19/06/2026
One Missing Signature Cost A Tenant Nearly S$1,700. Here's Why Every Landlord Should Pay Attention.
Imagine renting a property.
You pay an S$8,000 security deposit.
When your lease ends, your landlord keeps S$2,765.
You disagree.
The case ends up before Singapore's Small Claims Tribunals.
What caused the dispute?
Not a broken air-conditioner.
Not unpaid rent.
Not a damaged floor.
It came down to one missing document.
A signed inventory list.
The tenancy agreement referred to an inventory schedule, but no signed inventory was ever attached. When the lease ended, both landlord and tenant had completely different understandings of what items formed part of the tenancy and who was responsible for them.
After reviewing the evidence, the Tribunal ruled:
• The landlord was entitled to retain S$1,695.
• The remaining S$1,070 had to be refunded to the tenant.
The judgment also clarified four important principles:
✅ The landlord bears the burden of proving why a deposit should be withheld.
✅ Damage should be identified during the final joint inspection.
✅ General complaints are not enough. Every claim needs evidence and must relate to the tenancy agreement.
✅ Personal belongings left behind by the landlord are not automatically the tenant's responsibility unless properly documented.
Property Lesson
Many landlords spend millions buying investment properties.
Yet some lose thousands because they skip a simple inventory checklist.
Documentation protects everyone.
🌐 www.msingaporeproperty.com
☎️ Mike Chin | 8181 0258
Would you sign a tenancy agreement without a detailed inventory list?
