My lease is ending and we’re moving to a new apartment (need more space as I’ve accumulated a lot in 3.5 years here in Singapore). Current landlord is reasonable and everything was easy with the agents last time around. This time it’s a nightmare. We looked at a place (on the 10th) which is big (2400 sq.ft) but needed a very good clean and repairs. The repairs are to the wooden surrounds where the window aircon units have leaked and caused the wood to rot. Looks nasty but is a simple remove, clean and replace exercise. We specified what we wanted done and were told it would take about two weeks. Happy with that we said we could come back and view again on the 25th. We agreed to have a letter of intent drafted and handed over a post-dated (25th) cheque as the booking deposit (which was cashed on the 25th).

Shortly before the 25th we were called to reschedule the meeting to the 27th at 7pm and we agreed. At 6pm on the 25th we get a call to say that the meeting is cancelled as there is no need to meet and they would fax across the tenancy agreement the following morning. Following morning, no tenancy agreement and we’re told it would be later. Finally on Thursday (28th) afternoon we’re told that the landlord can’t decide on which tenancy agreement to use! So we set Friday 5pm as the deadline to send the agreement, if they’re serious about leasing the place. At 3:30pm my girlfriend gets the agreement faxed across and is told by our agent to sign it and send it back. She told him that we weren’t signing until we saw the place again and were happy it had been brought to the agreed state. Our agent then calls me to give out and say I have to sign the agreement before they will do the work. Bollox to that I’m thinking. So I tell him I want to see the agreement and talk to Cecilia but that I’m not going to sign it.

I’ll tell you the rest later ..