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Singapore-based British Indie Boon is seeking help from the public, especially lawyers, in a rental dispute that could cost her thousands of dollars.
The rental dispute arose after her original landlord had sold the apartment to new landlords, who then put new exit clauses in place, according to Indie’s Instagram post. In other words, she may now have to pay extra if she decides to stop renting the apartment.
Indie explained that when she had signed a contract for her current rental, it came with a clause allowing her to exit after one year. “I can [exit] with two months’ notice; I just pay [the agent’s] commission. This is different to the diplomatic law, this is on top of it,” she said.
“Halfway through my tenancy, the landlord sold the house to someone else. Now, there is a new agent trying to get involved, and she says this [clause] was not what was agreed, and I would have to pay the full month’s rent [should I want to exit],” she elaborated.
It is unclear how much Indie is paying to rent her current place.
The diplomatic clause that Indie is referring to is a contractual term, and not universal law. This lets foreign tenants break their lease early (usually after 12 months) if transferred overseas or jobless, requiring two months’ notice or rent.
Indie also felt that the handover between the previous landlord and the new one wasn’t done properly, as this wasn’t what was agreed upon.
“Why should I [have to pay] S$2K if you didn’t communicate properly. This is not my fault. Now she is asking me to get a letter from a lawyer to say I need to leave the country to execute this,” she said.
“Girl, no, you do not understand what [an] exit clause is,” she added.
Making a plea to her Instagram followers, Indie is now asking for advice, especially from lawyers.
A property agent tells 8days.sg that expats in Singapore without representation, like Indie, tend to get caught in situations like this. They also clarified that, despite Indie’s story being a little vague, she should reach out to the landlord directly instead of the agent.
As for Indie’s termination clause, its validity depends on the full contract and where the clause was inserted.
The post has since gone viral and netizens mostly sided with Indie, many were of the opinion that when a property is sold, the current tenancy agreement stays in place. Another pointed out that if the tenancy is duly stamped, it is legally binding, and the exit clause should be recognised.
8days.sg has reached out to Indie for more information but she has yet to respond.