Singapore Housing Scam: Woman Returns Home After Renting "Pigsty"
A Chinese woman who recently arrived in Singapore for work was shocked to discover her rented accommodation was a severely overcrowded "pigsty." After paying S$900 upfront, she found the unit subdivided into four rooms and occupied by at least 14 people, leading her to cut her stay short and return home.
Details of the Rental Scam
Ms. Liu, a 41-year-old beauty industry professional, contacted Shin Min Daily News on behalf of her sister, who had rented a bed space in a unit at Block 501, Jurong West Street 51. Upon moving in, the sister realized she was dealing with a sub-landlord who had illegally partitioned the unit and was profiting from renting it to numerous tenants.
The woman, who arrived from China in mid-August, had intended to work at a beauty salon in Jurong West. She secured a bed space for S$450 per month through a friend's recommendation, mainly to register her address. "She felt the rental was close to her workplace, and her employer was pushing her to settle down quickly. In her haste, she paid one month's rent and one month's deposit – a total of S$900 – without viewing the property first," Ms. Liu explained.
Overcrowded and Unhygienic Living Conditions
Upon moving in, the sister discovered that the three-room Housing Development Board (HDB) flat was housing more than ten people, effectively turning it into a "pigsty." "There were four rooms in the unit. Two of them housed six people each, another had a couple, and the number of occupants in the last room was unclear," Ms. Liu stated.
Photos provided by Ms. Liu reveal that the unit had been partitioned with makeshift dividers, leaving only a narrow passageway for movement. Clothes and towels hung from the windows in the living room and kitchen, and the walls and bathroom floors were covered in grime.
One of the rooms contained three bunk beds, with towels and sheets used as makeshift "curtains" for the lower bunks. Ms. Liu described the unit as extremely cluttered, with more than ten pairs of shoes and several suitcases piled in the hallway. The refrigerator was also overflowing with various sauce bottles and miscellaneous items. "When I went in myself, I felt it was unfit for human habitation. The environment was appalling," she said.
Forced to Abandon the Rental
After enduring the squalid conditions for just over ten days, the woman decided to move out and resign from her job, returning to China. "She didn't even manage to get her deposit back. I feel it's necessary to expose this kind of appalling behavior," Ms. Liu added.
Ms. Liu further mentioned that her sister's bed space was in the master bedroom with an attached bathroom, but she was not allowed to open the windows or use the bathroom. Instead, she had to share the toilet at the back of the unit with the other tenants. "The air in the room was constantly stale and stuffy. The toilet outside was very dirty, and there was a queue to shower and wash up."
Sub-Landlord Denies Wrongdoing
When a reporter visited the unit on September 18th, a woman in pajamas was about to enter. When questioned, she claimed she was "just viewing the property" and was not a resident, quickly closing the door afterwards.
The reporter contacted a woman named "Xixi," who was alleged to be the sub-landlord. Initially, "Xixi" admitted to renting out rooms at the address but recanted her statement upon learning the reporter's identity. When asked if she knew that renting out an HDB unit to multiple occupants was illegal, she refused to comment and hung up the phone.
Regulations on HDB Rentals
According to previous reports, the Singapore government has temporarily relaxed the regulations on HDB and private property rentals. From 2024 to 2026, four-room or larger HDB units can be rented to a maximum of eight tenants who are not related. The rules for smaller one- to three-room units remain unchanged, with a maximum of four to six tenants.