Housing agent sublet flats illegally three times Options

[Blackseal]

The Housing and Development Board (HDB) has sent out a warning to flat owners: Do not sublet your flats illegally.

In a statement today, it said: 'HDB would like to emphasise the severity of unauthorised subletting. HDB flats are meant for owner occupation.'

A housing agent who had three cases of illegally subletting flats without prior approval from the HDB is learning this the hard way. HDB has taken legal action to repossess his flat, and will be doing the same for the other flats he sublet without authorisation.


In 2007, Mr Poh Boon Kay, a registered real estate agent with five other properties, bought his 4-room Bukit Batok flat at $150,000 without any loans, listing his wife, Mdm Khoo Kim Cheng as occupier.

However, in November 2009, HDB discovered that Mr Poh was actually subletting the flat - without HDB's prior approval - to 3 Burmese couples (six adults and one child) at a monthly rent of $1,900. Mr Poh and his family were not residing in the flat.

Two weeks later, HDB informed him that unless the unauthorised sub-tenants are evicted, HDB would take compulsory acquisition action. As the subtenants continued to stay in the flat, a Notice of Board's Intention to compulsorily acquire the flat was served on December 23. On the same day, he said the sub-tenants had signed an undertaking that they would vacate the flat by the end of December.

Mr Poh appealed the next day, claiming that he rented out the flat to the sub-tenants while they worked out their finances in order to buy the flat from him.

When interviewed, he and his wife claimed they did not know that they needed to seek prior approval from HDB before subletting the flat, or that they needed to fulfill the Minimum Occupation Period (MOP) of three years before they are eligible to do so.

Two other cases of illegal sub-letting

HDB subsequently discovered that Mr Poh is related to two more cases of unauthorised sub-letting.

In the second case, he acted as the housing agent for his 91-year-old aunt, whose flat was sublet without HDB's approval to Burmese monks at a monthly rent of $1,400 since July last year. They had used it as a meditation centre, with monthly rents paid out to Mr Poh.

The third case involved his daughter's Telok Blangah flat which was again sublet without HDB's consent to subtenants for $900 a month.

According to a statement released by the HDB, "With these further instances of unauthorised subletting related to Mr. Poh, his claims that he is "unaware" of HDB rules cannot be substantiated. Furthermore, these regulations are publicly available from many sources such as HDB's InfoWeb or service hotline. There is clear evidence that Mr Poh, a housing agent by profession, has been intentionally abusing HDB flats for monetary gains."

HDB has now taken legal action to compulsorily acquire Mr Poh's flat. It plans to take the same action towards his aunt's and daughter's flats as well.

HDB ramps up enforcement against unauthorised subletting

The Housing Board said it would take action in those who commit this infringement, from penalties that ranged from fines of $1,000 to $21,000, to repossession of flat. 56 owners have received these penalties from January 2008 to December 2009.

Flat owners who wish to sublet their whole flat must obtain approval from HDB and fulfil the Minimum Occupation Period (MOP). The current MOP for the subletting of flats is as follows:

Flats bought directly from HDB: 5 years
Resale flats purchased with CPF Housing Grant: 5 years
Resale flats purchased without CPF Housing Grant: 3 years
They must also comply with HDB's terms and conditions. For instance, the maximum number of subtenants allowed. 1-Room and 2-Room flats are allowed a maximum of four persons, 3-room flats can have 6 persons, while 4-Room and bigger flat types can have 9 persons in total.

Residents are encouraged to call HDB's dedicated hotline at 1800-5556370 [Monday to Friday - 8am to 5pm] to report any suspected cases.

[Ladykillerz]

I just don't understand why so many rules..
An owner bought a flat, he/she should have the RIGHTS to allow who and what to live in. Am I wrong? =P
Might as well also say, you cannot have more than one television! We will spot check on YOU! =P

If SG govt wanting to make so many rules and new rules, might as well only allowed one per house.
If profit is not possible to implement such, then shut up. =x

Just don't understand why we are forced not allowed to rent OUR own houses when they are belong to us and not them?

Basically, it's out of control and noone can come out with a brilliant idea.
Thus, rules and rules keep adding. *shakes head*

[Blackseal]

I just don't understand why so many rules..
An owner bought a flat, he/she should have the RIGHTS to allow who and what to live in. Am I wrong? =P
Might as well also say, you cannot have more than one television! We will spot check on YOU! =P

If SG govt wanting to make so many rules and new rules, might as well only allowed one per house.
If profit is not possible to implement such, then shut up. =x

Just don't understand why we are forced not allowed to rent OUR own houses when they are belong to us and not them?

Basically, it's out of control and noone can come out with a brilliant idea.
Thus, rules and rules keep adding. *shakes head*

Just vote those buggers out and we can revise the rules...

[Acanthus]

Just don't understand why we are forced not allowed to rent OUR own houses when they are belong to us and not them?

Technically speaking, we dun OWN the HDB flat we stayed in. 99 years later it still belongs to HDB.



Anyway, our Garmen wants a cut in everything, so if you rent out without permission, they fine you to take back a cut in your profit. And if they can find a very valid reason to acquire back your flat, then they can sell it off for a bigger profit - like in this Mr Poh's case.

to them its -
1) Money
2) Face
3) Foreign talent
4) Peasants

[David]

I just don't understand why so many rules..
An owner bought a flat, he/she should have the RIGHTS to allow who and what to live in. Am I wrong? =P
Might as well also say, you cannot have more than one television! We will spot check on YOU! =P

If SG govt wanting to make so many rules and new rules, might as well only allowed one per house.
If profit is not possible to implement such, then shut up. =x

Just don't understand why we are forced not allowed to rent OUR own houses when they are belong to us and not them?

Basically, it's out of control and noone can come out with a brilliant idea.
Thus, rules and rules keep adding. *shakes head*

You can buy more than 1 HDB unit and collect rent. How? You pay for the unit but registered it under my name if I do not already owned one.

[Danls79]

well to say the truth you only owned the flat when you fully pay up all the loan amount owned to the bank or hdb like what my parents did they rent out their flat after it was fully pay for but still subjected to tax by the gov .

[Nmnhnlm]

By right..... a long long time ago... the purpose of a HDB flat is to provide affordable PUBLIC housing to Singaporeans.....

Its NOT a means to make money and neither is it supposed to be an investment to make money.

If you want to invest or make money, go buy a PRIVATE housing like condo instead.

Of course, thats a long long time ago... Now... totally different so rules should change as well...

[Nlstch]

I think HDB do the right thing now, if everyone does that and all the flats currently owned by people that not intending to stay but to rent out, then no matter how many flat HDB build, will not be enough for people to buy. Then the price of flat will only go up and up. By the rate it goes, our next generation will be paying millions for a small HDB flat, you want that to happened?

[Watwheels]

This also can be car discussion?

I think this is a sign, an early warning. More ppl like him is going to get caught. Those practicing the same thing better do smth fast.

[Leepee]

So many smart Singaporeans around. Earning their keeps.
But the authorities likes to come and disturb and spoil the show for these smart and innovative Singaporeans.


I think Cigrette man is angry and want to tekan as many citizens as possilble before his ouster by people's power very soon.

[Throttle2]

By right..... a long long time ago... the purpose of a HDB flat is to provide affordable PUBLIC housing to Singaporeans.....

Its NOT a means to make money and neither is it supposed to be an investment to make money.

If you want to invest or make money, go buy a PRIVATE housing like condo instead.

This part i agree.

[Fourth]

Strongly agreed that gov should take his hdb back and punish him hard.

[Drumstick]

A wrong statement made by that guy.
How can he say he did not know the MOP when he is a housing agent himself.

Its like shooting his leg with his own gun.

But actually, nobody will know about the illegal sublet unless someone lodge a complaint.
HDB officer will not do house visiting for no reason.
Some one must have 'bao toh' him

[Sorrow]

A wrong statement made by that guy.
How can he say he did not know the MOP when he is a housing agent himself.

Its like shooting his leg with his own gun.

But actually, nobody will know about the illegal sublet unless someone lodge a complaint.
HDB officer will not do house visiting for no reason.
Some one must have 'bao toh' him

"greed knows no boundary" , all i can say is really spoil the market for the other.....somemore still got 5 other properties... how i wish i had that number of properties....then can juz sit back and collect rent every month

[Acieed]

TBH, don't see anything wrong with HDB taking back the flat. We complain and worry so much about housing prices rushing, yet so many of our own righteous Singapore citizens are using government grants and buying up flats to speculate, sublet, operating hotels spoil the bloody market. Even private property whether landed or condo sublet as dormitory or hotel is also illegal without a hotel license. If everything so nice and easy, then hotels also lose money, our Singaporean hotel managers become jobless, our taxes goes into grants for greedy people who already have private properties that doesn't even need it.

If FT do this sure kenna wack, then Singaporean do this means they are smart. What's wrong with us ? Once, I encounter an FT subletting a place like a hotel then I thought KNN FT spoil the market, later then realize got two Singapore bosses mastermind. Of course, there are also bloody FTs of the same kind. But no need to think too complicated, its just a bunch of greedy pricks digging loopholes in the system then say everybody owe them something. KNN they are a*sholes, regardless of race or religion or nationality. Sorry for the language.


This post has been edited by Acieed: Mar 13 2010, 12:49 PM