PLife – BT

Parkway Life Reit raises rentals in line with CPI

PARKWAY Life Reit’s manager says it has raised the rent at Singapore hospitals under its portfolio by some 6.25 per cent, in line with the rise of the consumer price index (CPI).

Parkway Trust Management, manager of the Reit, said the revised rates will be effective from Aug 23 this year to Aug 22 next.

The new rental rates are based on the CPI+1 per cent formula. ‘Based on the information obtained from the Singapore Department of Statistics, the CPI for the first year of the term has been agreed at 5.25 per cent,’ Parkway Trust Management said in a statement.

About 80 per cent of Parkway Life Reit’s revenues come from its Singapore hospitals, consisting of Mount Elizabeth Hospital, Gleneagles Hospital, East Shore Hospital as well as 40 medical suites in Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre and the Gleneagles Medical Centre.

‘With the Singapore hospital properties as the main contributor to the performance of PREIT, the long leases and annual rent review pegged to CPI+1 per cent ensure there is downside protection and that our unit holders continue to enjoy stable and sustainable returns,’ said Justine Wingrove, chief executive officer of Parkway Trust Management.

From Aug 23 last year, the day it was listed, to June 30 this year, total gross rental revenue from the Singapore hospital properties in its portfolio was $40.75 million.

Apart from the Singapore hospitals, Parkway Life Reit also owns nine nursing homes and a pharmaceutical products distributing and manufacturing facility, all in Japan. It continues to eye assets in China, India, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and Thailand for acquisition.

On Sept 30, the Reit’s portfolio size stood at $1 billion. Shares of Parkway Life Reit ended down 2 cents at 90 cents yesterday.