Singaporean fined record $600,000 for unauthorised dormitory accomodation
Additional examinations discovered the fact that Tan had indeed been providing dorm accommodation at those premises for about 2 years, and that he had converted eight other private properties to unauthorised dormitory accommodation in between 2016 to 2018. The amount of tenants in each unit ranged from 7 to 23.
According to a URA press release on June 14, a 72-year-old Singaporean guy, Tan Hock Keng, was founded guilty of 3 counts of converting private residential properties to unauthorised dorm room lodging. On May 30, he was penalized a report $600,000, with the highest damages of $200,000 inflicted for each charge.
Following up on the MOM inspections, that took place in December 2017 and March 2018, URA’s searches exposed that 15 foreign workers were living in 1012B Upper Serangoon Road. Another 16 and 17 foreign workers were discovered to be residing in 32H Lorong 22 Geylang and 32J Lorong 22 Geylang, respectively.
Arina East Residences Tanjong Rhu Road
He adds: “URA is going to continue to take powerful enforcement actions in opposition to perpetrators, including land owner, lessees, representatives and anybody identified to have actually flouted URA’s policies on the leasing or subletting of exclusive residential properties”.
URA policies specify that exclusive houses can only house as much as six not related persons.
Enforcement police officers from the Ministry of Manpower had evaluated private houses linked to Tan and discovered that the number of residents living there had substantially surpassed URA’s tenancy cap guidelines.
“Unauthorised residence hall property not only adversely affects the residential personality of the area, but also negatively influences the dwellers, who might be from more vulnerable group of people that are susceptible to profiteering,” states Martin Tan, head, Development Control Group, URA.
URA claims that Tan admitted that he knew the occupancy regulations but decided to proceed with the illegal conversion of the facilities anyway.