Landlord is telling to vacate within short period of moving in: taking advantage of medical condition

[rockstargirl]

Hi Everyone,

Facing an issue and wanted some advice. I made an agreement in month of February to start lease in march. Once I moved in, landlord came to know about medical issue which limits my ability to walk recently. She moved out her maid from the house before I moved in, agreement was done in presence of agent on condition that I can use kitchen for light cooking and they will also let me use living room for sitting sometimes.

Yesterday, Landlord stormed to house without notice, when my interview call was ongoing and started banging the door to come in. After coming in, She just blew up seeing me sitting in living room with my laptop and since house has renovation going upstairs, I wasn't able to take call due to noise in my room.

She started shouting nasty words to me out of blue, threatened me literally and took images of all my belongings even in my room. When confronted, she said she sent it to agent and give me notice to vacate within a month because I failed to throw dry trash which was in my kitchen dustbin and said the house looked "Filthy" and I wasn't supposed to sit in living room. I made a voice recording of the part where she made baseless allegations even on my character at a point in time. I asked agent about clarity on terms because it stated termination only after 6 months, and landlord again threatened me to bring authorities in because she has all "pictures".

What looks like to me is, She is just trying to take advantage of the condition I am in and knows I can not move to other place given my medical issue. Is there any official procedure I can appeal against this notice to vacate?

[abbby]

I don't think there's much you can do..it can be any excuse the owner can cook up but at the end of the day it's her place and it's co-living together. Better to move with such landlord, i mean can you bear to live in another 1-2 years with her attitude and behaviour? I think you should consider finding an alternative housing and try to get back your deposit.

[rockstargirl]

Thanks abby, Even I am thinking that is the only short term solution. I would rather pay few more bucks if I am getting peace of mind.

What concerns me is in some way it looked like someone from my past office was keeping a watch over me because within 4 months I have been told to vacate two places under mysterious circumstances.

Second possibility is just rise in rents so landlords and agents are trying to cash on as much as they can make for lost income during covid.

[PNGMK]

If the TA says you can use the stting room and you're listed as an occupant with HDB just threaten to call the police. Tell them you are in fear for your safety due to the LL's verbal abuse and physical movements and that you are ill or disabled and cannot defend yourself.

The gahmen is keeping a dam good eye on these shysters and I think the cops have been told to give errant landlords one tight slap (warning).

[rockstargirl]

For closure, I vacated the premise with help of my family member. Neighbors advised me that this was an attempt to bully and I am quite sure this was doings of HR from my ex-company to harass and threaten me so that they can interrupt my job search process. Will see how to deal with this, or will let karma do the rest.

[abbby]

rockstargirl,

Good to know you've left that house. Good to move on to a better place.

[Lisafuller]

For closure, I vacated the premise with help of my family member. Neighbors advised me that this was an attempt to bully and I am quite sure this was doings of HR from my ex-company to harass and threaten me so that they can interrupt my job search process. Will see how to deal with this, or will let karma do the rest.

Very relieved for you. Was about to say that in cases like these, even if there is some thing you can do like reporting to the police, it would be better off to have nothing to do with such a landlord because it all boils down to a character issue. Even if this matter was resolved she would find other ways to make life a living hell for you.

[Lisafuller]

If the TA says you can use the stting room and you're listed as an occupant with HDB just threaten to call the police. Tell them you are in fear for your safety due to the LL's verbal abuse and physical movements and that you are ill or disabled and cannot defend yourself.

The gahmen is keeping a dam good eye on these shysters and I think the cops have been told to give errant landlords one tight slap (warning).

I tend to notice that the police don’t do very much and mostly say things are out of their control. Do they really side with the tenants in your experience?

[rockstargirl]

For closure, I vacated the premise with help of my family member. Neighbors advised me that this was an attempt to bully and I am quite sure this was doings of HR from my ex-company to harass and threaten me so that they can interrupt my job search process. Will see how to deal with this, or will let karma do the rest.

Very relieved for you. Was about to say that in cases like these, even if there is some thing you can do like reporting to the police, it would be better off to have nothing to do with such a landlord because it all boils down to a character issue. Even if this matter was resolved she would find other ways to make life a living hell for you.

Thanks, yeah I agree. I have more important things to focus on. The only hurdle I face while finding a place is that most of places don't allow to cook and being a vegeterian - eating out is tough especially at odd-hours when most of stalls close down early or run out of food or when you are sick.

[rockstargirl]

If the TA says you can use the stting room and you're listed as an occupant with HDB just threaten to call the police. Tell them you are in fear for your safety due to the LL's verbal abuse and physical movements and that you are ill or disabled and cannot defend yourself.

The gahmen is keeping a dam good eye on these shysters and I think the cops have been told to give errant landlords one tight slap (warning).

I tend to notice that the police don’t do very much and mostly say things are out of their control. Do they really side with the tenants in your experience?

Well, after blowing up a few bucks on hotel for temporary stay I managed to move to another place. But kind of weird seeing same experience repeating. One person signed up lease for apartment along with someone who did viewing before me and my date matched with her posting of lease start date, so I got in touch with her via Facebook group, visited the apartment and room and the agent and ended up paying agent fees along with deposit and rental and got my name registered to HDB as 3rd tenant.

20 days into new house and third girl who signed isn't able to show up due to some personal holdup (as per main tenant's description). I genuinely wanted to help find the replacement given hefty rental amount - but situation turned somehow similar to my last place and even nastier. The girl claiming to be main occupant is playing a blame game along with tenant side agent and telling me to vacate within a week (before 10th) saying they are landlord's instructions. Two agents in middle and not a single time has the landlord visited the place or bothered about it. Neither I have received any piece of information suggesting so.

Along with this, I am pretty sure that at any of the HDB flats short term rentals are not allowed else everyone would just vacate the tenants to blow up rentals uncontrollably.

Just for context: First shuffle happened in January this year when I was temporarily at my home country for treatment purpose - I was staying at same place since COVID started. I wasn't even done with my check-ups and I received a message from landlord saying he wants all of us to vacate the premise with option of choosing from one of the rooms in his another apartment (same configuration but higher rental) with the excuse of current premise being renovated. I requested him due to my special circumstances for reserving a room for me at new place, but still ended up with a No even though I returned leaving treatment halfway. Got kicked out neverthless, after his renovation duration I tried to approach back with a new lease for same apartment room when I was told to vacate at second place within 2 months - instead of answering, he just left the conversation.

I am still trying to wrap my head around entire ordeal. Since, this is 3rd similar incident with me just in span of 7 months, I am thinking of filing of an elaborate police report suggesting this is either housing/rental scam on a big scale or someone is risking my safety by holding a personal grudge and putting up a surveillance via tempering my mode of communications. I am pretty sure of the later possibility because I haven't noticed even one similar looking case amongst anyone from my extended circle. Can community provide a suggestion on how it is ideal to proceed given the entire sequence of events?

[luckycricket]

Your problem is that you are trying to share it with unknown people ... try to find 1-2 friends/known person and then go for it ... or you can consider rent a small unit on your own (2 bedroom units where landlord usually lock one room) ... You can find many such unit in commonwealth area. Another alternative it to go for SLA properties (search SLA SPIO).. you can skip all the agents/landlords in this case and have peace of mind for next 2 years... but these properties are available for rent with some restrictions/rules (usually unfurnished, 3 month rent deposit).

[nelyanne]

If you still earn more than 160k/year, the only proper thing you should do is to rent a place on your own.

[therat]

or you can consider rent a small unit on your own (2 bedroom units where landlord usually lock one room)

It is illegal

[rockstargirl]

Your problem is that you are trying to share it with unknown people ... try to find 1-2 friends/known person and then go for it ... or you can consider rent a small unit on your own (2 bedroom units where landlord usually lock one room) ... You can find many such unit in commonwealth area. Another alternative it to go for SLA properties (search SLA SPIO).. you can skip all the agents/landlords in this case and have peace of mind for next 2 years... but these properties are available for rent with some restrictions/rules (usually unfurnished, 3 month rent deposit).

Thanks for suggestion, imho - to me it looked like "friends" can also be reason for similar trouble (been there...) - just in some of the arrangements you described. I have also stayed long term with what you termed as "Unknown" people and without any sort of issues. Boils down to personal experiences I suppose.

[rockstargirl]

If the TA says you can use the stting room and you're listed as an occupant with HDB just threaten to call the police. Tell them you are in fear for your safety due to the LL's verbal abuse and physical movements and that you are ill or disabled and cannot defend yourself.

The gahmen is keeping a dam good eye on these shysters and I think the cops have been told to give errant landlords one tight slap (warning).

I tend to notice that the police don’t do very much and mostly say things are out of their control. Do they really side with the tenants in your experience?

Most recent. Yes. If they can clearly see it as an attempt to bully or intimidate - they are doing their best to intervene. I should have reported at first incident itself. Owner lady shouted pretty bad and even neighbors heard it.