Hi, I recently left Singapore and I'm currently going through a battle with a property agent for getting my deposit back.
I stayed in the apartment for 3 years; I completed a 2-year contract + reniewed the contract with an expat clause which I could exit the contract after 6 months from the comencing date (+3 months notice) in case of leaving the country.
On the handover day, the agent mentioned that the place would require another professional cleaning. I had a maid cleaned the place, but it seemed it was not up to the standard. Fine.
I waited, waited and waited..after my several emails, the agent finally came back to me, which was 2 months after the handover. In the contract, I was supposed to receive my deposit back within 14 days, by the way.
The agent came back to me with a full list of reduction including the professional cleaning & repair costs of more than SGD 3K.. It's a scam!! I thought I kept the place tidy and clean so I was really shocked to see that. The agent claimed that there were some stains on the marble floor & wooden floor so they arranged to polish the floor too. I don't record any major stains on the floor and we didn't go through the issues during the handover.
In addition, I was charged for the agent commission of nearly SGD 5K despite the expat clause..
I don't think all the agents are playing a game like this but if you are a foreigner and leaving the country, they may take advantage of you. So please be alert and protect yourself. Select a good trusted agent. (By the way, the agent I used was Orange Tee. Not recommended. http://www.orangetee.com/Home/)
