Landlord makes migrant workers leave their rented room at Poh Huat Road within 10 minutes of arrival, refuses to return $500 deposit

Two Chinese nationals who rented a room at Poh Huat Road were made to leave almost as soon as they moved in.

Moreover, the landlord, who appeared to take offence when asked why his mobile number had so many 3s in it, refused to return the $500 they had paid as part of their deposit.

The two men, who work in a warehouse, told Shin Min Daily News that the terms of the rental agreement were very strict, and added that they believe this is a scheme from the owner to keep the deposits that would-be tenants pay.

The two workers had made arrangements to take the room at a landed property on Poh Huat Road, for a monthly rental fee of $1,000.

The first step they made was to deposit $500 to the landlord. 

On March 16, the day they were scheduled to sign the lease and move in, the workers transferred an additional $1,500 to the landlord.

This amount would cover the rent for the first month, plus $500 more for the deposit. 

Shin Min Daily News reported that the two men, Mr Yuan and Mr Li, encountered problems when they signed the lease with the landlord.

When the landlord gave his number to the two men, one of them asked him, “why does your number have so many 3s in it?”

The landlord then seemed to get angry at the men.

“The landlord answered that my number has so many 8s, and that I’ll never be rich in my life,” Mr Li told Shin Min.

The landlord even raised his hand as if to strike Mr Li, but Mr Yuan stepped in.

This angered the landlord even more, and he reportedly chased the two workers out of his house.

According to Mr Yuan, they were only at the property for 10 minutes and were forced to find another place to stay.

However, the landlord returned only $1,500 from what the two men initially paid, keeping the first $500 they had transferred earlier.

Messrs Yuan and Li reported the landlord to the police.

Mr Yuan also told Shin Min of the landlord’s change in attitude, saying that in contrast to how he behaved when they were just looking at the room, the man was curt on the day they were supposed to move in.

He added that the rental agreement stipulated that tenants show the landlord respect, and insisted that he be called “homeowner, or boss, or big brother”.

The landlord had also told the men that if he told them to move out, they should do so within three days.

Shin Min Daily News, which saw the contract, said that tenants were required to shut doors gently and not make loud noises, maintain cleanliness not only in the room they rented but also the living room, as well as under the stairs every third and eighth day of the month.

Moreover, according to the contract, the tenancy agreement may be revoked if these rules are broken more than once, without the deposit being returned.

Shin Min Daily News reached out to the owner of the house, but he could not be contacted. /TISG

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