Inviting visitors to the rented house

[RockyRambo]

Hi ,

I would like to know what is the general rule of inviting personal visitors / guests to the rented house. I am in a mutual disagreement with the landlady who is not allowing any visitor into the premises at any time of the day / night. I stay in a master bedroom in a landed house. I have paid a deposit of 1500 sgd and i am paying a monthly rental of 1530 including utilities.
She didn't put this clause categorically on the tenancy agreement which I have signed. Before I rented it, she however made a verbal mention with a normal hint/ tone that she has requested everyone to keep friends outside but there was never a categorical strict statement from her about it. Also, there is no such clause mentioned on the agreement.
I have had a discussion with the landlady who is refusing to listen to my request of allowing guest(s) with prior notification/ approval from her and paying charges if they stay during the night. She is very straight forward about it and has refused it categorically.
I have a one year lease agreement and have asked her the next steps should I wish to terminate it. She has told me to give a reply in some time.
I am damn sure that she will give a standard reply that in case the tenant wishes to terminate early, he will have to lose the deposit and pay all the month's rentals until the lease ends. I am definitely not going to do that, so what options do I have?
If I wish to stay for two months without paying the rent, can she throw away my property outside?
Isn't there a general rule stating that visitors are allowed in the rented houses with prior approvals or during the day time or asked to be paid for if they stay during the night?
What's the best that I can do? pls advise urgently...I am staying in a landed house..!!

[sundaymorningstaple]

Hi ,

I would like to know what is the general rule of inviting personal visitors / guests to the rented house. I am in a mutual disagreement with the landlady who is not allowing any visitor into the premises at any time of the day / night. I stay in a master bedroom in a landed house. I have paid a deposit of 1500 sgd and i am paying a monthly rental of 1530 including utilities.
She didn't put this clause categorically on the tenancy agreement which I have signed. Before I rented it, she however made a verbal mention with a normal hint/ tone that she has requested everyone to keep friends outside but there was never a categorical strict statement from her about it. Also, there is no such clause mentioned on the agreement.
I have had a discussion with the landlady who is refusing to listen to my request of allowing guest(s) with prior notification/ approval from her and paying charges if they stay during the night. She is very straight forward about it and has refused it categorically.
I have a one year lease agreement and have asked her the next steps should I wish to terminate it. She has told me to give a reply in some time.
I am damn sure that she will give a standard reply that in case the tenant wishes to terminate early, he will have to lose the deposit and pay all the month's rentals until the lease ends. I am definitely not going to do that, so what options do I have?
If I wish to stay for two months without paying the rent, can she throw away my property outside?
Isn't there a general rule stating that visitors are allowed in the rented houses with prior approvals or during the day time or asked to be paid for if they stay during the night?
What's the best that I can do? pls advise urgently...I am staying in a landed house..!!

If you are only renting a room in a flat that only has one common access point for the whole house, then I'd have to say she would be within her rights to forbid the occasional guest as there is no hold over the guest and they could theoretically trash the place or be illegal immigrants or steal stuff from the rest of the house. Add to that, the fact that she already told you prior to the taking up of the lease, that guests were forbidden. Therefore, suck it up. As far as not paying the rent, she might just change the lock on your bedroom door until such time as she gets paid. The law is on her side, believe me.

[RockyRambo]

If you are only renting a room in a flat that only has one common access point for the whole house, then I'd have to say she would be within her rights to forbid the occasional guest as there is no hold over the guest and they could theoretically trash the place or be illegal immigrants or steal stuff from the rest of the house. Add to that, the fact that she already told you prior to the taking up of the lease, that guests were forbidden. Therefore, suck it up. As far as not paying the rent, she might just change the lock on your bedroom door until such time as she gets paid. The law is on her side, believe me.

Yeah, I know! However, she should have put that on the advertisement clearly and /or should have mentioned on the tenancy agreement clearly. See, if it is not mentioned as a clause, it is not actionable. Well, if the question is only about security then these things could be avoided by a process where the tenant can send her the passport/ IC , etc of the guest that he is thinking to invite. The landlady can be notified a-priori about that. She is just being unreasonable about it. Now it is a question of being a goon. She can do that by changing the locks to the gates, etc. There is no limit to these things. Some agent did mention that visitors are allowed with proper notification to the rented house and if they stay over night then the tenant pays for them. But who goes to court? so either I play the goon or I suck it up.!

[PNGMK]

Personally I would invite your guests in.... when she makes a fuss call the police and show them the lease agreement.

There's no trespass here as far as I can tell.

[Beeroclock]

Yeah, I know! However, she should have put that on the advertisement clearly and /or should have mentioned on the tenancy agreement clearly. See, if it is not mentioned as a clause, it is not actionable. Well, if the question is only about security then these things could be avoided by a process where the tenant can send her the passport/ IC , etc of the guest that he is thinking to invite. The landlady can be notified a-priori about that. She is just being unreasonable about it. Now it is a question of being a goon. She can do that by changing the locks to the gates, etc. There is no limit to these things. Some agent did mention that visitors are allowed with proper notification to the rented house and if they stay over night then the tenant pays for them. But who goes to court? so either I play the goon or I suck it up.!

Re the above, here's a quote from the sticky on t/a's in the staying in Singapore sub forum.....

In general, the law in Singapore is very much biased in favor of the landlord. Basically, in a court of law, if the right is not explicitly written into the contract, the tenant does not have it.

[RockyRambo]

Personally I would invite your guests in.... when she makes a fuss call the police and show them the lease agreement.

There's no trespass here as far as I can tell.

Yeah, she will call the police herself saying that an unknown person has trespassed into the premises..I don't know what will the police do? How will they react about it? I have no idea.

[RockyRambo]

Yeah, I know! However, she should have put that on the advertisement clearly and /or should have mentioned on the tenancy agreement clearly. See, if it is not mentioned as a clause, it is not actionable.

Re the above, here's a quote from the sticky on t/a's in the staying in Singapore sub forum.....

In general, the law in Singapore is very much biased in favor of the landlord. Basically, in a court of law, if the right is not explicitly written into the contract, the tenant does not have it.

Exactly, so that's not explicitly written in my contract that I can't bring guests over hence it is not actionable. It's a case of mutual disagreement between her and myself.

[x9200]

Yeah, I know! However, she should have put that on the advertisement clearly and /or should have mentioned on the tenancy agreement clearly. See, if it is not mentioned as a clause, it is not actionable.

Re the above, here's a quote from the sticky on t/a's in the staying in Singapore sub forum.....

In general, the law in Singapore is very much biased in favor of the landlord. Basically, in a court of law, if the right is not explicitly written into the contract, the tenant does not have it.

Exactly, so that's not explicitly written in my contract that I can't bring guests over hence it is not actionable. It's a case of mutual disagreement between her and myself.

Does she live with you in the same apartment?

[RockyRambo]

Does she live with you in the same apartment?

absolutely, else why would there have been a problem. It is a landed house. She is on the ground floor.

[x9200]

Does she live with you in the same apartment?

absolutely, else why would there have been a problem. It is a landed house. She is on the ground floor.

If you share some areas with her like the kitchen or some bathroom then IMHO it is a privacy issue. She agreed to have you as a stranger in her house and not a bunch of other people she knows nothing about. It's not only your stuff over there and she has full right to decide to whom she is going to show it. Same goes the other way around, so she has no right to bring her guests to you bedroom without your consent but for the fact the rest of the place or some common areas are under her, not yours possession. The only case you might have if you have a separate entrance and share nothing with her.

[Beeroclock]

Yeah, I know! However, she should have put that on the advertisement clearly and /or should have mentioned on the tenancy agreement clearly. See, if it is not mentioned as a clause, it is not actionable.

Re the above, here's a quote from the sticky on t/a's in the staying in Singapore sub forum.....

In general, the law in Singapore is very much biased in favor of the landlord. Basically, in a court of law, if the right is not explicitly written into the contract, the tenant does not have it.

Exactly, so that's not explicitly written in my contract that I can't bring guests over hence it is not actionable. It's a case of mutual disagreement between her and myself.

er, not exactly, the interpretation I draw is you need to have a clause allowing you to have visitors with pre notice, etc.

[RockyRambo]

If you share some areas with her like the kitchen or some bathroom then IMHO it is a privacy issue. She agreed to have you as a stranger in her house and not a bunch of other people she knows nothing about. It's not only your stuff over there and she has full right to decide to whom she is going to show it. Same goes the other way around, so she has no right to bring her guests to you bedroom without your consent but for the fact the rest of the place or some common areas are under her, not yours possession. The only case you might have if you have a separate entrance and share nothing with her.

It's a landed house and I share nothing with her. I have my own room and I am not asking the guest who comes over to share the kitchen or come in the common area/ space. He/she will just use the entrance to come inside the premises. I am also ready to inform her a priori, so it can't be a privacy issue.

[RockyRambo]

Re the above, here's a quote from the sticky on t/a's in the staying in Singapore sub forum.....

Exactly, so that's not explicitly written in my contract that I can't bring guests over hence it is not actionable. It's a case of mutual disagreement between her and myself.

er, not exactly, the interpretation I draw is you need to have a clause allowing you to have visitors with pre notice, etc.

So that also doesn't mean that whatever is not mentioned in the contract could or should be forced upon me. Being chimerical has no limitations whatsoever, so that wouldn't mean that things should be pushed down the throat of the tenant. The moot point is to have both parties abide by the written agreement.

[ohmz52]

What is wrong with landlords in SG? All I ever hear are horror stories.

[sundaymorningstaple]

Yeah, I know! However, she should have put that on the advertisement clearly and /or should have mentioned on the tenancy agreement clearly. See, if it is not mentioned as a clause, it is not actionable.

Re the above, here's a quote from the sticky on t/a's in the staying in Singapore sub forum.....

In general, the law in Singapore is very much biased in favor of the landlord. Basically, in a court of law, if the right is not explicitly written into the contract, the tenant does not have it.

Exactly, so that's not explicitly written in my contract that I can't bring guests over hence it is not actionable. It's a case of mutual disagreement between her and myself.

Rocky, I would suggest you read it again. if the right IS NOT written into the contract, the tenant DOES NOT HAVE IT. Boy the way. YOU are the Tenant. She is the Landlord. Fight it if you must, but you are going to lose. You have already admitted she mentioned it prior to you signing the lease, therefore you already had plenty of warning.