“I know she is the landlord but…” – Tenant thinks landlady enters her room without permission

SINGAPORE: A concerned tenant took to a complaint group on Wednesday (Feb 26) to share her suspicions regarding her landlady, who she suspects enters her room without permission. She then turned to Singaporeans to ask what actions she could take.

“I live in the same house as my landlord and from the first time I had a feeling that my landlord might have entered my room without permission because the things I put on the table were suddenly on my bed,” the woman wrote, “but I thought maybe before I went out I put the things there and I didn’t think too much (about it). But this happened often until I decided to take pictures of the entire situation of my room before leaving and it’s true.

“Today I saw that the position of the things in my room changed. She entered my room but I don’t know what she was doing in my room. I know she is the landlord but I pay for the room and I always pay rent on time. What action can I take?”

While a handful encouraged the woman to move out as trust has been broken, others encouraged her to talk to her landlady about it in order to confirm her suspicions. “As of now, you have no proof that she entered your room,” said one. “As the landlord, there is no law to prevent them from moving around their property unless you have missing stuff and can lodge a report. Get a pinhole camera and install it in your room for monitoring or get approval from your landlord to install a secondary lock.”

“You took photos, right?” said another. “So you have proof. Go speak to the landlord now. Better to confront the issue now than later. If she denies–get another place ASAP, pack up, leave – and lodge a police report. Just cause she rented the room to you doesn’t mean she can invade your privacy. Don’t be afraid. You have rights too, as a tenant.”

One commenter shared a different perspective, as a landlady herself. “I am a landlord, and it’s: 1. My house, 2. My tenant allows me to enter her room, and 3. It’s a mutual agreement on the contract. As my helper helps to tidy the room and we keep her clothes when dry to leave the clothes in her room,” she said. “It’s called living happily together.”

According to Property Guru, in Singapore, landlords are legally allowed to access any part of their property, including rented rooms. However, one of the most common tenant complaints is when landlords enter without permission or check their rooms while they are not present. Therefore, having a well-defined leasing contract that addresses these scenarios is essential.

While Singapore’s rental laws generally favour landlords, they can face consequences if the tenancy agreement explicitly prohibits unjustified entry into the tenant’s room. Tenants can ensure their tenancy agreement includes specific provisions that restrict the landlord from entering their room, protecting their rights and preventing such situations.

See also: ‘We wish to have a space of our own, but we are in no possible position to be able to afford or even try for a BTO’: How do couples manage living with their in-laws?