Bad Singaporean Tenant

[sam70 0]

Just want to share my experience with my tenant which just got booted off today, 1st April 2012.

I rented out my whole unit to a Singaporean family - a matured couple with two teenagers. For the past year, I have always encountered late payment, typically a week or two late. It doesn't really concern me much until during the recent month where the rent was one month late and I got complains from the condo management that Chinese national ladies were seen in house. The noise that was created by them in the middle of night was the main source of complains. I immediately contacted the tenant and demanded an explanation, and he claimed they are relatives of his wife. They stuck to this story till the end. They have owed a total of $1600 of unpaid rental and interest. Each time I called the tenant, he has never picked the phone. When I went to the unit, his wife seems to be at loss and stuck with the story that I will be paid as they are really short of cash.

The Chinese women and the late rental gave me enough reasons to drive them out. Last night I went to the unit and told the boys that I will be coming today and insisted that the father was told to clear the house and pay the outstanding amount. He agreed. However, this morning I am faced with an almost empty house but no one was present to give me the rental owed. I have to clear some of the unwanted furniture and realized that there was an amount of approximately $1000 owed for PUB bills.

I made a police report shortly after and was told that since it's a contract agreement, it will be a civil case. I am considering all options to not only get my money back but also to leave a mark on the tenant. Think about it: the family moved out overnight and have terminated the electricity and water. My agent told me that he is suspecting that the tenant is familiar with getting out of this mess.

I hoped that potential landlords be warned regarding this Singaporean family. He has wasted my time and my agent's time. I will not reveal his full name and IC number in this public forum, but if you are suspecting that you may be receiving this family or would like to know more, please feel free to contact me here. Once again, name and IC will only be revealed in a private message. You will have to provide me a partial name and IC, and I will let you know if it's a match. Reasons for doing this is obvious.

I guess I have been gullible and was bought into his sad family stories. It's time we start blacklisting tenants (and landlords) alike.

Thank you for reading.

[Gymrat76 0]

While I sympathize with your situation, I think your solution will not be very effective. There are not that many people reading this forum (certainly when compared to the number of people renting out their flats out there!). Unless you know where they have gone to and can take action (civil suit), prob the better thing to do is to move on and treat this as a lesson learnt

[sam70 0]

While I sympathize with your situation, I think your solution will not be very effective. There are not that many people reading this forum (certainly when compared to the number of people renting out their flats out there!). Unless you know where they have gone to and can take action (civil suit), prob the better thing to do is to move on and treat this as a lesson learnt

Hi, thanks for your reply. This is just one of ways I am doing to warn people, and if they are interested to find out more, I am available to provide them with more information.

Probably the easiest task is to move on and treat as a lesson learnt, as what you have suggested. However, there is a strong tendancy for the tenant to use his tricks on other landlords. I am considering taking action so as to stop him from cheating others.

[kalimantan 6]

thanks for the info and i symapathize with your predicament.

Maybe should have found out where the teenagers school.

I always check the tenant on the following

a) students tenants - 2 months advance payments (i don't care whether their overseas parents are rich or not)

b) employees - employment pass with companies. I always make phone call to their HR. I don't trust agents myself.

For electricity bills, it should bear with the tenants name right ?

[sam70 0]

thanks for the info and i symapathize with your predicament.

Maybe should have found out where the teenagers school.

I always check the tenant on the following

a) students tenants - 2 months advance payments (i don't care whether their overseas parents are rich or not)

b) employees - employment pass with companies. I always make phone call to their HR. I don't trust agents myself.

For electricity bills, it should bear with the tenants name right ?

The tenant's kids - one is entering the army and the other should be Nanyang Polytechnic. Thanks for the tips on student tenants and employees.

As for the SP Services bill, it bore the tenant's name. However, for this case, as he has owed an outstanding bill I would need to make a trip to either HDB hub or Sommerset to open a utilities account. The customer service has assured me that they will "trace" the tenant for the outstanding amount owed.

[dean 5]

what about post at facebook or create a page at facebook? last time i have 2 tenants bro workin as manager, drove a white color car, sis study shatec. work as a manager always pay rental late by 5 days, snore like a da fei zhu (big pig), heng ah they moved out and i forfeit their 2 weeks deposit.

[sam70 0]

what about post at facebook or create a page at facebook? last time i have 2 tenants bro workin as manager, drove a white color car, sis study shatec. work as a manager always pay rental late by 5 days, snore like a da fei zhu (big pig), heng ah they moved out and i forfeit their 2 weeks deposit.

Hi, thanks for your suggestion to post or create a page at Facebook. I am not too savvy with Facebook but I am sure I can figure my way out.

You are a little fortunate than me. My previous tenant can "disappear" for a week and remain unreachable during that period.

I am wondering if anyone has taken a tenant to task. If so, appreciate if you could share your experiences.