Forum: Property agents have a duty to ensure that ads are accurate - The Straits Times

We thank Madam Koh Chern Peng for her letter, “Expedite legislation of code of conduct on fair tenancy practices” (March 11).

The Code of Conduct for Leasing of Retail Premises in Singapore was introduced by the Fair Tenancy Pro Tem Committee in March 2021 to guide fair tenancy practices. Under the code, landlords are required to provide tenants with proof of floor area prior to handover, which primarily seeks to address the concern that the landlord’s estimated floor area may differ from the actual floor area.

The Ministry of Trade and Industry supports the Fair Tenancy Pro Tem Committee’s recommendation to legislate compliance with the code, and is working with the industry on the details, including a dispute resolution process for complaints of non-compliance.

However, the issue highlighted by Madam Koh appears to be a case of alleged outright misrepresentation by a landlord and/or property agent over an area that did not exist. For such cases, the parties involved can seek redress through mediation services, or commence civil action in the courts.

The Council for Estate Agencies (CEA) has also implemented advertising requirements under the Code of Ethics and Professional Client Care.

Property agents have a duty to ensure that all advertisements of a property are accurate and do not contain any misleading or false information. CEA will take appropriate action against errant agents who publish inaccurate, false or misleading ads.

CEA has contacted Madam Koh to find out more about her feedback regarding the property agents she encountered.

Chan Kwok Cheong
Director, Investigation and Inspection Division
Council for Estate Agencies

Liu Chen
Director, Enterprise Development Division
Ministry of Trade and Industry

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