Ending a Tenancy in Singapore: The Handover Checklist That Protects Your Deposit

Six to eight weeks before: read the agreement

Tenancy agreements in Singapore vary, but most set out what the tenant has to do before handing the property back. Find these clauses, and note what each one asks of you:

• Notice and end date. When the tenancy ends, and how much notice you need to give to leave early. Leaving Singapore and ending the lease early? Relocado's guide to the diplomatic clause covers that.
• Handover condition. Usually that the property goes back in the same condition as at the start, fair wear and tear excepted.
• Cleaning. Some agreements require professional cleaning at the end of the tenancy; others just require the property to be returned clean.
• Aircon servicing. Many agreements make the tenant responsible for regular servicing, commonly every three months, and landlords often ask to see the receipts.
• Minor repairs. Many agreements make the tenant pay for minor repairs up to a set amount per repair, with larger repairs falling to the landlord unless the tenant caused the damage.
• Deposit refund. When the deposit is due back, and on what conditions.
• Utilities. Who closes the utilities account, and when. CEA's template tenancy agreements for HDB flats and private property have the tenant leave it open and the landlord close it after the joint inspection.

If you rented through a property agent and are unhappy with how the process is being handled, agents in Singapore are regulated by CEA.

Find your move-in evidence

Dig out the inventory list and any photos or videos from when you moved in, and walk the flat with them. Note where things have changed. This tells you what you need to fix — and, just as usefully, what was already there when you arrived, so you don't end up paying for it.

Fair wear and tear, or damage?

You're generally not responsible for the gradual deterioration that comes from ordinary living. You generally are responsible for damage beyond that.

Exactly where the line falls depends on the age of the property, how long you've lived there, and what your agreement says. When in doubt, fix it or raise it early.

Two to four weeks before: fix what's yours to fix

A small repair usually costs less done now than deducted later at your landlord's contractor's rates. Nail holes, dripping taps, mouldy silicone, blown bulbs and loose hinges are the usual suspects — our list of handyman fixes worth doing before handover goes through them one by one.

If the aircon is due for servicing, do it now and keep the receipt.

The last week: clear, then clean

• Remove everything that's yours, including anything left in the storeroom, on the balcony or at the back of a cupboard. Landlords can deduct the cost of clearing things left behind.
• Arrange disposal for large items you're not taking with you.
• Book the move-out clean for after your things are out. An empty flat can be cleaned properly — inside the cabinets, behind the appliances, the oven, the fridge and the window tracks, which are exactly the places an inspection checks.

Handover day

• Do a joint inspection with the landlord or agent if you can, rather than leaving the keys and hoping for the best.
• Photograph or video every room, including inside cabinets and appliances, with the date visible.
• Note the meter readings and photograph them.
• Return every key, access card and remote, and get written acknowledgement that you have.
• Leave the utilities on. Power and water are needed to check the appliances, taps and sanitary fittings during the inspection. Under CEA's template, which many agreements follow, the tenant doesn't close the account — the landlord applies to close it after the joint inspection. If your agreement says otherwise, follow it, and still wait until the inspection is done.
• Get the handover confirmed in writing — even a message confirming the date, what was returned and any issues raised.

After handover: getting your deposit back

If your landlord makes deductions, ask for an itemised list backed by quotes or receipts. Compare each item against your move-in evidence and your handover photos, and respond in writing.

Most disagreements settle at this stage. If yours doesn't, the Small Claims Tribunals hear many tenancy disputes in Singapore — check whether your claim is eligible before you file.