Healthcare REITs grapple with slower rental growth as inflation drops to record low

Rental growth is tied to CPI.

Singapore's negative consumer price index (CPI) is having an impact on rental growth for healthcare REITs, according to a report by OCBC.

Domestic inflation has been in negative territory since November 2014, falling between -0.1% to -0.8% year-on-year.

"This would impact the healthcare REITs, as the rental of some of their properties are linked to the CPI," said the report.

For instance, the base rental growth rate of First REIT's Indonesian properties is pegged too twice the percentage increase of Singapore's CPI for the preceding year, with a ceiling of 2% and a floor of 0%.

For Parkway Life REIT, meanwhile, rent revision for its Singapore hospitals is a function of a CPI+1% review mechanism.

However, there may be some reprieve ahead, as Bloomberg consensus estimates point to an average Singapore CPI growth of 0.9% in 2016.
 

Join Singapore Business Review community
A NOTE FROM SINGAPORE BUSINESS REVIEW

The people you want to reach are already in this room.

Every quarter, SBR lands on the desks of the founders, CFOs, and directors running Asia's most consequential companies. Every day, they open our newsletter and read our website. It's a room that took twenty years to build — and it's the one most of our partners are trying to get into.

The good news is that the door is open. We work with companies on thought leadership articles, sponsored content, industry summits across Southeast Asia, regional awards programmes, podcasts, and media placements in print and digital. The shape of the right partnership depends on what you're trying to do, which is why we'd rather start with a conversation than send a rate card.


If you have something this room should know about, tell us. We'll tell you honestly whether we can help, and how.

No rate cards until we understand the brief. It's a better use of everyone's time.