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Couple pay hefty sum to rent luxury condo, then claim agent-cum-landlord violates privacy

This article is more than 12 months old

A Singapore couple were so enticed by the idea of living in an upscale condo in Marina Bay, that they agreed to the condition of paying a lump sum of $48,000 to rent the apartment for two years. 

Now, they’re wishing they never set eyes on The Sail@Marina Bay after finding themselves at the mercy of their real estate agent, whom they later found out was also their landlord.

In July this year, a 27-year-old woman and her boyfriend rented a bedroom in one of the two-bedroom units at The Sail @ Marina Bay. According to Chinese newspaper Lianhe Wanbao, it was agreed, with the agent, that the other room would remain vacant for the landlord to stay in whenever he was in Singapore. 

The agent also said the rent cost around $3,000 a month, but could be reduced to $2,000 if they pay two years' rent in advance. 

Thinking that they would be able to have the apartment to themselves most of the time, the couple paid the $48,000. 

However, their hopes were dashed when after a few months, the agent began bringing potential tenants to view the apartment.

"Sometimes he brought them in without letting us know in advance. It's violating our privacy," the woman told the Chinese evening daily.

Even the kitchen became a point of contention between the couple and the agent.

The woman claimed she was told by the agent they would have full use of the kitchen upon moving in. But the agent later told her they had only rented "half of the kitchen" and therefore could only clear out half of the items in the kitchen. 

The couple also said the agent told them to remove food and utensils in the kitchen before he brings prospective tenants to view the apartment.

"He threatened to throw away our things if we didn't follow his instructions. We have no choice but to keep them in the bedroom, and only bring them out when we need to," the woman said. 

Responding to Wanbao's queries, a key executive officer of Propnex Realty, Mr Lim Yong Hock, said it was not common practice for landlords to collect two years' worth of rent in advance. 

He also does not recommend tenants to do this. 

"If the tenant moves out, the landlord may not refund the rental amount. If the landlord goes bankrupt and the property is repossessed, it's very difficult for the tenant to recover the rent without going through legal channels," he said. 

He added that in such cases, the landlord usually has a motive for collecting rent in advance and for renting it out cheaply, and urged tenants to take precautions. 

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

The couple claimed they found out the agent was also the landlord only after signing the lease. 

In accordance with guidelines from the Council of Estate Agencies (CEA), real estate agents are required to inform prospective tenants upfront about conflicts of interest. 

The woman told Wanbao that she has lodged a complaint with CEA. 

In response to the allegations, the agent, who declined to be named, said he had made things clear before the lease was signed. 

"The apartment costs more than $2 million and the monthly mortgage payment is almost $6,000. I'm renting it to them at a loss, so I need to find another tenant. I never said the other bedroom would not be rented out," he told Wanbao.

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