Red flags to watch for during viewings for renters

It’s virtually impossible to find out everything during the first viewing for a rental, but there are things to watch for if you want to make your life in the new property less troublesome.

Usually, what you see is what you get. Ask the right questions to prevent unhappiness later on, even if you’re only staying for 6 months.

The single most important question you should ask

In our article, “Why the Agent Shouldn’t Also Be Your Landlord”, you’ll discover why signing up directly with a landlord can be a really bad idea.

Therefore, the first question you should ask of the agent is: Are you also the landlord?

If the answer is no, the follow-up question is: Are you related to the landlord?
If the answer to the first question is “yes”, make your way to the exit.
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If the answer to the second question is “yes”, you have a choice of whether to walk away. Don’t forget that the agent ultimately works for the landlord, but being related to the landlord makes them even more biased.
That’s for you to decide.

​What can affect your bottomline?

Utilities are a significant monthly cost in Singapore, especially when it comes to air-conditioning. If you plan to use the aircon everyday, pay attention to the aircon units.
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Where are the units placed in each room? Are they facing a corner of each room? If so, they will not be efficient in cooling the entire room and you’ll end up waiting a long time for rooms to cool down to sleep or work in, in addition to adding to your utilities bill.

If you get afternoon sun in the room you are sleeping in, the situation is even worse.

Another situation to watch for is a living room with two units. If they are placed at the exact same height, be aware that the internal hosing needs to be arranged so that water can drain in the right direction, and not result in a leak.
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Your landlord is not going to be inclined to fix this if you discover this after the warranty period, which is typically one month. 

Older properties can present issues

There are countless things we can list, but in older properties, other than the usual wear and tear, there are things you can watch for, especially if you plan to rent a house.

Is the lightning surge protector still working well? Is the automatic gate still working well? You won’t be able to know these things until well after the warranty period is over.

An obvious question would be – Is the landlord open to having inspections done by professionals before you sign on the dotted line?
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If the agent/landlord is amenable, you can engage a contractor for each item to perform an inspection to give you an idea of the condition of that item. You are then more prepared to accept the condition of that item and anticipate the potential costs involved in maintaining it.

​How obsequious is the agent?

In a landlord’s market, this is something to watch out for. Are they telling you they really like you? Are they implying that you will be friends in the future? Are they praising your “profile”?

If the property is sound, it will sell itself. You shouldn’t feel like the agent is trying to pursue you, or making concessions to get you into the property. Something is wrong, and you won’t know until you are many months into the lease.

What are the other red flags? What would make you run for the hills?

Tell us in the comments!

​Help advance the rights of renters

​Join us in calling for better rights of renters and sign our petitions. This petition addresses the need for agents who are also the landlords of the property they are marketing to declare the fact during property viewings.