Tenants had been cheated!

Full with debts, Shahrit Yusop makes up a scam to lease out a flat.

Having difficulties with the repayments of his loan, HDB took back his residence last month. Shahrit, a 33-year-old part-time barkeeper, was arrested by the authorities on 20 November 2008 for fraud. The court found him guilty and was sentenced to be imprisoned for five months. He offered his residence for lease in order to pay his incurred debts after purchasing furniture for his flat. He owed money for cell phone bills, conservancy fees, HDB loans, and traffic summonses. He contacted some housing agents, searching for tenants to lease his flat.

After seeing his flat, his victims signed up the rental contracts with him; with the occupancy beginning between two weeks to one month after the arrangement was made. Nevertheless, after giving out the payments, Shahrit gave excuses to call off the contracts with the tenants, and collected $1,000 to $2,800 from each of them.

When The New Paper came to the said flat located in Block 170, Yishun Avenue 7, not a single person was there. According to neighbours, they had been worried because the tenants had been changing from time to time. Over the last four months, they stated that the unit was vacant. One concerned neighbour said that Shahrit’s flat was occupied by three to four different tenants within the previous year. She claimed, “There was always trouble. Once, there was fighting, and they even took my flowerpots and threw them at each other. My mother had seen them fighting on her way home and called me. I could hear her shouting and calling in fear. When I rushed home, I saw bloodstains and broken pots in the corridor. It was horrible.” Moneylenders had also been to the flat many times, they were throwing paints on its door. Living close to the unit made her always troubled for the safety of her family, she added.

The first victim of Shahrit was Seng Sheng Li, a 48-year-old Chinese national. In 12 October, Shahrit and Mr. Seng met at the coffee shop located in Block 123, Yishun Street 11. The Chinese national promised he would rent the flat for $1,200 every month for one year. An amount of $2,400 was given as a deposit and advance rental payment. After several days, Shahrit met Mr. Zhang Zuxing, another Chinese national. Mr. Zhang paid out $1,000 as deposit rent. Three days after, Shahrit made use of the similar ruse to lure Cortex Rogemer Ayran, a 47-year-old Filipino national. Mr. Ayran paid out $1,600 as a deposit, to lease the flat for one year. Nonetheless, the Filipino tenant realised that there were other persons occupying the unit.

Judge Liew Thiam Leng understood that Shahrit had caused his tenants with hardships and inconveniences. He had not abided with the law, which called for a heavier sentence.

The district judge also said that in the preceding cases, for amounts of $500 to $8,000, the judgments that the court had imposed would be two weeks to five months. He noted “in passing sentence... I considered the public interest in this case to protect the public from the scam perpetrated by (Shahrit).”

In his mitigation, the accused was the only breadwinner of his family, with four children. He pleaded for a light sentence and said he was remorseful. The prosecution attempts to appeal against the imposed judgment.

Police gave advisory to those in search for rental flats to beware of such scams and to be careful if they are asked for an advance payment, particularly when the requirements are not in line with the market norms. Additionally, they should confirm the property ownership before signing up the tenancy agreement or making any advance or deposit payment.