what you can do:

• Ventilation. A shelter has no window. Use a strong fan, and keep at least 25% of the total area of the two ventilation openings uncovered, as SCDF requires. Do not modify the ventilation sleeves, plates or their bolts.
• Fixings. You may drill into the inside walls and ceiling up to 50 mm deep for inserts and removable screws (shelves, cabinets, pictures). Power-driven nails on the inside walls are not allowed, and SCDF can require fixtures to be removed within 48 hours of notification.
• Finishes. Painting walls, ceiling and door is allowed, but not over the door notice, locking bolts or door seal. Tiling the inside walls is not allowed; vinyl flooring is.
• Door and structure. Never modify the shelter door or frame, or hack the walls, floor or ceiling.
• Furniture. With a minimum width of 1.2 m, choose a slim bed and vertical, freestanding storage.

The Shared Room Question

Sharing with children: MOM's modesty rule is that she must not sleep in the same room as a male adult or teenager. Sharing with a young child is not automatically prohibited, but she should have her own bed, and the arrangement must change before a son reaches his teens.

Sharing with elderly: Sometimes practical when her main role is eldercare. The same modesty rule applies to an elderly male, and she still needs her own bed and storage.

Living room or kitchen: MOM asks for a separate room where possible and, where it is not, adequate space and privacy. A properly partitioned living-room space that is ventilated, safe and private can work. Sleeping in the kitchen, next to the stove, gas pipes or a water heater, breaches the rule against sleeping near dangerous equipment.

Privacy Rules You Must Follow

• No cameras in the helper's room or bathroom. MOM requires you to tell her about any video recording devices and where they are, and bans placing them where she sleeps, changes or bathes.
• Knock before entering. Helpers who feel watched do not stay.
• Her room is her space. Do not store family items there.

Common Mistakes We See

• Putting the helper in the service yard. If it is exposed to rain, sun or wind, it fails MOM's shelter requirement.
• Bed next to the toilet or a wet area. MOM specifically rules this out.
• No proper storage. Belongings end up in shared spaces, which breeds conflict.
• Forgetting Wi-Fi. Not a legal requirement, but it is how she stays in touch with family.
• Blocking the shelter vents with boxes or a wardrobe. It makes the room stuffy and breaks SCDF's 25% rule.
• Cheaping out on the mattress. A tired helper makes mistakes. A decent mattress is money well spent.

Related Reading

• Helper accommodation reference page
• Rest day rules and off-day timing
• First-time employer FAQ
• Work permit renewal guide
• Helper salary benchmarks
• Helper insurance plans
• Salary and levy calculators

FAQ

What is the minimum room size MOM requires for a helper?

MOM does not publish a minimum floor area. It requires adequate shelter, ventilation, safety, modesty, and space and privacy. If you use the household shelter, SCDF sets its size by flat size: from 1.44 sqm for the smallest flats up to a 4.8 sqm maximum, with a minimum width of 1.2 m.

Can my helper sleep in the living room?

It can be acceptable to MOM. MOM asks for a separate room where possible, and where that is not possible, adequate space and privacy. A partitioned or screened living-room sleeping space that meets the shelter, ventilation, safety, modesty and privacy rules is acceptable.

Is it OK to put a camera in my helper's room?

No. MOM says you must not install video recording devices where she sleeps, changes clothes or in the bathroom, and you must tell her about any cameras elsewhere in the home and where they are.

How much does it cost to set up a helper room?

It depends on what you already have and where you buy. Price the 12 items in the checklist above at two or three retailers. The legally required minimum is modest (mattress, pillow, blanket, toiletries and a fan where ventilation is poor); a proper bed, wardrobe and lockable storage are the main extra costs.

Do I need to provide Wi-Fi?

It is not a MOM requirement, but it is how most helpers keep in touch with family, and it costs you little. Most employers share the household Wi-Fi.

Can I convert my HDB bomb shelter into a helper room?

Yes, as long as MOM's accommodation rules are met. Follow SCDF's rules: no hacking, no changes to the door or ventilation sleeves, drilling only up to 50 mm for removable fixings, and at least 25% of the ventilation openings left uncovered. Use freestanding furniture and a good fan.

Can I tile the inside of the bomb shelter?

Tiling the inside walls of a household shelter is not permitted by SCDF, and neither is hacking the walls to key tiles. Painting the walls and ceiling and laying vinyl flooring are allowed.

Does my helper need her own bathroom?

MOM's listed accommodation requirements do not mention a separate bathroom, but they do require you to provide bathroom amenities and toiletries, and her sleeping area must not be next to the toilet or a wet area.