0616River Place  condos, expatriate relocation to Singapore educational stories for expats and realtors are extracted from   The Internet Realtors, Singapore, sponsored by AsiaHomes Internet.



Singapore real estate, housing, condo apartment "You got Tenant" ad by AsiaHomes Internet.


You got  Tenant, Surfer?

Singapore Properties shown in this report are for sale to foreigners.




Close to downtown Orchard Road. Cross the overhead bridge over Havelock Road (picture above) to a bus stop to get a bus to Orchard Road (right will be  Singapore River and Orchard Road) in 5 minutes.  Raffles Place will be on the left of Havelock Road.

River Place Condos by the Singapore River
1-bedroom from $3,000 - $3,500 fully furnished.




Tel: +65 9668 6468, email judy@asia
homes.com

FOR RENT
July 10, 2001

East Coast bungalow, no pool, $7,000. Big living and dining rooms. Big backyard but over 10 years old.

Tel: +65 9668 6468, email judy@asia
homes.com

This story was contributed by www.asiahomes.com realtors.

Played out by the incumbent Tenant.

"I am not paying any commission," said the Landlady.  "You contacted the Tenant direct and not me. You should have paid $5.00 to check the records and contacted me."

The co-broking agent said: "It is an open market. The Tenant wants to break lease and has said you are agreeable to the new lease!"

This was unexpected. We had met the Landlord at 8 p.m with the new prospective tenant.   A letter of intent had been accepted by the Landlord, according to the existing Tenant and the co-broking agent Kerry.

"The present Tenant is renting at $6,000 per month and your offer is $5,400.  I could have advertised and get this offer too," said the Landlady.

Why did the Landlady turn up? This was bad for me as I assumed that Kerry knew his business.

"The existing Tenant should pay the commission since he has been actively soliciting realtors to get a replacement Tenant," the Landlord said firmly.

But the existing Tenant was not going to pay anything. 

"Mr Holt told me that I need not pay any commission." the Landlord explained.

If realtors want to be suckers, let them learn this bitter experience. 

The co-broking agent had never discussed with him.  Fortunately, the Letter of Intent from asiahomes.com had a clause to the Landlord saying that he would be paying agency commission.  If he signs the Letter of Intent, he would have agreed. Without this clause, this would be a hopeless case in the court of law.

"I will pay you half the co-broking commission," said the Landlord while I would receive the full since it was not my fault.  "Let this be a lesson to you."   It was better than nothing for Kerry.

The Letter of Intent had said that the Landlord would install a cable line to the utility room.

"All cable points are concealed and built in by the Developer" said the Landlord. Meaning that she did not want exposed piping and wires running over the walls in the installation of the cable line, destroying the beauty of this condo by the waters.

My client wanted to compromise by asking for a small table in the bedroom 2. "Don't make any offers," I advised my client who really fell in love with this condo and its furnishings.  It would be very difficult for her as the bedroom 2 would be used by another adult and the utility room would be the only room for her to do her internet business.  The Landlord was only too pleased to accept her offer.

Sometimes, it would be better if my clients don't meet the Landlord and let me do the negotiations.

"I am not going to pay for the installation of this cable line," said the Landlord.  "Is the existing Tenant going to pay for it?"  Agent Kerry did not know.  Obviously not.

The charges were $150.

"In this case, this is no agreement and we can all go home." I said. $5,400 for a 1300 sq. ft condo, no matter how well furnished, is on the high side for a downtown condo.  The Landlord now has a reason not to permit the existing Tenant to break the lease with a replacement Tenant.

The Landlord had to decide and she said OK for the cable line.  The tenancy agreement was rushed to her the next day in the morning with the Tenant having signed it.  But she had approved the draft and the formality was only a signature from her.

"I will read it later in the evening when I am free," the Landlady said briskly as I must have interrupted her business meeting.

My clients started getting the telephone applications done. 

At 7 p.m, the Landlady phoned: "The existing Tenant asked me not to sign as he had difficulty negotiating his new house! I know it is not fair to your nice American clients." 

My clients would have gone to their 2nd choice and had only one day left in Singapore. The existing Tenant had told every agent that he could move out any time and had told us that he would move out in 10 days' time.     

Now, he wanted 3 days to find his own house. 

"I have not banked in the 3 months' rent cheque," said the Landlord.  Does it mean she can get out of the deal?
Yes, as long as she had not signed the tenancy agreement.

"This is a good opportunity for you to tell the incumbent Tenant that you had obliged and you do get $6,000 for the next 12 months. This would be a considerable $7,200 loss if you accept my client," I said.

I gave her 6 hours to reply, failing which, my client had to consider the second offer. Unfortunately for me, the second offer involved another agent.  But this would be the fair thing to do.

"I can't believe it," Alice, my client said as I called her on Tuesday morning at 8 a.m.  "The $16,200 deposit money needs to be returned before I fly to the U.S in the next 24 hours."

The existing Tenant has played out, not only the realtors, but the Landlord has well.

The Landlord gave the Tenant an ultimatum. The Tenant decided that he would move out on the very last day although he promised Alice that he would move out 7 days earlier.   He had promised that the good quality single bed and the balcony deck chair bought by him would be left behind.  He substituted with a maid's bed and a different sun deck chair. He moved out on the evening of the last day leaving no time for a proper cleaning up of the apartment.

Alice was very furious on the day of the handover.  The kitchen was dirty. The sink choked. The marble floor of the living area had 6 long lines of scratches caused by the movers. The Landlord said she was not free to turn up at the handing over. My assistant tried her best to help.

"How do we check whether this Roman blind in the bedroom is functioning well too.?" asked Alice who now had to check out every defect.  For the venetian blinds, you could just pull sideways to drop them. My assistant did that. The Roman blind fell off its attachment and crashed onto Alice's face.

We expected her to explode.  Italians have very strong emotions, we believe.   Fortunately, she saw the funny side and just burst out laughing to tears.   This handing over took 3 hours; the expatriates had to stay in the hotel for the next 3 days while a professional cleaning firm was engaged by the Landlord.