ST : #2: Flat repossessed

Mar 28, 2010

#2: Flat repossessed

A man sublet his entire three-room flat without the HDB's approval while living with his family in Batam.

When the HDB found out, it told him to evict his tenants immediately and resume living in his flat.

But he sublet the flat to another group of tenants.

His offence was first uncovered when he failed to pay his mortgage arrears.

No one answered the door when the HDB branch office representative turned up, but the tenant responded to a card left behind.

The HDB found out from the tenant that the flat was sublet to him and his two classmates. The tenant also produced a copy of the tenancy agreement signed with the owner.

HDB's investigations revealed that the owner had bought the flat in 2005 with a CPF housing grant, and had sublet the flat without its approval.

As he did not resume living in the flat and even sublet the flat to another group of tenants, the HDB compulsorily acquired his flat.