36-year-old Lin Ding Hu, who was staying at a rental unit with his girlfriend at Boon Lay Drive, had reportedly set fire to the unit after the landlord decided to raise the rent, according to Shin Min Daily News.
He pleaded guilty on Friday (5 May) to arson and was sentenced to 8 months imprisonment.
The 45-year-old landlord had told Lin in February that he was going to raise their rent from $750 to $950 per month from April onwards.
Lin had trouble affording the new increased rent and decided to set the flat on fire as a way to distract the landlord from raising the rent.
When Lin left the home to go to work on the morning of 5 April, he threw a lighted lighter into a corner of the living room that was used as a storage area.
The ensuing smoke then woke up the landlord about an hour later, who tried to put out the fire and also called the SCDF for help.
While putting out the fire, the landlord suffered burns to his right limbs and ended up being given 13 days of medical leave.
The clothes and electronic equipment inside the home were also destroyed in the fire, costing the landlord more than $3,000 in repairs.
According to SMDN, Lin had denied being responsible for the fire in the beginning but later confessed to his crimes after being shown CCTV footage by the police.
He pleaded guilty on Friday and was sentenced to 8 months imprisonment.
Lin pleaded for leniency during his mitigation and said that he is getting married next year and hopes to reunite with his family in Malaysia, adding that he is the sole breadwinner for his family which includes his 90-year-old grandmother and elderly parents.
He also apologised to the landlord in court for his actions.