Theindependent
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Singapore — A landlord who made her preferences for renters known on her HDB flat listing made the news recently, having written specifically that theirs is a “Christian house.”
And while discrimination on the basis of religion is frowned upon, commenters online defended the landlord, saying, in effect, “their home, their rules.”
The article about the “Christian house” was published on Mothership on Wednesday night (Oct 6).
The property in question is a semi-furnished three-bedroom HDB flat at Spottiswoode Park Road. It was listed on PropertyGuru.
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A Malaysian permanent resident apparently wanted to see the flat, and told Mothership about his experience with the agent, who told him, “This unit is for Singaporean n Malaysian only. Available immediate. Christian house.”
When asked for further clarification, the agent said that the flat’s owner has a very specific set of regulations for a would-be renter.
As the owner is a “staunch Christian,” no other faith is allowed to be practised in the flat, nor are any religious artefacts including “any idol, statue, picture, figure of any kind.”
Tenants cannot also burn incense, joss sticks and “paper.”
And if a couple were to rent the flat, they need to be married.
These specifics, however, were only communicated via the agent, as the listing on the PropertyGuru website only asked that the renters be Singaporean or Malaysian.
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The Malaysian PR told Mothership he was shocked at the message from the agent, and while prior listings he has seen indicated that “Chinese only” tenants were wanted, this is the first time he has come across such specifications.
When TISG checked on the listing on PropertyGuru, it was no longer available.
Many commenters on the report, however, said they saw nothing wrong with the landlord expressing their preferences.
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One netizen wrote that the owner was merely being true to themselves.
Others suggested that the renter just move on and look for another place to rent.
A commenter who also claimed to be a Christian said they would have done the same.
/TISG
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