Most tenancy disputes in Singapore turn on the same handful of issues, and most of them are decided by what the tenancy agreement actually says rather than what either party assumed it said.

Yeo Marini Law Corporation acts for both landlords and tenants in residential and commercial tenancy disputes, including matters involving retail units, foodcourt operators and industrial premises. We have acted in tenancy matters at both the State Courts and the High Court.

Common disputes

  • Unpaid rent, service charge and utilities
  • Security deposit disputes, including whether deductions were properly made
  • Early termination, and whether a break clause was validly exercised
  • Reinstatement obligations at the end of the term, and what “fair wear and tear” covers
  • Re-entry and forfeiture, and whether the landlord followed the correct process
  • Repair and maintenance, including who bears responsibility for what
  • Quiet enjoyment, including disputes arising from building works, flooding or interference
  • Diplomatic clauses and their proper operation

For landlords

Where a tenant defaults, the temptation is to change the locks. Doing so without following the correct process can expose a landlord to a claim.

The proper route depends on your tenancy agreement and on whether the premises are residential or commercial. It may involve a notice to quit, a demand for arrears, a formal notice under the Conveyancing and Law of Property Act where forfeiture is for breach of a covenant other than payment of rent, and where necessary an action for possession.

We advise on the right sequence, prepare the notices, and where recovery is needed pursue the arrears alongside possession.

For tenants

Tenants frequently have stronger positions than they realise, particularly where a landlord has purported to terminate without following the contractual mechanism, has made deductions from a deposit without substantiation, or has failed to deliver premises in the promised condition.

Where a landlord has repudiated the tenancy, a tenant may be entitled to accept that repudiation, bring the tenancy to an end and claim damages. Whether that is the right step is a judgment call, and getting it wrong is costly.

Security deposits

A deposit is security, not a windfall. A landlord seeking to deduct must ordinarily be able to point to a breach and to substantiate the loss. Vague deductions for cleaning or “general wear” without documentation are frequently challenged successfully.

Photographic records at handover and at return, and a proper inventory, resolve most of these disputes before they start.

Resolving it

Tenancy disputes are usually modest in value and disproportionately expensive to litigate. Where the amount in dispute is within the jurisdiction of the Small Claims Tribunals, that forum may be the sensible route, and we will tell you if it is. Where it is not, mediation is often faster and cheaper than trial.

Common questions

Can a landlord change the locks if the tenant stops paying?

Doing so without following the correct process can expose a landlord to a claim. The proper route depends on the tenancy agreement and on whether the premises are residential or commercial, and may involve a notice to quit, a demand for arrears, a formal notice under the Conveyancing and Law of Property Act, and where necessary an action for possession.

Can a landlord keep the security deposit?

A deposit is security, not a windfall. A landlord seeking to deduct must ordinarily be able to point to a breach and to substantiate the loss. Vague deductions for cleaning or general wear without documentation are frequently challenged successfully.

Is it worth going to court over a tenancy dispute?

Tenancy disputes are often modest in value and disproportionately expensive to litigate. Where the amount falls within the jurisdiction of the Small Claims Tribunals that forum may be the sensible route, and mediation is often faster and cheaper than trial.

Speaking to us

Nothing on this page is legal advice for your situation, and contacting us does not by itself create a solicitor and client relationship. To discuss a tenancy dispute, contact us by telephone, email or WhatsApp. You may also wish to read about our other practice areas or meet our team.