A 48-year old Singaporean man was sentenced to a fine of $16,000, or in default six weeks imprisonment, after being convicted of unlicensed estate agency work.
In a statement, the Council for Estate Agencies (CEA) said Jordan Goh Swee Thye advertised a HDB flat in Henderson Road for rent on Gumtree, despite knowing the flat was a HDB rental flat; hence, subletting is not allowed.
The unlicensed estate agent conducted the viewing and assisted in negotiating the monthly rental amount between the subtenant and the main tenant, which was agreed at $1,200 per month from February 2012 to February 2013.
Goh collected a commission of $600 each from the tenant and the subtenant.
In June 2012, HDB repossessed the flat after discovering it was illegally sublet.
Thereafter, the subtenant, who was unable to occupy the flat, reported the matter to CEA. Notably, the subtenant did not also recover the rental deposit he paid to the main tenant and Goh’s commission.
After investigation, Goh was charged by CEA in court on 18 June 2014 and convicted and sentenced on 10 September.
CEA advises the public consumers to engage only estate agents and salespersons who are licensed/registered with the council.
Muneerah Bee, Senior Journalist at PropertyGuru, edited this story. To contact her about this or other stories email muneerah@propertyguru.com.sg
