Extremely Strict Condo Rules

[Jano]

Hi,

I stay short term at a condo called Changi Court. I went for a swim the other day, but the security guard asked me to leave the pool unless I could show a condo "resident card". I told him I'm renting a room here, and I knew that he knew that I told the truth. It's a small condo and the guards remember me. Still, he told me I had to have a card, otherwise no use of the pool! By order of the management!

Tonight I had a supper by the pool side. I was all alone and made no noise. I was told I couldn't stay there after 10pm. I don't know if it is due to the resident card issue again, or if this is the general rule.

Anyway, I have not had such experiences in other condos. Is Changi Court particularly strict?

I stay here for a month - should I need to wait for two weeks and pay $50 for a damn card in order to use the facilities???

[JR8]

Odds on (in my experience) your one month sub-let is illegal under management rules. Hence if you wanted a condo card you would not get one.

No wonder really security are on your case.

[bgd]

The 10pm rule is pretty common here

[revhappy]

I used to stay in Changi Green, about 2 years ago, which is adjacent to Changi Court. They actually look quite similar and I think both belong to the same builder.

I didn't have any resident card as I was sharing a room but my name was not in the tenancy and it was just a verbal agreement.

I never had any problem using the pool or the gym. In fact people used to bring their guests and play TT etc.

The funniest thing about that condo was the back gate. There is no guard there but you need the gate pass to open the gate. And I didn't have the gate pass. The main gate was on the other end about half a km away

But we still always managed to use the rear gate. How? There was a hack to it. You just have to bang it hard and it would open without needing the gate pass. Talk about condo security . But they eventually found it out and fixed the gate.

[Jano]

I considered buying an apartment in Changi Court. I decided to rent short term first to get a proper opinion on the condo.

My conlcusion is NOT TO BUY. Why?
Rules before common sense!

If I can't use the pool although I rent here, what about my family / friends visiting me when I own an apartment?

Inflexible guards (say I want to do a spontaneous BBQ. I can't unless I have booked days in advance. Silly if no one else have booked the pits, right?)

When I come home from work around 11pm-midnight (I work European hours) I cannot take out my laptop and finish up work by the pool side. It's not allowed after 10pm apparently, but frankly, do I disturb anyone? If not, why can't I sit there? - Because of rules...

Do anyone recommend a more flexible condo? Maybe one more suitable to Europeans / Americans?

[JR8]

Hello [knock knock] is anyone listening?

You are likely in illegal occupation at the condo.
That means you have no rights to use facilities, never mind live there

That would be different if you lived there legally.

Comprende?

[darpy]

Hello [knock knock] is anyone listening?

You are likely in illegal occupation at the condo.
That means you have no rights to use facilities, never mind live there

That would be different if you lived there legally.

Comprende?

this point was raised and the OP responded stating he had rented the place, so I am guessing he is a legal tenant (otherwise he would have said as much)

I stayed in a condo closer to the city previously and they enforced the 10pm rule also, its pretty standard here.
As for the security guard, I would just keep swimming and when he said anything just say you spoke to management and they are arranging it. Most of these guards are scared of the management and wouldn't double check it anyway.

[x9200]

10pm rule also, its pretty standard here.
As for the security guard, I would just keep swimming and when he said anything just say you spoke to management and they are arranging it. Most of these guards are scared of the management and wouldn't double check it anyway.

You may want to read the OP post a bit more carefully. He was not swimming in the pool. The 10pm rule is typically for the active use of the facilities so exactly things like swimming in the pool or grilling on BBQ pits. Chasing somebody away from the places outside after 10pm is uncommon or at least I am not aware of it. In all the condos we stayed we had no problem with sitting at night by the pool or in the BBQ area as long as we did not swim or use the facilities.

[x9200]

I considered buying an apartment in Changi Court. I decided to rent short term first to get a proper opinion on the condo.

My conlcusion is NOT TO BUY. Why?
Rules before common sense!

Yes, and this happens very often (I bet as often as in 100% of condos) so you will probably not be able to buy any such property. Same goes for many other things so you'd better reconsider Singapore in general as your living place.

If I can't use the pool although I rent here, what about my family / friends visiting me when I own an apartment?

This varies from place to place.

Inflexible guards (say I want to do a spontaneous BBQ. I can't unless I have booked days in advance. Silly if no one else have booked the pits, right?)

This is extremely common again. The reason in most of the cases: a deposit is required so in case you damage something or leave a mess they have no problem with charging you some money.

When I come home from work around 11pm-midnight (I work European hours) I cannot take out my laptop and finish up work by the pool side. It's not allowed after 10pm apparently, but frankly, do I disturb anyone? If not, why can't I sit there? - Because of rules...

Do anyone recommend a more flexible condo? Maybe one more suitable to Europeans / Americans?

I can tell you only this: the above rules are far away from the top idiotic ones I have seen.

[carteki]

Unfortunately most rules in condo's are as a result of a knee-jerk reaction to once-off-events involving a single occupant. In our condo the bbq end time is 10pm as a result of 1 party that went wild and resulted in apparently quite a confrontation at 2am. The occupant behind the "rules" is known to be unreasonable - the first noise complaint on NYE came through at 8pm! but its the way that communal living in Singapore is governed. Either live with it or leave.

When I come home from work around 11pm-midnight (I work European hours) I cannot take out my laptop and finish up work by the pool side. It's not allowed after 10pm apparently, but frankly, do I disturb anyone? If not, why can't I sit there? - Because of rules...

The question is what is "reasonable". We don't allow our guards any discretion in this regard because what is "reasonable" for one person is not "reasonable" to another. It is the fairest way.

If you don't want to respect the rules - then don't live there - or become a member of the MC and get the rules changed (but that would require more effort than whinging on a forum).

PS - In my home country the law requires that the tenants get a copy of the rules. I know that this is not the practise here - but there is nothing stopping you from asking the agent for a copy so that you know what is and isn't allowed.

[JR8]

Hello [knock knock] is anyone listening?
You are likely in illegal occupation at the condo.
That means you have no rights to use facilities, never mind live there
That would be different if you lived there legally.
Comprende?

this point was raised and the OP responded stating he had rented the place, so I am guessing he is a legal tenant (otherwise he would have said as much)

Well that's one heck of a guess you're making! Look at the facts, he has no residents card (in my experience they are compulsary, and issued when you register your legitimate tenancy with management), and he is renting a room for a month (in my experience management precisely ban their condo's being turned into hotels in this way).

So he has two problems 99% sure he is not a legal resident. And, a residents card is required to use the facilities, he either can't or doesn't want to spend $50 getting one, and instead comes here and argues how unreasonable that is.


I stayed in a condo closer to the city previously and they enforced the 10pm rule also, its pretty standard here.
As for the security guard, I would just keep swimming and when he said anything just say you spoke to management and they are arranging it.

Nice try, but in my experience the card is issued on the spot. The guards know what this guy is up to that's the thing.... that explains his entire problem.

Most of these guards are scared of the management and wouldn't double check it anyway.

[Brah]

Consider yourself lucky.

We've had 3 different Security companies in my condo since last year. And they suck. The serenity in our place has been going downhill the past couple of years.

The BB pit is supposed to close at 11, but some abuse the privilege and carry on making noise until midnight or after sometimes, and the guards here aren't proactive to deal with these kinds of things before tenants start calling. And even then they're too sheepish and ineffective.

Same thing for people in the common areas speaking and laughing out loud louder than necessary after 11pm, especially on work / school nights.

The problem with both cases is that their voices reverberate throughout the pool-facing units.