Got scammed by landlord during trip to SG, what now?
I recently was in SG for 3 months, rented an room at private apartment, upon leaving SG the landlord did not return my security deposit at the end of a pre-agreed period. He has not provided any proof of damages or invoice of repairs if any. He is also ignoring my attempts to contact him.
I looked into the small claims tribunal to file a claim but apparently a claimant needs to be within Singapore in order to register for the tribunal and serve the order. I doubt this is the first time he has pulled this scam. How are foreign victims supposed to seek justice in this situation? Airfare back to sg and lodging would be nearly the amount lost.
Would contacting their bank in SG be a alternative considering they’re scamming funds with the account?
Netizens’ comments
- Can try lodging a police report but yes, it is extremely difficult to report him if you are not in Singapore. You can blast the landlord on social media to spread awareness though
- Landlord stealing deposits. Tale as old as time
- I would like to emphasise that the following does not constitute as legal advice.
As a landlord, I can assure you that landlords are strictly prohibited from keeping any part of the security deposit without explicitly stating the reasons why (e.g damages etc).
Also, do note that for private apartments/property, tenancy leases are not allowed to be less than 3 months. This is a regulation set by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA).
If your landlord had rented out the place to you for less than 3 months, he has flouted the law.
Also, there is a chance that if your landlord has kept your security deposit illegally, he may not be declaring any rental income to Singapore’s tax authority, Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS), that he had earned (because bad behaviour by landlord tends to indicate such trend).
If I am in your shoes, and again, this does not constitute as legal advice, would be to contact the landlord with an ultimatum that if he does not return you your security deposit in full by a certain deadline, you would take his name, contact details, the address of the place and lodge a police report at i-witness (https://www.police.gov.sg/iwitness),and that you would also inform URA (if the tenancy lease was less than 3 months) and also inform IRAS.
However, do bear in mind that it is possible that the person you had been dealing with is not even the real landlord. It is exceedingly common for foreigners in Singapore to rent a place in Singapore as the main tenant, then illegally sublet it out for short-period stays without the landlord’s knowledge.