'No Indians No PRCs': Rental discrimination in Singapore

[Merrytooth 5,748]

Maybe it has more to do with them being single men than being Indian? Don't you think a person deserves a chance to be interviewed or something first?

If these workers are needed in Singapore, which I assume they are since they get visas, then shouldn't there be housing for them? Do you have security deposits or anything there, that could be relinquished if the apartment is messy? Threat of loss of money usually makes people pay attention. It just seems there should be another way besides just giving a blanket ban to a nationality.

Not really. Even those with families are horrible renters too.

One bitten, twice shy. In Singapore, they are not background checks / credits check before renting houses.

In Singapore, the home ownership rate is very high as 90%.

We take pride in our own properties, keeping our home clean. The Government is also constantly upgrading the facades of the housing buildings. Can't say the same for other foreigners to feel the same way as we do about our houses in Singapore.

Generally, renters have to pay security deposits (2 months) up front before renting, but these security deposits are not even enough to pay for the damages incurred after the rental lease.

And some renters have bad habits in paying rents. Example, right before the lease is up, they remain uncontactable, telling the landlords that they could deduct their rents from security deposits. Then they disappear, leaving the rental houses in thrash. So the landlords have to incur more losses and have no way to recover their losses.

Some even worst, they sold off the rental houses furniture, appliances before they left! Applied to many banks for credits loans and left Singapore for good. Guess what, the landlords have to deal with those bank letters delivered to their houses.

Singapore have strict rules about subletting the houses.

So 1 landlord rented his house to 1 foreigner, this foreigner with good business mind subletting the house to 20 people which is against the rules. Ended up the landlord could wind out forfeiting his house to the govt for violations due to this 1 foreigner illegal activities.

See this picture below of illegal subletting, crowded living conditions.

I don't blame the landlords for choosing their tenants.

Rental markets are economic driven but still their properties, their preferences.

The foreign nationalities could only blame their fellow people for giving them the bad reputations who they don't seem to care either way.

[GandD 5,966]

Do you think every Indian would ruin their houses?

I have yet to enter a place inhabited by 1st generation Indians and not be thrown back by the smell. But that's just me and my small handful of incidents. I know usually former Indian houses here have to be professionally cleaned top to bottom before they will sell. But the same is true with skank whities that smoke in the house.

[Morningmist 76]

As an Indian I will say that Indian cooking is not designed for central heating and cooling system homes like they are found in western countries. Most of our homes back in India have a window just where the stove is so all the smell is sent out of the house and you wont find the house having a strong smell. It took me awhile to realize that anytime I cooked an Indian curry here that the smell will stick to my clothes in my walk in closet despite my clothes not being anywhere near the kitchen. Always opened all the windows and doors and shut off the AC when cooking Indian curries. I will also say that Indian single women keep their homes really clean compared to the men. Probably cleaner than in what condition they got it in.

Having lived here in America nearly 10 years, I've seen that some Americans can keep their homes really really messy. I've seen slum homes in India that was cleaner. It's a good thing they own their homes because no way I would rent it to any one of them if I was a landlord.

If Singaporeans were treated the same way in a place like America how they treat foreigners they would be up in arms.

[GandD 5,966]

Some of the Asians around here build separate kitchens in their garages. I found that kind of funny.

Oh AND I had to add in a true high powered hood vent and gas stove to satisfy my wife's cooking. We bought a wok, its awesome.

Edited May 5, 2014 by GandD

[Merrytooth 5,748]

As an Indian I will say that Indian cooking is not designed for central heating and cooling system homes like they are found in western countries. Most of our homes back in India have a window just where the stove is so all the smell is sent out of the house and you wont find the house having a strong smell. It took me awhile to realize that anytime I cooked an Indian curry here that the smell will stick to my clothes in my walk in closet despite my clothes not being anywhere near the kitchen. Always opened all the windows and doors and shut off the AC when cooking Indian curries. I will also say that Indian single women keep their homes really clean compared to the men. Probably cleaner than in what condition they got it in.

Having lived here in America nearly 10 years, I've seen that some Americans can keep their homes really really messy. I've seen slum homes in India that was cleaner. It's a good thing they own their homes because no way I would rent it to any one of them if I was a landlord.

If Singaporeans were treated the same way in a place like America how they treat foreigners they would be up in arms.

Generally, local born Singaporeans are in very small number in other countries and very respectfully to local laws, to be considered as pests by local countries hosts.

[Morningmist 76]

I'm sure that's a fine and dandy view you have of yourself. But racism comes in different forms. Merely obeying local laws doesn't protect you from it.

[GandD 5,966]

This is the point where things typically go downhill.

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

If it gets hectic, remember, I keep a sign and marker to protest any racial injustice in my back pocket.

[Merrytooth 5,748]

I actually feel sad for my country because my government cheaply pimped out our passports to foreigners who have no loyalties other than using us as stepping stones, that we have 40% foreigners in Singapore population.

Local sentiments are feeling the same way.

The BBC News clearly did not interviewed how the locals feel about their renters, so it is 1 sided news at the best.

[Morningmist 76]

Some of the Asians around here build separate kitchens in their garages. I found that kind of funny.

Oh AND I had to add in a true high powered hood vent and gas stove to satisfy my wife's cooking. We bought a wok, its awesome.

Well I don't see it as being anything different than having the frier or grill outside. they release smoke and can generally have strong smells. Think Barbecue. I kind of stopped cooking Indian food at home because of it. If I ever get around to buying a house I will redesign the kitchen to have the stove in front the window instead of the sink. Never understood why the sink was in front the window really.

My husband cooked dal one night. He didn't turn on the fan OR open the windows and good grief did that smell strong. My husband is a white American. He did it the first time so he didn't know what I found out through trial and error.

[GandD 5,966]

Well I don't see it as being anything different than having the frier or grill outside. they release smoke and can generally have strong smells. Think Barbecue. I kind of stopped cooking Indian food at home because of it. If I ever get around to buying a house I will redesign the kitchen to have the stove in front the window instead of the sink. Never understood why the sink was in front the window really.

My husband cooked dal one night. He didn't turn on the fan OR open the windows and good grief did that smell strong. My husband is a white American. He did it the first time so he didn't know what I found out through trial and error.

Similar thing happens when you boil brats in beer. I always do this outside. Its a terrible smell but a delicious eat.

[Karee 4,190]

This is the point where things typically go downhill.

This is the point where things get awesome!

[Merrytooth 5,748]

If it gets hectic, remember, I keep a sign and marker to protest any racial injustice in my back pocket.

Why are you not protesting the Malaysia Bumiputera system that favors Malays while discriminating the Chinese, Indian malaysian minorities? Isn't that racial injustice too? Many of my Malaysian friends could attest to it.

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

Why are you not protesting the Malaysia Bumiputera system that favors Malays while discriminating the Chinese, Indian malaysian minorities? Isn't that racial injustice too? Many of my Malaysian friends could attest to it.

Being that I'm an American and haven't lived in Malaysia before, I wasn't aware of it. Now if you're talking about the system that divides land? I've read about it and it's something that I don't agree with. My wife is a Malay/Chinese/Melanu, which makes her bi-racial. So she and her family is affected.

[deleted-05292014 331]

This is not unlike India itself which is virtually an apartheid country where comparing places where Hindu and Muslims can live. A former Indian coworker of mine is Muslim and his family owns a construction company. They only build for Muslims and no Hindus are allowed to live in their buildings.

I find this surprising though about Singapore which is very diverse racially. In fact I know more Indians in Singapore than I know of any other race.

I do a lot business there and in my video conferences it's all Indians.

I like most Indian food North and South. But yeah a lot Indians smell like curry it doesn't bother me, I'm used to it.

Edited May 5, 2014 by Jinx614