Tenant allegedly broke visitor rules by having girlfriend stay overnight and having visitors after 10.30pm
A Singapore landlord has shared her frustrating experience with a tenant whom she claims repeatedly disregarded visitor rules.
This was despite multiple reminders and clarifications, which ultimately led her to terminate the tenancy.
Landlord made an exception for tenant
The affected landlord told MS News that she had rented out a room in her property to a foreigner early this year.
According to her, the tenant moved in on 11 Jan, and there were no major issues at first.
Before the tenancy began, the landlord had informed the tenant that visitors would generally not be allowed.
Screenshot provided by MS News reader
The tenancy agreement also stated that “one visitor is allowed but no overnight stay”.
However, after he requested permission to invite his girlfriend over occasionally, the landlord agreed to make an exception.
She explained: “Understanding that couples may wish to spend time together, I agreed to allow visitors under certain conditions.”
To account for the extra utility usage, she charged the tenant an additional S$50 per month.
Tenant allegedly broke visitor rules repeatedly
Problems allegedly surfaced in early May when the landlord discovered that the tenant had brought a female visitor to stay overnight.
She also claimed that on one occasion, the female visitor arrived after midnight and only left the following morning.
According to the landlord, similar incidents like this occurred on several subsequent occasions.
Screenshot provided by MS News reader
When confronted, the tenant allegedly said he had misunderstood the agreement and believed occasional overnight stays were permitted.
The landlord then clarified that visitors were required to leave by 10.30pm, and that overnight stays were not allowed.
However, she claimed the issue persisted even after the clarification, with visitors continuing to leave after the stipulated timing.
Tenancy terminated after repeated breaches
Feeling that the house rules and tenancy agreement were not respected, the landlord decided to terminate the tenancy.
She shared with MS News that after deciding to do so, she issued a one-month notice to the tenant in accordance with the agreement.
Footage provided by MS News reader
However, she alleged that the tenant did not provide an official response regarding the termination or make arrangements for the handover of the room.
The situation reportedly became even more frustrating and stressful for the landlord afterwards.
According to her, the tenant continued bringing over different visitors to the property while also failing to respond to messages from her property agent regarding the handover process.
Landlord hopes her experience raises awareness
Reflecting on the experience, she said landlords should conduct proper background checks and ensure tenancy agreements clearly spell out visitor policies, house rules, and consequences for breaches.
She acknowledged that every dispute has two sides and stressed that she was only sharing her personal experience.
She also hoped to raise awareness among both landlords and tenants about the importance of respecting tenancy agreements and maintaining open communication throughout a rental arrangement.
The landlord informed MS News that the tenant has since moved out of her property on 10 June. As such, she is currently looking for a new tenant.
“I’m not going to allow any visitors in future to avoid any complications,” she said.
Also read: Jurong East HDB landlord allegedly pressures tenant to move out before 6-month minimum rental period
Jurong East HDB landlord allegedly pressures tenant to move out before 6-month minimum rental period
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Featured image adapted from tang90246 on Canva for illustration purposes only.
