Owner forced to move out sympathises with couple freeloaders, intends to forfeit S$20K rent owed

The 51-year-old owner of a flat who was forced to move out of his own home, after renting it to a local couple that refused to leave even after skipping rent for three years, said he sympathises with the couple’s plight and is willing to forgo the S$20,000 rent they owed him should they go within the agreed period.

The incident first started when the owner rented the flat out to the couple in Jul 2013.

The couple paid their rent as per usual for the first nine months, but stopped for the next three years after and stubbornly refused to move out.

Said the owner:

“Whenever I ask them for the rent, they would plead with me to let them stay instead.

“The woman would even kneel.

“She asked me to give them six months more to find jobs and would then return the money they owe to me.”

The owner, at his wits end ultimately took his family members’ advice and moved out himself, renting a unit with his colleague.

He even had to slog his guts out, working 12-hour shifts daily just to afford the rent.

The said couple admitted that the owner tried evicting them, but said that they could not leave as they had nowhere to go, reports Shin Min Daily News via Lianhe Zaobao. 

The homeowner told reporters that the couple had broken their promises time and again, and is doubtful whether they would move out this Friday (Mar 17) as they had told reporters earlier last week. 

He also claimed that he had to fork out S$250 for his rent every month.

The desperate owner had previously approached the police and a Member of Parliament (MP) for help but the matter was not resolved. 

He was informed that he needed to apply for a court order and request assistance from the legal department to evict the couple should they continue to trespass in his home.

As he was unfamiliar with the procedure and had no money to hire a legal representative, he felt that there was nothing that he could do:

“I understand that they are in a difficult situation themselves so I put up with their excuses time and again.

“Now I just want my home back.

“If they move out within the agreed time period, I’m willing to forgo the S$20,000 rent they owe me these past three years.”