Netizens divided over ex-tenant having to pay for damage to property

Singapore — A former tenant says her ex-landlord wants her to pay for damage to the property.

She has posted her side of the story on Facebook and asked for advice from commenters since she was unsure how to handle the situation.

She says she and her husband vacated the rental unit in January since they were moving overseas. After they left, the landlord’s agent sent a list of “damages” and charges for each item damaged.

The landlord withheld a sum of money from the couple’s security deposit and refused to return the sum, the former tenant alleges. She also says that most of the damage was caused by wear and tear. After consulting a friend who worked in real estate and looking for information online, she says, she found that she should not be asked to pay if the landlord decides to repair or replace parts of the property.

When the couple tried to negotiate with the landlord and split the payment, the landlord was adamant that all payments should be made by the couple, who afterwards brought the case to the Small Claim Tribunals, which are part of the State Courts of Singapore.

Afterwards, they were unable to contact the landlord’s agent. The couple were only able to contact their landlord through his agent since they did not have the landlord’s contact information.

The couple will be going to court for their case hearing and will be represented by a friend.

The former tenant included a few photographs in her post. The photos showed the damage to the property and the amount that the landlord was charging for each damaged item.

A few netizens agreed that the damage was due to wear and tear.

A few others felt that the former tenant was careless in the maintenance of the unit. Some also felt that the landlord was being very lenient and charging quite a low price.

A few others thought that the landlord was entitled to ask the tenant to pay for the damage. However, they also said that the landlord was charging a high amount. /TISG