“I don’t know what I am paying for.” Pamela said to her landlord, Mrs. Lim. They were having this conversation at the dining table, on Sunday evening.
It was time where Pamela’s rental agreement was about to expire. As usual, Mrs. Lim would ask if Pamela would still want to continue renting the room and renew the agreement for another year.
But this year, she laid down a request – rental rate will be raised by another hundred dollars.
After some thoughts for a few seconds, that was what Pamela said to Mrs. Lim.
“What do you mean?” Mrs. Lim needs further clarification on Pamela’s comment.
“Well, you see. With high inflation rate hitting the whole Singapore, this one, I know. But increase rental rate by one hundred dollars, that’s a little too much. And with that, what additional facilities are provided to me? There’s nothing change in the house. Everything still the same.” Pamela said this, in calm tone.
In a conversation or discussion such as this, emotional elements should be put aside; else, both parties won’t get a smooth conversation. Win-win situation is the optimum objective to achieve; no point in winning the ‘battle’ one way.
“This area is very safe and neighbourhood police booth is just at downstairs. And now, people in this area are renting around this rate.” Mrs. Lim replied.
(What? Safety? Am I sleeping by the roadside or at the open-air children’s playground? Most neighbourhood in this country is pretty safe. I knew that there’s a police booth when I decided to rent this place, four years ago.) Pamela counter-attacked her landlord, but in her own monkey mind. Pamela didn’t say it out loud.
“Since you have some idea about the rental rate in this area. Perhaps, you could also take a look at what kind of amenities each of those landlords are providing; and what actually led them to be able to quote such a good rental rate. I have been staying in various rented places. Some people renovate and re-paint their house; some even install air-cond. for tenant’s bedroom…”
“I don’t know about other people’s advertisements.” Mrs. Lim interrupted Pamela, right away.
“… Let me simplify it for you. As a landlord, you are to provide CONVENIENCE to tenant. The bedroom space as well as the facilities that one needs to use in their everyday life. And that’s, what I’m paying for. You have raised the rental rate two years ago. I remembered asking you the same too.” Pamela heard Mrs. Lee’s defensiveness, Pamela took a deep breath and said.
“The basic facilities (or amenities) that you advertised on the ‘room for rent’ back then, you offer to tenant that they could use TV, fridge, Water Heater, Electric Kettle, and common area such as living room and dining area. Now, with you changing your old TV set to Digital TV, you are not familiar with the remote-control buttons; and other people in the house no longer have the freedom to use the TV anymore. Even for me, I only watch something using the small screen on my mobile phone, in my room. Fridge, previously when granny was still in healthy state, you allow me to use at least a quarter of the space in the fridge. Recently with granny (i. e. Mrs. Lim’s mother) aged and needed helper to assist on her daily activities, you have loaded more food into the fridge. And you told me that I could only use half of the bottom drawer (where people usually put fruits) in the fridge.” Pamela explained one after another. Mrs. Lim listened and tried to understand her comments.
“As for living room and dining table, three of you (i.e. Mrs. Lim, granny and the helper) occupy the space more often than before. I had to eat out and just in my room. The electric kettle that I once told you that the plastic cover has burnt and melted into pieces. Some white particles even dropped into the drinking water. But you said ‘Don’t care.’.” Pamela paused for a while; she looked straight into Mrs. Lim’s eyes and asked the same question, again. “So, what am I paying for?”
“You can eat in your room. Some tenant eats and even cooks in their bedroom.” Mrs. Lim said, her tone was getting stronger a little.
Pamela diverted her gaze to look at the vase on the dining table, instead. (Her true colour shown, again.) The ‘clean’ freak in Pamela didn’t not allow herself to look at ‘disgusting’ objects, including human being.
“I’d still be using the dining table, sometimes.” Pamela won’t take such nonsense suggestion from her unreasonable landlord.
“The environment in the house at the moment… isn’t as before. How many tenants do you think would choose to stay in an environment that he or she has to stand the sight and smell of an adult passes urine or motion outside of the restroom?”
Ever since granny (Mrs. Lim’s mother) can’t walk well, she has been guided to use the specialized chair that was placed next to the washing machine, to release her body waste, every day. The helper would then clean the potty at the rest room afterwards.
Mrs. Lim’s facial expression didn’t look good. She just stayed silence for a while. “You have to compromise to the situation.” She said. Mrs. Lim can’t find words to continue. “I’m the landlord!” Her raised her voice when emphasizing this.
(Huh! Don’t make me laugh. So, what?) Pamela looked at her, still, calmly.
Pamela smiled a little and suggested “How about this, with the increased rental rate, you remove the limit of me using the washing machine in a week and let me use more space in the fridge? But that electric kettle needs to be replaced. That’s for everyone’s health and safety concerns. We have been drinking those melted plastic particles, for months now.”
“Let me discuss with my son on this.” Mrs. Lim didn’t want to agree to those suggestions; so she brought her son into the picture as an excuse for her to buy some time.
“Sure. Thank you. Time to bed. Good night.” Pamela stood up and walked back to her room.
In her room, Pamela laid on her bed and talked softly to herself. “Lucky you (Mrs. Lim) that I didn’t confront you just now…”
(It is NOT my duty and responsibility to obey to your ‘Queen of the family’ attitude, and comply to your unreasonable demands, as well as your family conditions. You and I are on a buyer-seller deal, a landlord-tenant relationship; as simple as that. You ‘sell’ convenience to me and I ‘buy’ the space and convenience sake. And my responsibility is to pay you the rental rate, on time. That’s all we are. I am neither your maid nor a beggar that has no choice but to listen to every instruction that came from you. If you want to show off your breadwinner attitude, then go show it to your family members, not me. I don’t give a dxmn about that. Worse case, I’d just move then. You can try your way with the next tenant.) Pamela smirked after this conversation that she has just played in her mind.
“Who knows, the next tenant might be an obedient follower; then, that’s match your (i. e. Mrs. Lim) needs.”
“Don’t you mess with me. I’m not one that would let you bully me.” Pamela lurched from her bed; she said while walking to the desk to grab her water tumbler for a few sips of water.
(Thirsty…)
Mrs. Lim gave Pamela an ‘okay’ message on next day’s afternoon. Pamela read her landlord’s message and replied with a ‘Thank you.’ She then put away her mobile phone and focused on her lunch at the restaurant that was located two bus stops away from her working place.
In the evening two days later, Pamela reached home at around 8p.m. Mrs. Lim was watching TV show at living room. Pamela carried out her daily routine as usual – time for shower before bed time.
After she has done with shower and headed back to her room, Mrs. Lim turned to her and initiated the conversation. “Pamela, I’ve talked with my son. We’re arranging to get a new electric kettle. As for the fridge, you can use some of the space. When I told my son, he, as a man, the way of thinking wasn’t practical. He said ‘how about giving you a drawer in the fridge?’ I told him that drawer is for storing fruits.” Mrs. Lim shared some of her conversation with her son and how she rejected her son’s suggestion.
(Huh! You knew that bottom drawer was meant for vegetable and fruits storage only. Yet, you shamelessly instructed me to use only HALF of that bottom drawer. Sickening human…) Pamela listened to her landlord’s babbling.
(Guess her son also can’t agree to way her mother handling things. Anyway, win-win situation, somewhat, achieved. Let’s stop it here.)
Pamela sat by the bed and dried her hair with hair dryer.
(Maybe she needs more times to learn the wisdom knowledge that she was lacking of. It’s not my duty to guide one, again and again. Take your time then. I have my own ‘homework’ to do.) She put away the hair dryer and prepared the needed for tomorrow – another work day, in her life.
Some thoughts from the Author :
Since the renting business in the country is booming, could the government provide a ‘compulsory’ course for both landlord and tenant to attend? The suggested course is to emphasize on each other’s roles and responsibilities and focus on the courtesy interaction between these two parties in their every day life, living under the same roof.
What kind of courtesy? Well…
RESPECT, Harmony, Cleanliness, Privacy, Fair treatment, and so on …
You name it. It could linger around the way you wish you’d be treated by others. In return, treat others in kindness too.