Dodgy Landlords

Looking at the latest round of numbers, it appears as if more and more
expats are becoming victim of dodgy landlords, bogus lease agreements,
deposits that simply disappear and a host of other rental issues that leaves
fresh arrivals swindled even before they had a chance to settle down in
their newly adopted home.

In fact, Consumers Association of Singapore, CASE, a consumer advocate
organisation there that keeps track of complaints logged by people that have
been duped, found that in the October 2008 - March 2009 period foreigners
lodged 32 out of the total of 365 complaints against realty agents. This
constitutes a 23% increase from the 26, out of 516 complaints in the same
period a year before. Meanwhile, the Institute of Estate Agents in Singapore
received five complaints from foreigners since last October. Perhaps
tellingly, none the agents involved was IEA registered. The most common
complaints were overcharging and not honoring agreements made, especially
when it came to returning deposits and advanced payments.

Another quite common ruse is the fake landlord. Recently, the Singapore
Straits Times reported on a suspected fake landlord who claimed to be the
owner of an apartment on 14 Scotts Road and was looking to rent out his
unit. However, this address is actually the location of a shopping centre
called Far East Plaza. After pressing him for more details, he hung up and
never replied to the paper's inquiries again.

As expat populations grow, conmen like this are seemingly becoming ever more
numerous and ever more brazen, targeting foreigners in particular who are
looking to rent a property. New arrivals are especially easy targets because
obviously they're not as clued in to the property industry as the local
population or long-term expats.

Posing as condo owners, these conmen send potential tenants fake addresses
and pictures of well-furnished homes to entice unsuspecting foreigners into
transferring security deposits to them. When these tenant hopefuls request
for a meeting, the "landlord" simply claims to be overseas for business.
Eventually, as in the case above, the tricksters are never heard from again.
The lesson to be learned here is to always make sure that the landlord
you're dealing with is indeed the owner of the property you're interested
in. Better yet, enlist a realty agent with plenty of local knowledge to
filter out the bad apples for you so you have one less potential headache to
worry about.
 
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The climate in Singapore

Located just a few degrees off the equator, it comes as no surprise that Singapore's climate is warm, wet and humid.

Showers are plentiful year-round and the temperature is never far from the 30 degree centigrade mark, but it's the humidity, generally over 90%, that most people consider the greatest culprit when it comes to weather-related discomfort in Singapore. Surface winds tend to be light and don't provide any real relief. So it's important to dress accordingly and to always have a brolly at hand.

Having said that, January, February and March are blessed with wonderful, almost Mediterranean weather, clear blue skies, much lower humidity, hardly any rain and temperatures that are nearer 25 than 30 degrees. However, this much more comfortable weather only kicks in after a very wet December, the start of the Northeast monsoon, which can be gloomy and "cool" for days on end, with almost incessant rain.

It's a bit of an in-joke in Singapore that expats from countries renown for their inclement weather, such as the UK, can be seen wearing cardigans and sweaters this time of the year, even though it's still about 25 degrees! But December does at times feel a bit chilly.

The remaining months tend to vary little; mostly it's 30 degrees or more and there's always a chance of a downpour. During the Southwest monsoon, which runs from July to October, it occassionally rains for an entire day and every now and then a "Sumatra Squall" passes over. These are quite severe tropical storms that can dump enormous amounts of rain in a matter of hours, at times leading to flash-floods in low-lying areas like Orchard Road.

One important thing to keep in mind is that aircons in public buildings, offices, cinemas, classrooms, buses etc. are set to "high". On any given day, you'll find yourself walking from warm to cold back to warm repeatedly, and it's been said that these constant temperature extremes can bring on the common cold or a flu. So if you're going to catch a movie, bringing along your cardie, isn't such a bad idea after all.

Lastly, a word of warning to all beach-bums and sun-worshippers. The UV intensity is very high in Singapore. You can even get a nasty sunburn on an overcast day or sitting in the shade. Always use sunblock, preferably SPF30 or higher if you're going to be outdoors for a while. And reapply often.


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How to find a home in Singapore

If you're planning to live the expat life in Singapore, you'll need to search for your home away from home. In Singapore this is usually a process along the following lines.

1. Your property agent

Once you've done your research, that is, compiled a shortlist of criteria that you'd like your future home to meet, you pass this list to your property agent. He'll use this to gather a number of available addresses that match all your listed points. The screening process that follows involves your agent taking you on viewings so you can actually acquaint yourself in person with the kind of homes that are available.

TIP: Bring a little notepad to the viewings so you can jot down your findings. And use your mobile camera to take pictures of aspects of the homes that grab your attention. Keep a lookout for things like redecoration issues or repair jobs that present themselves, and make refurnishing suggestions if you think you'll want to change a few things around the house. Also, by all means ask the incumbent tenant or the landlord or the agent as many questions as you like. For instance, ask them about the noise levels at various times of the day, whether there are any hidden problem areas, whether there will be any major construction in the area soon, the direction/intensity of the sun, the neighbours, etc.

2. Making Your Offer

Let's say that you've found a suitable place that you connect with and would like to inform the landlord of your interest. Before you do inform the landlord, however, let your agent know how much you'd like to offer, because he/she will know if your offer has a good chance of being accepted or not and will tweak it if need be. Once the two of you have reached consensus on the amount, go in and tell the landlord.

This is where things take a more formal turn.

3. LOI (Letter Of Intent)

In order to "lock in" your choice, you need to show the landlord a token of your sincerity. This token is known as an LOI or Letter Of Intent. In addition, you need to make a so-called good faith deposit or booking deposit, usually one month's rent.

By accepting your LOI, the landlord in return will not rent out the unit to any other parties during the negotiations that follow between you and him. Of course at this point, the two of you should have by now more or less agreed, at least verbally, on the main items in the LOI.

Once you receive the landlord's counter-signed copy of the LOI, you're well on your way to become his tenant.

Note: the good faith deposit is non-refundable, so be 100% certain this is the home you're after, because if you change your mind after this point, you forfeit these funds. By the way, I recommend that you make your payments by crossed cheque.

TIP: Always add an expiry date to the LOI, usually one week later. That way the landlord will have to return the good faith deposit immediately upon expiry.

4. Awaiting the landlord's reply

One of two things can happen next. Negotiations may stall, after which the landlord rejects your LOI and refunds the good faith deposit. Alternatively, the LOI is received well and you move on to the TA, or Tenancy Agreement stage. Let's assume here the landlord accepts your LOI terms.

5. TA (Tenant's Agreement)

The TA comprises the terms and conditions under which the property is leased, including your actual rent suggestion. A TA is signed by both you and the landlord and is basically a more detailed version of the LOI. It essentially spells out clearly the tenant and landlord responsibilities and accountabilities. Usually a standard IEA agreement template will suffice, at which point no legal fees are due. However, if various amendments to the TA are needed, it's best to have the final draft checked and verified by a lawyer, especially since Singapore’s laws can be regarded as quite landlord-friendly.

Incidentally, since asking rents are negotiable, by all means have a go and unleash your bargaining skills. Keep in mind that generally in Singapore rental tenures are for one or two years and use that as a crowbar in your favour in the event of deadlocked negotiations. This also applies to asking for a month's worth of free rent in lieu of a lower rent. If the landlord is not budging from the rent at all, more often than not he will agree to a month's worth of free rent, because this way he gets to "keep face".

TIP: Request for your deposit to be placed in an escrow account. And modify the clause that says "the landlord will return the full deposit minus any repairs within 14 days.", adding the line "Failure to return the deposit within the agreed-upon timeframe will result in interest being levvied of 2% per month until such time the full deposit has been returned.

6. Rounding off the procedure

Now that the TA has been signed by both of you, it is the time you submit to your landlord a copy of your passport and employment pass or work permit, as well as the first month advance rental and the security deposit, usually one month’s rent for every year of lease. Note that the security deposit is refunded to you - in most cases interest-free - once the lease term expires.

TIP: By the time you're completely settled, you'll have realised how many times you were asked to provide a copy of your passport's personal details pages and of your employment pass. When you get a copy made of these documents, don't just get one, get a dozen made, so you've always got these at the ready. You won't regret it.

Other points to note before you sign:

• Make sure your unit's landlord is indeed that unit's landlord (Don't become victim of a fake landlord scheme.) And always ensure you receive a valid receipt upon handing over the cheque.

• If a good faith deposit was given with the Letter of Intent, then this amount is deducted from the advance rental and the security deposit.

• The lease security deposit will be forfeited on pre-mature termination of the lease.

• The Landlord has the right to deduct all costs of damages and expenses arising from any breach of contract as stated in the Tenancy Agreement. For this reason I suggest that if during your tenure the property suffered some damage that doesn't fall under the normal wear and tear clause, it's better that you perform the repair yourself, because this way the fixing cost will tend to be lower.

• Maintain all documentation for your future reference.

• Some landlords split up the rental amount into A. rental of premises, B. rental of furniture/fittings/etc, C. maintenance fees. So make sure that the rental amount that you're both agreeing on is in fact the final tally, apart of course from the separate items mentioned below.

7. Quid pro quo - Agent commission.

Once you have inked the tenancy agreement, you're obliged to pay your real estate agent. Generally in Singapore the agent's fee is ascertained as follows:

For rentals below SGD 2,500, the tenant pays half a month's rent commission to the agent for a one year lease and one month's rent commission for a two year lease. For a lease in excess of 24 months, the tenants pays an extra half a month's commission.
For rentals above SGD 2,500, no fee is payable by the tenant, because the agent receives his commission from the landlord. (N.B: SGD 3,000 is becoming more common nowadays).

Note that these amounts are exclusive of GST (7%).

8. Stamp Duty

In order to make the TA a valid legal document to be honoured by all parties involved, it has to be stamped by the IRA, the Singapore Inland Revenue Authority. The charges for this procedure, so-called stamp duty, are to be borne by the tenant. I suggest you do not omit this stage, since you will not only be in breach of Singapore law but it will also undermine your case should a dispute occur between you and the landlord.

Click here to calculate your stamp duty.

9. Moving in

After you have received the keys to your property, why not walk on in and take a few minutes to relish the moment. This is after all, the place that will be your home away from home for the foreseeable future.

Next, have a close inspection around the place, the aircon, water-heater, appliances, all the fittings, the state of the walls, the furniture (if applicable), the tiling, and of course the inventory listing, i.e. make sure nothing is missing anything and note each item's condition. A good practice is to take pictures of everything that is looking a little worse for wear that you may have missed during the initial viewing of the unit. Email copies of the pictures to your landlord so both of you are aware that these particular problem areas exist at this early juncture, and so that at your request he can rectify these. This way you won't be held liable when the lease expires.

TIP: In Singapore the landlord is responsible for any repair of electrical appliances such as the fridge, washing machine, aircon, etc. should these break down within in one month of the start of the tenancy. So make use of this if this applies.

10. Utilities

Since the utilities are not included in your rent, you'll have to set these up. You can do this using the following websites:

SP Services - Power supply - www.spservices.com.sg
City Gas - Piped Gas (in selected areas only) or cylinder refills - www.citygas.com.sg
Singapore Telecom - Residential telephone line - www.singtel.com.sg
Singapore Telecom - Residential internet connection - www.singnet.com.sg
Singapore Telecom - Cable television - www.singtel.com.sg

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One expat's experience with Singapore's Healthcare

During my stay in Singapore, the subject of healthcare comes up quite frequently. That's not a big surprise; having little or no experience as a patient abroad, most expats have a certain amount of apprehension regarding admission to and treatment in a hospital that's not in the country in which they were born or spent most of their lives.

It seems there are two camps when it comes to healthcare in Singapore. Some people claim that private healthcare is the way to go. Others say there's no real difference in actual care received in private hospitals as compared to public hospitals. They believe that healthcare in Singapore is at a very high level regardless of whether you're a private or a public hospital patient.

I haven't got enough experience with the medical care profession in Singapore to claim either of these two options is the better one. But I do know that the generally higher cost of private care does not necessarily equate to shorter waiting times.

Apart from this, I have one personal experience as a recipient of medical care that may be particularly worthwhile to note. Two years ago, I'd caught a flu that didn't go through its usual phases, i.e. where the symptoms peak after a day or so and then abate over the period of another few days. Instead, my sore throat, headache and fever never reached any sort of intensity. Rather, I just felt generally malaised, and this didn't really improve over a 7 day period. I decided that this flu bug was particularly persistent, and that I needed some medication to jump-start my immune system.

Within minutes of my doctor's appointment, however, I'd been diagnosed with suspected pneumonia. Naturally I was shocked beyond belief; I'd never had pneumonia before and like most people, was under the impression that it occurs primarily amongst the poverty-stricken, the very young or the elderly. That's not the case, apparently anyone can get pneumonia. The objective however, is to get rid of the pathogen as soon as possible because it can do irreparable damage to the affected lung if left unchecked.

My doctor informed me not to worry too much though, that pneumonia is easily cured with antibiotics. And with that, he put me on a cab to the nearest hospital. He did ask me beforehand if I objected that it happened to be a public hospital, but suffice to say that at this point I wasn't going to object to any of his suggestions, let alone one I didn't fully grasp.

At the entrance of the hospital I was greeted by two nurses. One took my temperature (by ear) and ascertained that I had a fever. Literally simultaneously, the other nurse took down my personal details and handed me a face mask to wear. Barely a few minutes later, I was in the waiting room, the quarantine section, awaiting my call to see a specialist.

That call came within 20 minutes. I was examined and sent to the X-ray department, where I waited for about 10 minutes before my X-ray was taken. Within half an hour, my doctor's diagnosis had been proved correct.

Fortunately, the infection wasn't severe enough to warrant a stay in the hospital, but I did need to take a week's worth of antibiotics. For good measure, the specialist included some panadol, cough syrup and sore throat lozenges.

Total cost of this exercise, including the medication, was S$75,- A week later I was fine.

My experience may not be proof of anything perse. And I'm not sure how this system works, apart from the fact that the entire procedure was obviously subsidized. But I do know that I was (and still am) quite impressed by the short waiting times and the efficiency and professionalism of both the medical and administration staff of this public hospital.
 

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How to extend your Employment Pass in Singapore

Previously, up until about a year ago, extending your EP used to entail various trying trips to the Ministry of Manpower building on Havelock. The one overwhelming memory I have of this exercise is the busy cacophony of the place and the mind-numbingly long waiting times. From the queue at reception and the queue number dispensers to the seemingly endless waiting before your number is flashed to submit your documents.

All paperwork submitted, the card was then produced, which in most cases would take about a few hours. This was the good news, i.e. generally, you were able to drop by the MOM building again that same day in order to pick up and pay for your new EP card. The bad news was that this would mean queuing up all over again.

Then the MOM went high-tech.

Nowadays, extending your EP is a much less painful process. Of course you still need to await your extension application letter that MOM sends you. This, amongst other things, determines which medical test - if any - you need to undergo. Once the medical procedures are done, you log onto the MOM website on www.mom.gov.sg and register for an EP Online Account. This account is usually processed within a single day.

Using this account, you can apply online for an e-Appointment at the Employment Pass Services Centre with the MOM EP Registration Department, located at The Riverwalk.

At the Employment Pass Services Centre, you'll get your thumb and passport picture scanned so both can be incorporated onto your new EP card. By the way, at this point you'll be amazed at the low-volume buzz of the goings-on and the lack of the droves of people waiting for their turn, as was the case at the MOM building previously. In addition, there are assistants available at every turn, who will swoop in and offer assistance the moment you look like you're not sure where to go next - excellent. (By the way, if you didn't bring your passport pictures, you can have them taken in the next room. Cost: S$6,- Your passport and filled out EP extension letter obviously are required to complete the in-take.)

Once all the in-take proceedings have been followed through, you're directed to the payment counter, where you can pay cash or by NETS.

Generally, your new EP will be ready for collection a week later. However, this time you won't need to wait longer than several minutes for your turn. Note: Make sure you bring your EP form, your passport and your old EP card.

Kudos to the Singapore MOM for streamlining the entire EP renewal process whilst keeping cost to a mere S$35,-
 

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