{"id":19270,"date":"2018-09-04T08:02:24","date_gmt":"2018-09-04T00:02:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.99.co\/blog\/singapore\/?p=19270"},"modified":"2022-07-01T04:59:12","modified_gmt":"2022-06-30T20:59:12","slug":"renting-in-singapore-landlords-reject-tenants","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.99.co\/singapore\/insider\/renting-in-singapore-landlords-reject-tenants\/","title":{"rendered":"Renting in Singapore: 5 reasons why landlords reject tenants"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Here\u2019s the thing about Singaporean landlords: even when they’ve clearly bought a property for investment and rental yield, they tend to remain possessive and nit-picky over their cash cow. So, it’s not just the tenants who are doing the choosing; landlords, too, can get really picky when they screen tenants. If you’ve made an enquiry on a listing or expressed your interest after viewing a unit, only to be told discreetly afterwards that it’s “taken up already”, there might be a chance that you’ve been rejected by a landlord based on your profile.<\/strong> If this happens to you on more than one occasion, you need to know why landlords are saying no to you. If you’re renting in Singapore, these five factors that may be hurting your chances.<\/span><\/p>\n

Reason #1: You don\u2019t have a stable source of income<\/b><\/h3>\n

This one\u2019s pretty obvious. If you\u2019re a freelancer that works on ad-hoc projects and you don\u2019t have a typical 9 to 5 job that gives you a monthly salary, this might count as a strike against you. The fear is that tenant’s of this profile are more likely to default on their rent, which would seriously affect the Singaporean landlord’s plan to go on a vacation every two months…<\/span><\/p>\n

How do you work around the fact that you’re a freelancer? It\u2019s all about how you frame the situation. Instead of telling your landlord you\u2019re a freelancer, tell them that you\u2019re working on a project with Company XYZ, and then segue to the work you’re doing (i.e. bore them with the unimportant details). If you\u2019ve worked with reputable brands, mention their name as well so that your landlord knows you\u2019re legit. The key to renting in Singapore is not to reveal too much information, but not to appear that you’re hiding something\/being evasive.<\/span><\/p>\n

Reason #2: You have pets<\/b><\/h3>\n

Unfortunately, having pets is something that plenty of landlords in Singapore frown upon, partly due to worries about cleanliness or allergies, as well as pet restrictions<\/a> if you’re renting a HDB flat. The chief reason is that your landlord doesn\u2019t want your cat scratching up your furniture or your dog leaving saliva and urine stains everywhere.<\/span><\/p>\n

To help your case, you can ask your previous landlord to vouch for you. Having your previous landlord talk about how responsible you are about cleaning up after your pets (and how well-trained your pets are!) can go a long way in making your potential landlord more agreeable to letting you keep pets. If vouching isn’t possible, or doesn’t work, consider viewing the property with your pet, so you can show off how well trained and behaved your pet is and perhaps even score brownie points with fluffy cuteness!<\/span><\/p>\n

To safeguard yourself, make sure the permission to keep pets (usually specific to your current pet) is written up in the contract, lest the landlord changes his\/her mind.<\/strong> To sweeten the deal for your landlord, the agent can also include a clause that stipulates that you\u2019ll pay for any damages your pet might cause to the property (in the unlikely situation that this does happen). Something like this:<\/span><\/p>\n