Tenant of 2-room flat allegedly sublets to 10 others
A woman who rented out her two-room flat in February was shocked to discover that her tenants had allegedly sublet the unit to at least 10 other occupants.
Ms Luo, a 60-year-old cleaner, told Shin Min Daily News that she had found the two tenants through an agent.
The tenants, who claimed to be students from Sri Lanka interning in Singapore, agreed to a one-year lease and paid a month's rent upfront, along with an additional month's rent as a security deposit.
After handing over the keys, Ms Luo embarked on a trip overseas. Upon her return, she discovered that the tenants had not yet registered their information with the authorities, despite her inquiries through the agent.
Approximately one month later, while having dinner with a friend near her Jalan Batu flat, Ms Luo decided to pay a visit to her property. To her disbelief, she found the unit transformed into a crowded dwelling.
Three single mattresses were strewn across the living room floor, four bunk beds crammed into the bedroom, and a double mattress tucked away in a corner of the kitchen, concealed by a wardrobe.
"I was shocked when I walked in," Ms Luo recounted. "The house had completely changed. My furniture had been removed. The whole unit looked very dirty and messy."
She encountered three individuals she had never seen before exiting the unit and, upon confronting them, discovered several more occupants inside. It's estimated that over 10 people were living in the flat.
Ms Luo immediately instructed everyone to vacate the premises that day.
She returned the following day to find the flat empty, with only the mattresses and some belongings left behind. Although she managed to secure new tenants for the unit in June, the experience left her shaken.
Ms Luo urges other landlords to remain vigilant and to conduct regular checks on their properties after renting them out to prevent similar situations from occurring. She also expressed her frustration that the original tenants seemingly profited by subletting the flat
- If you have a story to share, e-mail us at tnp@sph.com.sg
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now