Homeowner slammed for renting out HDB flat's balcony space
The greed of landlords knows no bounds.
There have been reports of homeowners renting out their windowless bomb shelters and tiny utility rooms.
And now a homeowner has put up for rent the balcony area of an HDB flat in Ang Mo Kio.
Advertised in the Facebook group Singapore Islandwide Room Rental on April 14, the balcony area was up for rent for $380 per month including utilities.
The balcony space appeared to be fitted with tinted window panes and furnished with what appeared to be a shoe rack and bookshelf. The were also a clothes rack, a drying rack, a standing fan and a low-pile carpet on the floor.
The landlord wrote that the balcony space, which would be cleaned daily, was open to only male tenants. The flat is a seven-minute walk from Ang Mo Kio and Yio Chu Kang MRT stations.
The post, which has been deleted, drew the ire of netizens.
"You're really treating us like we're not human."
"You give up your humanity just to earn a dime?"
Era Realty property agent Asaph Mathew explained to AsiaOne that "you can rent out only your bedrooms when you apply for permission from HDB."
According to HDB's rental regulations, only bedrooms originally constructed by HDB can be rented out. All other parts of the flat, including partitioned areas, cannot be used as bedrooms for tenants.
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