Contract keywords

Understand these English terms before you sign, so you don't lose out through confusion. A Singapore rental contract is called a Tenancy Agreement (TA).

Money

• Security Deposit: refunded in full at move-out if there's no damage or unpaid bills. A room is usually 1 month; a whole unit is generally one month's deposit per year rented.
• Advance Rental: rent paid before move-in, commonly "one month's deposit plus one month upfront."
• Stamp Duty: tenants generally pay this on the agreement, calculated on the rent; you can do it yourself on the IRAS website.

Lease term and moving out

• Minimum Lease / Lock-in: leaving during the lock-in usually means forfeiting the deposit, so be clear on how long it is.
• Diplomatic Clause: common on whole-unit leases of 12 months or more; after you've stayed the agreed number of months, you can end the lease early for reasons such as leaving the country (usually with 2 months' notice). Short-term room rentals usually don't have it.
• Notice Period: how many days of written notice you must give to not renew at the end or to leave early.

Condition and responsibilities

• Inventory List: the list of furniture and appliances; check and photograph each item at move-in.
• Minor Repairs Clause: repairs below a set amount per instance (commonly S$150–200) are borne by the tenant.
• Air-con Servicing: usually agreed to be serviced regularly by the tenant — check the frequency.
• Reinstatement: whether you must restore the place to its original state at move-out, to avoid deposit deductions.

Who lives there, who signs

• Joint Tenancy / Occupants: when group renting, everyone's name should be written into the contract so responsibilities and rights are clear (this is exactly why group rent uses one proper contract).

Can't make sense of a clause? Send it to us on WeChat before you sign and we'll walk you through it line by line — don't skip a key item just to save time.

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