Add this to the list of nightmare landlords: a woman who allegedly changed locks while a couple was in the middle of moving out—locking one in and forcing the other to stay outside her flat.
The woman was locked in her room at Block 351D Anchorvale Road for several hours while her boyfriend transferred their possessions to their new rental unit.
When he got back, he couldn’t get in, and neither could his girlfriend get out as the landlady refused to open the door, even after they had called the police, Shin Min Daily News reported.
A fight between the woman, Ms Hua; and the landlady even broke out after the landlady entered the woman’s room and reportedly scratched her arm and hit her head.
Ms Hua, 30, who claimed to have sustained a fractured arm from the fight, said she pulled the landlady’s hair as she fought back.
The tenant also called for help, which alarmed her neighbours, who started knocking on the door and even called Shin Min.
But the landlady claims she locked her tenant in because her key had been stolen.
Moreover, she alleged that thousands of dollars had been taken from her.
The couple had been staying at the landlady’s flat since April 15 but they were told by the landlady after two months that her relatives were coming and they needed to move out.
This was not a problem for Ms Hua and her boyfriend, Mr Zhang, 33, who were able to find another flat.
On June 30, however, the woman said she was packing her bags while Mr Zhang had brought some things to their new place.
At around 2 o’clock in the afternoon, when he returned, he discovered the new lock on the gate.
Ms Hua told Shin Min Daily News, “He couldn’t enter the house and I couldn’t leave.”
They then pleaded with the landlady, but she would not open the door.
This was when they called the police.
But the landlady still would not budge, leaving Ms Hua trapped in her room.
To her surprise, at around 7 pm the landlady entered her room and started a fight.
Mr Zhang then called the police again, and the landlady finally opened the door.
She alleged that money had been stolen from her, which the couple staunchly denied.
They added that they had naturally planned on returning the key to the landlady after having removed all of their belongings.
Unfortunately, complaints about the landlady can be found on Facebook, as other renters have told of similar experiences of troubles with her after being told to move out.
A WeChat group with at least 16 people with stories about the landlady also exists.
One particular former tenant, a 29-year-old food stall assistant, alleged that the landlady refused to return his deposit.
/TISG