How to Get Your Full Safety Deposit Back When Moving Out of Your Rental Unit in Singapore
What landlords typically penalise/deduct charges for, what counts as fair wear and tear versus tenant-related damage, & handy pre-move-out tips for you to move out with peace of mind.
Congratulations! The day has finally come for you to hand the keys of your rental apartment back to your landlord. Now, before moving on to your next Home Sweet Home, it's time for handover chaos – packing up the bits and pieces, settling administrative changes, and one more thing: ensuring the hefty rental safety deposit returns from your landlord to you, with no deductions.
So, what counts as "unit returned in good condition"?
- Reasonable wear and tear is accepted.
Of course, even with precise care, 2 years of staying in the apartment comes with some wear and tear.
Generally, as long as the tenant took care:
a) not to actively cause damage to property, and
b) to take initiative to promptly report and repair any visible damage during the duration of his stay,
then he/she would not be charged for the accumulated wear and tear after his stay.
Fair wear and tear versus damage caused by tenants
Here are some common cases of fair wear and tear versus damage caused by tenants:
| Accepted | Penalised | |
|---|---|---|
| Flooring | Flooring kept clean and untainted but perhaps some natural dulling and ageing of the tiles | Flooring has rather visible scratches or stains, or water damage |
| Walls and paint | Mouldy or yellowing walls/paint due to structural/external building factors | Mouldy or yellowing walls/paint due to lack of aircon maintenance (leading to leakage, etc.) |
| Alterations | Alterations arising from genuine necessity (WITH notice to & approval from landlord) such as mobility ramp | Alterations for decor, i.e. drilling a nail to hang a picture up, changing wall paint colours, even "beneficial" additions such as adding air conditioners. (Tenants should always check with landlord before making permanent alterations. In the event of the lack of landlord's approval, tenants should be prepared to reinstate alterations to original condition even if deemed a "good" addition to the property) |
| Air conditioning | Faulty air conditioning cannot be deemed as tenant's fault as long as they have fulfilled regular maintenance (standard market practice requires servicing in 3-month intervals, or otherwise as agreed upon between landlord and tenant) | When air conditioning is faulty, if tenant has been found to use the air conditioning "unreasonably", the fault will be borne by the tenant (even if it is not the direct cause of the breakdown). Example: tenant uses the opening flaps of the air conditioning as laundry rack |
Even with the above table chart, many dispute cases in real life are not so straightforward. In some cases, a professional expert may be contacted to assess the cause of damage, but it is often not a guaranteed solution as most damages do not come with telltale signs.
Repair and clean before you hand back
If tenants do find themselves needing to repair parts of the house, they should do so before handing the unit back to the landlord – after all, if the decision lies with the landlord, he/she is not obliged to choose the "affordable" option and bill it back to the tenant.
This also applies to standard-practice T&Cs such as dry-cleaning the curtains and deep-cleaning of floors/counter surfaces/toilets (steaming of sofa/mattresses not required) before handover.
When you and the landlord can't agree
Ultimately, if both parties are unable to come to a conclusion and the Tenancy Agreement does not provide any guidelines, the decision practically lies with the landlord who is holding the safety deposit.
Hence, to safeguard both parties' interests, it is good to have detailed Before & After photos and remarks regarding the condition of the apartment before & after tenant's stay. (Check out how to get detailed reporting regarding apartment move-in condition here.)
After all, who wants to spend time communicating back and forth, finger-pointing as to who actually made that long scratch on the kitchen counter?