These days, it’s not uncommon to stumble upon homeowners airing their grievances about unruly tenants.Â
But hidden among all those grievances is a story that’s often overlooked—the viewpoint of the tenants themselves.
M’sian loses RM2.8K deposit after agent secretly adds clause
Recently, a Facebook post went viral, shedding light on the trials and tribulations faced by tenants in their dealings with agents and landlords.
The post, penned by a tenant, recounts a rollercoaster journey marked by unresponsive agents and unexpected contractual twists.
Smooth start, bumpy ride: malfunctioning devices fixed by the tenant himself
It all began smoothly enough; the tenant secured a residence through an agent, paying a hefty RM500 fee for what was promised to be a seamless process.
However, the harmony soon dissipated post-contract signing. The tenant found himself grappling with a malfunctioning living room fan, futilely attempting to elicit a response from the absentee agent.
“After signing the contract, the agent stopped responding. Even though I complained about the broken living room fan, it remained unfixed. Despite the high fee, the service was painfully slow.”
Despite the premium fee paid, service was sluggish, leaving the tenant to take matters into his own hands. Armed with the skills of an electrical engineer, he repaired the damaged sockets without seeking reimbursement.
“I repaired the washing machine and car porch sockets myself, without asking for a single cent from the agent or owner. Being an electrical engineer, I fixed the electrical socket on my own. However, when I reported the initial defect, the agent acted like they didn’t know anything,” he explained.
Sneakily added a clause out of nowhere in the agreement
But the plot thickened with a contractual bombshell—an undisclosed clause stipulating the tenant’s responsibility for air conditioner servicing.
“The agent sneakily added a clause in the agreement stating that I (the tenant) must service all four air conditioners in the house throughout the rental period.”
“The total cost was RM600. Before signing the contract, we talked about it on WhatsApp, but there was no mention of the tenant being responsible for air conditioner servicing. Then, it just showed up in the agreement out of nowhere.”
I ended up breaking the contract because…
This revelation, buried within the agreement, left the tenant feeling deceived and led to an early departure from the property, despite having meticulously maintained it throughout the lease.
“I feel tricked by the agent’s sneaky move with the air conditioner service. I ended up breaking the contract by leaving four months early. Even though I told the agent a month and a half beforehand, they and the owner couldn’t come to an agreement,” he explained.
My RM2.8K is gone just like that
The aftermath was no less tumultuous. The agent’s feeble attempts to find replacement tenants failed, leaving the tenant to bid farewell to his RM2,800 deposit.
A token gesture of waiving utility bills offered little solace in the face of such losses.
“My two-month deposit worth RM2,800 is gone. The best the agent could do was waive around RM100 worth of electricity and water bills,” he lamented.
He then summed it all too well:
“This is what I’ve learned from my experience: I need to be more cautious. Renting directly from the owner is preferable.
If you have to deal with a rental agent, stick to someone you trust, like a relative or a close friend. Always read the contract thoroughly and don’t overlook anything suspicious,” he concluded.
Read the original post here.
