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Hello. I am renting a condo. My family member is going to come for a short 5-day visit. Agent asking me to send a passport copy & visa of the family member. Is it a valid request? Feels like a violation of PDPA, because when a foreigner comes into Singapore, their documents are already verified by the immigration authorities. Why do I need to provide my family member's passport copy, when a person comes only for a 5 days visit? How can I be sure the passport copy is handled properly by the agent and stored in a secured place?
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2 Answers

Geryl Lim
Replied
Hi Natalya,

If you put yourself in the shoes of landlord, how are you sure if your tenant's family are in Singapore through the legal channels other than to ask for copies of their IDs and passports as form of due diligence done to ensure that the property does not have any occupants who are in Singapore through the non-legal channels.

While you do have a valid concern of the PDPA and information management, you can always work out with the agent and landlord on how they intend to manage these information and verify if they have actually put these management protocols in place.

Warmest regards,
Geryl Lim
Associate Group Director
Salesperson Registration No. R014783H
Email: geryl.lim@orangetee.com / geryl7772@gmail.com
OrangeTee & Tie Pte Ltd 430 Lorong 6 Toa Payoh #01-01 OrangeTee Building Singapore 319402
Estate Agent Licence No. L3009250K
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  • NK
    Replied
    Hi, thanks for the reply. I still not very convinced why landlords need to verify documents while the same being done by the immigration authorities... There are lots of security risks when documents are sent over the WhatsApp. Not only I am not sure whether the landlord will access it via the secure wifi network, but also not sure whether landlord will be able to store it securely. I think by right some other verification mechanisms need to be implemented. But thanks for the reply anyway.
Geryl Lim
Replied
Hi Natalya,

If you are not convinced and unwilling to work according to the requests if Landlord, you may consider housing your family member in a hotel or serviced apartment.

Warmest regards,
Geryl Lim
Associate Group Director
Salesperson Registration No. R014783H
Email: geryl.lim@orangetee.com / geryl7772@gmail.com
OrangeTee & Tie Pte Ltd 430 Lorong 6 Toa Payoh #01-01 OrangeTee Building Singapore 319402
Estate Agent Licence No. L3009250K
[main] +65 6471 8888  [mob] +65 81577565  [LDA] +65 92787772 
www.geryllim.com Read More
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  • NK
    Replied
    Yes, this seems to be the only option for people who do not want to put their personal data under risk.

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