r/SingaporeRental

This is something I wish someone had told me before I signed my lease.

If you’re renting a place, try to avoid units that have already been sitting vacant. In my experience, it can be a huge red flag because many issues only become apparent after you move in.

I rented a unit that was already untenanted. After moving in, I discovered multiple structural issues that weren’t obvious during the viewing. Despite documenting these problems and raising them, I later found myself being held responsible for costs that I believe were unrelated to my use of the property. In the end, I was asked to pay almost 3x my security deposit.

To make matters worse, after I vacated the property, the landlord didn’t arrange viewings or make reasonable efforts to find a replacement tenant for a period of time. I’m now also being asked to pay for the alleged rental income that was forgone during that period.

The whole experience has been incredibly stressful and expensive.
My takeaway is simple: if a property is already vacant, ask yourself why. Get an independent inspection if possible, document everything before moving in, and make sure you understand exactly what you’re agreeing to in the tenancy agreement.
Hopefully this helps someone avoid going through what I did.

First of all, thanks to everyone who commented on my previous post. Reading your replies made me realize I’m not crazy for feeling the way I do.

Well… today proved I made the right decision.

I only gave the landlord’s son one week’s notice that I was moving out. I didn’t even bother telling the uncle directly because after three years, I’ve learned there’s really no point trying to reason with him.

Just now he came and banged on my bedroom door so hard I honestly thought something had happened.

The first thing he asked, in a very angry tone, was:

“So you’re moving out tomorrow?”

Then he followed it up with:
“I’ve never scolded you before. I’ve always been very nice to you all.”

I genuinely didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Never scolded us?

This is the same person who constantly complained about air-con usage, cooking, using the washing machine, washing blankets “too often,” and basically anything tenants did. It wasn’t just me either. Every batch of tenants seemed to get the same treatment.

But here’s the part that really shocked me.

He suddenly claimed that I’ve only been paying $800 rent instead of $850.

Excuse me… what?

The rent was increased from $800 to $850 ages ago.
Ever since my sister moved out, I’ve been paying the full $850 by myself. Every single month I’d hand him the cash, stand there while he counted it, and only leave after he finished counting.

Now, on my last day, he suddenly says I’ve been underpaying all this while?

Because everything was paid in cash, I don’t have transfer records. I only have ATM withdrawal records, which don’t prove how much I handed him.

Honestly, that’s what frustrates me the most. If there had actually been a $50 shortfall, why wait until the day before I move out to mention it? Why accept the money every month without saying anything?

This entire experience has taught me one thing:
Always insist on a written tenancy agreement and always pay via bank transfer or PayNow. Cash-only arrangements leave you with almost no protection if disputes happen.

Anyway, lesson learned.

To anyone looking to rent around 394 Bukit Batok West Ave 5, please do your homework before committing. Cheap rent isn’t always worth the stress.

I’m just glad tomorrow is my last day there.