PUBLISHED ONJuly 01, 2022 11:00 AMByClaudia TanAfter they were told to move out, a couple was shocked when their landlord did the exact opposite of what she told them to do — she locked one of them in the flat.
The female tenant surnamed Hua told Shin Min Daily News she had been packing her belongings to move to her new place on Thursday (June 30) when she discovered her landlord had changed the lock on the gate.
The 30-year-old interior designer had been renting a room in a flat at Block 351D Anchorvale Road with her boyfriend Zhang since mid-April.
Two months later, they were told to move out by end-June as the landlord said her relatives were moving in. The couple didn't question her request and managed to find another place to rent.
While moving out, however, the couple ran into some trouble.
"I was packing my luggage at about 10am, my boyfriend left to move some of our belongings to the new place," Hua said.
When he returned at around 2pm, he realised that the locks had been changed.
"He couldn't enter the house and I couldn't leave," Hua said.
Despite multiple pleas from the couple, the landlord refused to open the door. Left with no choice, they called the police.
"Even after the police arrived, she still refused to open the door. I could only stay in the room."
Five hours later, the landlord burst into the tenant's room and began to kick up a fuss. "She hit my head and scratched my arm. In retaliation, I also pulled her hair."
Frightened, Hua began yelling for help. Neighbours heard her cries and alerted the Chinese evening daily.
Her boyfriend also called the police a second time.
Hua told Shin Min that her right hand was fractured — an injury she believes is a result of the scuffle with her landlord.
When asked why she locked her tenant in the house, the landlord claimed someone had stolen her key and took thousands of dollars from her.
But Zhang rubbished the landlord's accusation, saying: "How could there be so much money in her house?"
The tenants intended to return the keys to the landlord after they have moved all their belongings over to the new place, Zhang added.
When contacted by AsiaOne, the police confirmed a report was made.
Hua and Zhang aren't the only ones who have had an unpleasant experience with this landlord.
In March, another tenant — a 29-year-old Malaysian — was also driven out by the same landlord who claimed she wanted to sell the house.
She also refused to return his $800 deposit and threatened to call the police on him.
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When he was staying in the Sengkang flat, the man alleged that the landlord "supervised" his every move in the house. She also restricted his shower time to five minutes, and did not allow him to turn on the lights at night.
"She falsely accused me of being an illegal immigrant. She didn't relent until the police came to confirm my identity," the man said.
After sharing his experience on social media, almost 20 people came forward to say that they too, had experienced trouble with this landlord.
In an interview with 8world, the landlord refuted her past tenants' allegations and claimed they had been working together to "create fake news" against her.
"The tenants violated the lease and made me spend more than $9,500 to renovate the house, but their deposit was less than $1,000. Even the judge told me not to return a single cent to them.
"I have rented out rooms for about 20 years. There are indeed a few tenants who always break the lease and have tried to cheat."
Tenants who are experiencing disputes with their landlords can contact the Singapore Mediation Centre for help.
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claudiatan@asiaone.com