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Landlord holding deposit w/o tenancy agreement or contract

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ramon_expat
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Landlord holding deposit w/o tenancy agreement or contract

Post by ramon_expat » Wed, 25 Feb 2015 8:45 am

Before you violently react please spend time reading the details below :) thanks!

1.) I paid 1 month advance/deposit but never gave a receipt. He told me to give the receipt and the tenancy agreement but he never gave. The only evidence that i have paid is our SMS conversation.

2.) The area is dirty and not worth to pay as much as 500sgd. The reason I have moved in here because when I viewed before I decided to get the room, because he promised to do this,that, blah blah blah but he never did what he said.

3.) There are so many cockroaches and twice a rat entered in my room and just told me to spray the area but he never did.

4.) The CR is open and the drainage system is dirty. CR is near the kitchen and near in my room. You can hear if someone uses the toilet.

5.) Some tenants told me that the URA is under investigating the building but he just transfer some of his tenants to other building and left this building very messy.

6.) The building is not secured, it is almost 4 weeks that the gate is not repaired.

7.) I asked other tenants and the LL never asked for 1 month advance/deposit. only advance payment.

I have all taken pics as my evidence about what the area is. I need advise on what to do? Can I take legal action about this? 500sgd is very big for me because i work to earn it. thank you very much! :)

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Strong Eagle
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Re: Landlord holding deposit w/o tenancy agreement or contra

Post by Strong Eagle » Wed, 25 Feb 2015 10:21 am

Live there one month and leave. Or, consider it a $500 lesson... you are very stupid to give money away without a receipt and an agreement.

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Re: Landlord holding deposit w/o tenancy agreement or contra

Post by x9200 » Wed, 25 Feb 2015 11:31 am

Why don't you catch the rat from. p.3 and try to sell it? The rat telling you to do this or that must be worth a fortune. This will let you not only to recover the $500 but possibly earn much more.

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Re: Landlord holding deposit w/o tenancy agreement or contra

Post by JR8 » Wed, 25 Feb 2015 12:13 pm

If it's in an HDB then next time you see him I'd perhaps say something like ...

'A friend told me that unless I have a written agreement/contract to rent this room, then I am breaking the law. I'm worried about that, what do you think I should do?'

This is based on your having no record of your sub-tenancy; which stinks. If the unit is let without HDB approval the LL could end up in deep s***.

By casually saying something like the above, his reaction might tell you a lot. If you conclude the let is not HDB-registered, you probably have a very large stick to potentially wield against him.

Good luck.
'Do it or do not do it: You will regret both' - Kierkegaard

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Re: Landlord holding deposit w/o tenancy agreement or contra

Post by ramon_expat » Wed, 25 Feb 2015 1:26 pm

JR8 wrote:If it's in an HDB then next time you see him I'd perhaps say something like ...

'A friend told me that unless I have a written agreement/contract to rent this room, then I am breaking the law. I'm worried about that, what do you think I should do?'

This is based on your having no record of your sub-tenancy; which stinks. If the unit is let without HDB approval the LL could end up in deep s***.

By casually saying something like the above, his reaction might tell you a lot. If you conclude the let is not HDB-registered, you probably have a very large stick to potentially wield against him.

Good luck.
hi sir, can i demand to get my deposit back because we dont have a contract agreement? the only thing i have is our text messages on my phone that i pay the advance and deposit.

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Re: Landlord holding deposit w/o tenancy agreement or contra

Post by sundaymorningstaple » Wed, 25 Feb 2015 2:30 pm

ramon_expat wrote:
JR8 wrote:If it's in an HDB then next time you see him I'd perhaps say something like ...

'A friend told me that unless I have a written agreement/contract to rent this room, then I am breaking the law. I'm worried about that, what do you think I should do?'

This is based on your having no record of your sub-tenancy; which stinks. If the unit is let without HDB approval the LL could end up in deep s***.

By casually saying something like the above, his reaction might tell you a lot. If you conclude the let is not HDB-registered, you probably have a very large stick to potentially wield against him.

Good luck.
hi sir, can i demand to get my deposit back because we dont have a contract agreement? the only thing i have is our text messages on my phone that i pay the advance and deposit.
You you have a text message from him acknowledging receipt of your message?, if not, you don't have anything, not even proof that you gave him any money at all. Best thing is to approach it with what JR8 suggested. If that doesn't work, walk away from it sadder but wiser.
SOME PEOPLE TRY TO TURN BACK THEIR ODOMETERS. NOT ME. I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW WHY I LOOK THIS WAY. I'VE TRAVELED A LONG WAY, AND SOME OF THE ROADS WEREN'T PAVED. ~ Will Rogers

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Re: Landlord holding deposit w/o tenancy agreement or contra

Post by ramon_expat » Wed, 25 Feb 2015 3:30 pm

hi @sundaymorningstaple, the sms was that the LL confirmed received the 500 in his ocbc account and the remaining 500 will give on transfer. because when i gave the advance payment that was cash, and he said he will give the contract and receipt later that is why he let me moved in because i have paid advance and deposit.

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Re: Landlord holding deposit w/o tenancy agreement or contra

Post by x9200 » Wed, 25 Feb 2015 3:34 pm

You can also try a bit dirty (but not more dirty than what your LL does) trick and provoke him in a conversation to admit he received the payment. Of course you would need either a voice recorder or a witness.

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Re: Landlord holding deposit w/o tenancy agreement or contra

Post by ramon_expat » Wed, 25 Feb 2015 3:38 pm

@x9200 - maybe i will text him now to ask for a receipt about the advance and deposit. :)

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