What's covered on this page
- Checking If Your Flat Is Eligible to Rent Out
- When You Don't Need to Hire an Agent
- Verifying a Property Agent Before You Commit
- Preparing Your Unit and Paperwork for Tenants
- How Rental Commission and Stamp Duty Work in Singapore
Checking If Your Flat Is Eligible to Rent Out
HDB flats must clear their Minimum Occupation Period before you can rent out the whole unit. Private condos usually do not have this restriction but still need proper subletting approval and stamped tenancy agreements.
Before we even talk about tenants, we check one thing first. Can you legally rent out this flat right now? If it is a resale flat, you need to clear your Minimum Occupation Period.
Private condos are different. There is no MOP for renting out the whole unit. Some developments have a minimum stay condition written into the lease terms, so I always ask to see the title deed first.
- HDB flats past MOP can rent out the whole unit with HDB's approval
- HDB flats still within MOP can only rent out spare bedrooms
- Private condos generally have no MOP, but check the lease for any minimum occupation clause
- Ethnic Integration Policy quotas apply to HDB rentals too
It takes two minutes to check. This saves you weeks of chasing a tenant you cannot legally house.
When You Don't Need to Hire an Agent
Not every rental situation needs a middleman. If your existing tenant wants to renew at the same rate, you do not need me. You just draw up a new tenancy agreement, adjust the dates, and get it stamped.
It gets harder when you are overseas, juggling a full-time job, or you own more than one unit and cannot keep track of expiry dates and renewal notices.
If it is a simple renewal or a family arrangement, save yourself the hassle and do it direct. If you are managing this from another country, that is a different conversation.
Verifying a Property Agent Before You Commit
Every property agent in Singapore has a registration number, and you can check it yourself in under a minute on the CEA Public Register. I put my own number, R053928J, on every listing I run.
- Confirm the CEA registration number matches the name on the contract, not just a business card
- Check the agency licence is active and matches the register
- Ask how many years they have been registered
- Notice if they are comfortable letting you verify them, or if they change the subject
I have been registered since 2014, and I am listed as an ERA Top 10% Achiever, but do not take my word for that either - check the register yourself.
Preparing Your Unit and Paperwork for Tenants
Before we even take photos, I walk the unit with the owner. Tenants notice small things fast. A stiff lock, a yellowed aircon filter, a wobbly cabinet door - these cost you viewings.
- Servicing the aircon units and checking for leaks or mould
- Testing all locks, gates, and the main door's digital lock
- Clearing out old tenant belongings and giving the unit a proper clean
- Sorting out the tenancy agreement, inventory list, and any HDB or MCST approvals needed
Get the inventory list done properly, with photos, dated and signed by both parties. That one document saves the most arguments later.
How Rental Commission and Stamp Duty Work in Singapore
In Singapore, rental commission is usually paid by the landlord, not the tenant. The tenant's cost is stamp duty on the tenancy agreement, which goes to IRAS, not the agent.
Commission itself is not fixed by law. It is negotiated between landlord and agent, often tied to how long the lease is and how much work goes into finding a tenant.
- Lease length; longer terms often mean a different commission conversation
- Property type; a shophouse unit or landed home takes more marketing than a standard condo
- How fast you need it filled
Before you sign anything, ask your agent to walk you through both numbers, commission and stamp duty, in plain terms.