Man returns home to find half-naked stranger sleeping in his bed in rented Jurong room
A man returning to his rented room after visiting his relatives overseas during Chinese New Year was shocked to find a half-naked stranger sleeping in his bed.
The tenant, who did not wish to be named, told Shin Min Daily News that he had rented a bedroom at The Lakeshore condominium in Jurong West Street 41 in August last year for $1,050 a month under a one-year lease.
He and his wife had travelled to their hometown in February, leaving the room vacant. When he returned alone on March 2, he found a woman lying on his bed asleep, naked from the waist up and wearing only her underwear.
“She was startled awake when I opened the door and immediately told me to close it so she could get dressed. She then hurriedly left,” he said.
“I clearly remember locking my door before I left, so it scared me to death to see someone lying down in my room.”
Said to be helper’s friend
The tenant later contacted the landlord, who explained that the woman was a friend of his helper.
She worked at a massage parlour and had ended work late, which led to her missing the last bus. Thus, she was allowed to stay overnight.
“It’s unacceptable that the landlord didn’t seek my consent before letting someone into my room. Fortunately, my wife didn’t come home with me, or else I would have been in trouble,” he said.
Although nothing was reported missing, the tenant said he felt uncomfortable and wanted to move out the next day, citing hygiene concerns.
He asked for a refund of that month’s rent and his deposit, totalling $2,100, but the landlord allegedly refused, saying the lease had not expired.
Angered, he lodged a police report.
“I was overseas for so long, who knows whether the woman only stayed one night? I felt I couldn’t stay there any more, but the landlord said I haven’t fulfilled my contract,” he said.
“I think this is unreasonable.”
To avoid forfeiting his deposit, he stayed on until March 31 before moving out. During this period, he often suffered from insomnia and had to take medical leave from work.
He added that although the landlord later refunded one day’s rent ($30) and returned $1,000 of his deposit, he still found the situation “absurd” and pointed out that no apology was given.
Landlord reportedly unaware of incident until after
When contacted by a Shin Min reporter, the landlord confirmed the incident but said he was unaware of what had happened until the tenant called him.
It was then he checked with his helper and found out what had occurred.
He said his helper had allowed the woman to rest in the room after realising it was vacant, intending for her to leave the next morning to take the first train home.
“She had only just lain down when he unexpectedly returned home,” the landlord said.
He added that the helper had been reprimanded, and he had asked her to wash the bedsheets.
“When he moved out, I also refunded him one day’s rent and returned his deposit. I feel I have already shown my sincerity,” he added.
The landlord also said the helper had a spare key for cleaning purposes, and noted that the tenant had previously given permission for his room to be unlocked for room viewings.
The tenant acknowledged allowing access for viewings, but denied that the helper had entered the room for cleaning, saying the two situations were not comparable.
The police confirmed that a report was lodged.
Tenant claims overcrowding
The tenant also claimed the unit was overcrowded, alleging that up to nine people were living in the two-bedroom flat.
He said additional rooms had been partitioned out of the living room, and that the storeroom was also occupied.
“Usually everyone keeps their doors shut, so I’m not sure exactly how many people are staying there,” he said.
According to the landlord, however, no more than six people were living in the unit, including his bedridden father and helper.
In January 2024, the Housing & Development Board (HDB) and the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) temporarily relaxed occupancy limits, allowing four-room and larger HDB flats, as well as private residential properties of at least 90 sqm, to house up to eight unrelated persons — up from the previous cap of six.
The measure, introduced to meet sustained rental demand, was initially set to run until Dec 31, 2026. It has since been extended by two years to Dec 31, 2028.
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