Renting in Singapore: LOI, Tenancy Agreement, and deposits

Singapore’s private rental market moves quickly. Good units can collect multiple Letters of Intent in a weekend. Understanding the paper trail protects you more than haggling over a symbolic S$50 in rent. Tenant-side fees and renewal commissions are a separate contract from the TA — CEA agent commission.

From viewing to LOI

After viewings, interested tenants submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) with proposed rent, lease length, move-in date, diplomatic/break clauses, and a good-faith booking deposit (commonly half a month’s rent, later applied to the security deposit).

LOIs are often treated as binding in practice once accepted — read before you WhatsApp “confirm.”

For HDB, add two LOI asks that private-condo hunters skip:

1. Copy of HDB approval to rent out the flat or bedroom (with your name to follow on registration)
2. Whole-flat vs bedroom clarity — owners who “just visit on Sundays” fail continuous-occupation rules on bedroom rentals (HDB bedroom playbook)

Also run the fibre TP availability check before the holding deposit clears — fibre / NetLink.

Tenancy Agreement (TA)

The TA is the full contract. Check:

• Inventory list completeness (especially furnished units)
• Diplomatic clause wording and notice period — deep dive: security deposits and diplomatic clause
• Repair responsibilities and aircon servicing schedules
• Guest and pet rules (must match condo by-laws)
• Early termination penalties — if you lack a qualifying break clause, read breaking a lease early before you sign
• Landlord entry / quiet enjoyment notice for inspections and end-of-lease viewings — entry playbook
• Sale / landlord-break wording if you are in HDB (mid-lease sales are a recurring forum shock — landlord selling)
• Condition that HDB approval remains valid for the term (bedroom and whole-flat)

Stamp duty (lease duty) — the Reddit red flag

Agents who say “no stamp duty on this landed studio / room” are a classic scam or illegal-sublet tell. IRAS lease duty applies to residential tenancy documents; an unstamped TA is hard to enforce if the deposit fight starts.

Example: S$4,500/month × 24 months = S$108,000 total rent → roughly S$432 lease duty (0.4%).

AAR includes many “other considerations” (furniture, service, advertising charges, etc.) excluding GST — read the IRAS renting page before you accept a suspiciously cheap quote.

Negotiate who pays in the TA if you want the landlord to cover it — silence defaults to you. For deposit fights after stamping, see security deposits & diplomatic clause (including SCT limits). Year-two price talks are a separate rail: lease renewal & rent increases.

Deposit norms

Security deposits of one to two months are common for annual leases, depending on furnishings and landlord preference. Document every scratch on move-in day with dated photos — humidity mould fights start with move-in evidence, not WhatsApp arguments in month 23.

Family note: LOI timing should respect orientation calendars — do not schedule key collection on the same morning as bus trials and uniform fittings.