When a Room in Singapore Turns Into a Prank: One Malaysian Woman’s Reality Check
Picture this: you’re a Malaysian lady looking for a cozy Singaporean pad, finally find a nice flat on Carousell, and you’re ready to loosen your Dongle (OK, its a typo; let’s pretend it’s a nice house). Everything looks great until the lease crunch hits.
That “Nice” Day in Hougang
- Wong, 38, scouted a charming apartment on Hougang Ave 10.
- Her younger sister crammed out a post on the “Let’s Go, Singapore” Facebook group to get the word out.
- Posts? 1,200 reactions. Shares? Over 600. Queue, divided living room, or hostage? Whatever it’s called, people loved it.
The Dotted Line Twist
After the paperwork was signed, the man behind the brick walls told her, “You’re not gonna solve the kitchen fires yet.” He revealed that the flat was hooked up to a two‑camera system – one for the beds, one for the kitchen. The kicker? The cameras were installed because a previous tenant’s oven almost did a fire‑fight.
Things Did Not Go According to Plan
- Wong wasn’t super thrilled about being watched 24/7.
- Despite the cameras, she had to settle into the bed on May 2.
- Question: “So, now my room’s a surveillance drama? Who would have thought?!”
All in all, the experience shows renting isn’t just one flaky, simple deal. Singapore’s housing market? It can get stalky if you ain’t careful.
When Your Landlord Becomes a Personal Life Coach: A Laundry Nightmare
The Strange Case of Wong’s Sister
It all started when Wong’s sister posted on Facebook that her landlord was apparently spying on her every move inside the house. He was less than thrilled when she flushed the toilet every two‑to‑three hours, claiming that it was endangering the water bill.
“He said the water bill would skyrocket because I used the toilet every two hours,” Wong explained to Shin Min Daily News. She’s got urethritis, so that time‑to‑time bathroom trip was inevitable.
Rules, Rules, and Even More Rules
- Limitations on shower frequency
- Hands‑washing quotas (yes, you read that right)
- “You can’t do laundry twice a week” or so the landlord told her, which is why she was in trouble on June 18
- Neighborhood etiquette: no talking with room‑mates, stay inside your room if you hear someone in the common area
When the Landlord Lost His Cool
One hot, humid afternoon, Wong was folding laundry. The landlord stormed in, irritated that she was washing clothes again after waiting three days. He threatened to hike her rent. shocked, Wong calmly reminded him that the tenancy agreement explicitly allowed two sessions of laundry per week.
The landlord’s temper sparked. He tried to evict her right then and there and even called the police. Eventually, both parties agreed she would vacate within three days, but the landlord kept snapping at her when she showered that night.
“He banged on my door and told me to get lost,” she recapped. Faced with fear and uncertainty, she had no choice but to call the police for help.
After the Eviction Drama
Wong moved out, and the apartment was still cold. By now the landlord had yet to return the deposit. The writer’s sister warned anyone considering renting a room from this landlord: “Better skip it.”
Investigators—two visits to the property—fell on a voicemail. The police confirmed that a report had been filed with AsiaOne, and the landlord’s phone remained quiet. The final curtain: a complaint, a hint of eviction, and a deposit still unreturned.
In the end, the story is a cautionary tale about how landlords should just let tenants do their laundry, bathrooms, and life—without turning into a personal life coach.
