Yishun café faces shutdown for lease violation as HDB unveils breach and lack of cooperation

SINGAPORE: A café that served alcohol located at 468A Yishun Street 43 has violated its lease regulations and will be obliged to cease its operations by Thursday, (31 Aug).

Previously, the café named Hood Vibes, which rented a space at the void deck of the building, faced allegations of running in a manner resembling a pub.

Residents had previously lodged complaints about the cafe’s patrons creating noise and smoking outside the premises.

After receiving complaints from residents, Derrick Goh, the Member of Parliament from Nee Soon GRC under the People’s Action Party (PAP), visited the establishment talked with two of the café’s operators.

As soon as they entered the premise, Goh and the members from the Housing & Development Board (HDB) were taken aback to see “what was clearly a liquor joint.”

As reported by Shin Min Daily News, the owner of the business clarified earlier that they are simply a café with an alcohol license and not a pub.

The business owner had shared that the café’s operating hours are limited from 11am to 10pm only.

“We do not have live performances, and we only play soft background music. We are just a simple café, otherwise we won’t be opening from the morning. We also sell pasta, chicken chop, and sushi etc.” she had said.

She suggested that the noise complaints could possibly be coming from neighboring residents instead.

HDB confirms café serves no food

HDB confirmed in a statement to Mothership on Friday (25 Aug), that the rented space was designated for café use.

However, following further examinations over multiple visits, it was uncovered that the establishment had infringed upon the conditions of the tenancy agreement.

HDB revealed that “while the premises was rented out for use as a café to serve food and beverages to residents throughout the day, our inspections found that it was operating from 4:30pm to 10 pm and selling mainly alcoholic beverages,” and “there was no food menu, nor food being served to customers at the café during our visits.”

Previously, the owner stated that the café functions between 11 in the morning and 10 in the evening.

“Tenant was not cooperative” despite several warnings

HDB mentioned that they had issued a warning to the tenant “several times to cease the unauthorized usage of the premises and to operate it as per the intended use stated in the tenancy agreement.”

Nonetheless, the tenant displayed a lack of cooperation, even in the face of repeated warnings, according to HDB.

In July 2023, HDB issued the tenant a “notice to quit.”

Hood Vibes will need to halt its operations and surrender the premises to HDB by 31 August.

HDB elaborated their approach to dealing with rental issues.

They clarified that tenants who rent from HDB are expected to adhere to the regulations. If any breaches occur, HDB will examine each situation individually to determine the appropriate course of action.

Considerations include safety implications, the tenant’s intention to rectify the issue, the severity of the breach, and the presence of any complaints.

If the tenant fails to address the problem, HDB has the authority to terminate the rental agreement and take legal steps if required.