Renting in Singapore moves quickly — good units go within days — and most of the money changes hands before you move in. Knowing the sequence stops you being rushed into it.
Work out the real budget
Not just the monthly rent: you will normally need the first month up front plus a deposit of one month per year of lease. On a two-year lease at $4,000 that is $12,000 before you get the keys. Work out the total.
Check what people actually pay in the buildings you like — landlords ask what they think they can get. Our rent check uses signed leases reported to URA.
View, and look past the furniture
Ask which appliances stay, whether the aircon has been serviced recently, and what the internet is like. Check water pressure and look for damp on ceilings and around windows. Note the block and floor: in the same development a low floor facing a carpark rents well below a high floor facing greenery.
Submit a Letter of Intent
The LOI sets out your offer: rent, lease length, move-in date, what you want included, and any clauses such as a . You normally attach a good faith deposit of one month's rent.
If the landlord accepts and you then pull out, you lose the good faith deposit. If they pull out, convention is that they return it — make sure the LOI says so. Once the lease starts, this money becomes the first month's rent.Agree the tenancy agreement
The landlord's agent drafts it. Read it properly — this is the last easy moment to change anything. The clauses that matter most:
- Minor repairs. You usually cover repairs up to a set amount per item per month. Check the figure.
- Diplomatic clause. Lets you end a two-year lease after twelve months with two months' notice if you have to leave Singapore. Rarely offered on a one-year lease.
- Reinstatement. What condition you must return the place in. “Fair wear and tear excepted” should be in there.
- Aircon servicing. Normally the tenant's, quarterly, with proof required at the end.
Sign, pay and stamp
On signing you pay the security deposit and the first month's rent (less the good faith deposit already paid). Then the agreement must be stamped: 0.4% of the rent over the term, paid to IRAS within 14 days.
The , and a lease longer than 4 years is charged as if it ran exactly 4. An unstamped agreement cannot be used as evidence in court.
Handover: document everything
Go through the inventory list with the agent and photograph every existing mark, stain and scratch, with the date visible. Test every appliance. Email the photos to the agent and landlord the same day so there is a record.
This is the single best thing you can do to get your deposit back in full two years later.