A 41-year-old Chinese woman’s plans to begin a fresh chapter in Singapore were shattered when she learned her sister had unknowingly rented what she described as a filthy, severely overcrowded living space — likened to a “pigsty.”
According to Liu, who spoke to Singapore’s Shin Min Daily News, her elder sister had signed a lease for a room in a four-room Housing and Development Board (HDB) flat that was already housing at least 14 tenants. The sister, who arrived in mid-August to take up a job at a local beauty salon, agreed to pay S700) for one month’s rent and deposit without seeing the unit in person. Her employer had urgently needed an address to complete registration formalities.
Upon moving in, Liu’s sister was horrified to find that each of the flat’s two bedrooms was crammed with six people, while a couple occupied the third room. The narrow hallways were littered with towels, and the kitchen, bathroom, and walls were coated in grime. Although the unit had two toilets, tenants were restricted to using just one. To make matters worse, all windows had to remain closed, resulting in a stifling and foul-smelling environment, Liu recounted.
What’s more, all residents shared a single key, which was hidden outside the door and accessible to anyone — raising serious security concerns.
“This wasn’t a place fit for human habitation,” Liu said. Adding to the distress, her sister decided to return to China within 10 days and did not request a refund.
Neighbours told Shin Min they had no idea about the appalling living conditions inside the flat because the windows were covered, blocking any view. When approached by the publication, a woman believed to be the sub-letter initially admitted to subletting beds in the unit, but later retracted her statement upon realizing she was speaking to a journalist.
Under HDB regulations, the maximum allowable number of tenants is eight for a four-room flat, six for a three-room unit, and four for smaller flats. Exceeding these limits can lead to hefty fines or even compulsory acquisition of the property.
The incident has sparked widespread anger on social media, with many netizens demanding strict punishment for those responsible. One commenter wrote, “The heartless sub-landlord should be jailed and deported.” Another urged authorities to impose fines equal to the profits made by the illegal landlords.
