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Renters3 min read

The diplomatic clause

The clause that lets you leave a two-year lease early if you have to leave Singapore, and what to check before relying on it.

A lets a tenant end a lease early if they are transferred out of Singapore or lose the right to remain. It is standard in expatriate lettings and worth asking for in any two-year lease.

How it normally works

  • It can only be triggered after you have occupied the place for a minimum period — usually twelve months of a two-year lease.
  • You give notice, normally two months, or pay rent in lieu.
  • You must produce evidence: a letter from your employer confirming the transfer, or documentation that your pass has been cancelled or not renewed.
  • There is often a reimbursement clause requiring you to repay a pro-rated share of the agent's commission the landlord paid for the unexpired term.
Read the trigger wording carefully. A clause limited to “transfer by the employer” will not help if you resign, are made redundant, or your company closes its Singapore office. If those are real possibilities for you, ask for wording that covers termination of employment generally — the landlord may or may not agree.

What to ask for

On a one-year lease, landlords rarely grant one: the lease is short enough already. On a two-year lease it is normal, and a landlord refusing outright is worth a second look — it may signal an inflexible landlord generally.

If you are a Singapore citizen or PR, you will usually not be offered one, because the clause is built around immigration status. Ask instead for a straightforward early-termination clause with a defined notice period and penalty, so at least the cost of leaving early is known.

Either way, the clause belongs in the Letter of Intent, before the tenancy agreement is drafted.