Night-shift nurse wins S$1,536 claim after HDB landlord sought to restrict daytime aircon use

A night-shift nurse in Singapore has successfully claimed S$1,536 from her landlord following a dispute over air-conditioning usage in a Housing and Development Board (HDB) flat. The conflict began when the landlord's daughter sought to limit the tenants' air-conditioning use to nighttime hours, despite an agreement allowing up to eight hours of daily use at any time. The landlord's daughter expressed dissatisfaction with the tenants' occasional visitors and the increased electricity bills due to prolonged air-conditioning use. Tensions escalated when she threatened daily harassment if the tenants did not agree to higher rent or restricted air-conditioning hours. The tenants chose to vacate the flat, but the landlord withheld their S$800 security deposits. The Small Claims Tribunal ruled in favor of the tenants, ordering the return of the deposits and an additional S$1,536. The landlord's absence from hearings and failure to provide valid medical certificates were noted by the magistrate, who criticized her lack of respect for the judicial process.