Timeline for Renting an HDB Resale Flat

Ohmyhome

July 26, 2020

Planning on renting a flat? Do you want to move closer to your work without the commitment of buying a flat? Whatever your reason, renting a flat in Singapore is a fairly easy affair.

How much time does it take to find a rental flat and move in?

Once you’ve found a rental property that matches your needs, it will only take you at most seven weeks before you can move in. Finding a rental property and negotiating terms with the landlord are often the most challenging parts of the process, especially for newcomers.

To make it easier for you to follow the steps in renting a flat, we’ve prepared an easy-to-follow timeline of the renting process.

HDB Rental Procedure: Tenant’s Timeline

Timeline	Steps
Week 1	Step 1: Prepare your rental requirements. Identify your housing needs: location, public transportation, quiet or active, high or low floor, etc. Verify the HDB Occupancy Cap and the area’s Non-Citizen Quota (if applicable). Check your budget against what is available. Compare rental prices with the Ohmyhome app. You can also check the HDB and URA websites for recent rental transactions in your preferred area. Prepare the required documents: identity cards, valid work pass, valid visit pass, etc.
Weeks 2-3	Step 2: Search for a suitable property and view the unit. Set filters on the Ohmyhome app based on your housing needs. Choose from among the options that match your search. Contact the landlord and schedule a physical viewing or remote tour. Or, visit during a scheduled open house to meet with the landlord or agent in person. Visit and view the flat and check it thoroughly.
Week 5	Step 3: Negotiate with the landlord and secure the flat. Make sure that the landlord that you are meeting is the rightful owner of the property. Ask the landlord to prove ownership by logging in to and showing you their HDB page. Negotiate with the landlord about the rental price, the rental period, and the good faith deposit. Produce and submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) with the good faith deposit to secure the flat. The landlord will sign on the Acceptance portion of the LOI if they accept the conditions of your offer in the LOI. Once this is done, you and the landlord may proceed to discussing the terms of the Tenancy Agreement (TA).
Week 6	Step 4: Sign the Tenancy Agreement. Study the Tenancy Agreement (TA) and see if all the stipulations are as agreed: rental price, start and end date of the lease, particulars of landlord and tenant/s, number of occupants, the problem-free period, and other terms (new furniture, appliances, etc.). Check if the TA has a diplomatic clause, especially if you are a foreigner working in Singapore. Sign the TA if everything is in order. You need to submit the TA for e-stamping and pay the stamp fees within 14 days of signing the TA.
Week 7	Step 5: Move into your new rental unit. Meet with the landlord and inspect the property, this time based on the inventory list that the landlord provided, particularly the power plugs and sockets, appliances, aircon, pipes and drains, and door locks. Both you and the landlord will sign the inventory list, with each keeping a copy. Collect the keys from the landlord. Pay the first month’s rent to the landlord. Ohmyhome can help you move your belongings.
One month upon moving in, based on what was agreed on in the TA	Step 6: Observe the unit’s status during the problem-free period. Check the items in the inventory list for any breakdowns and damages. Report any damaged or defective items you may find to the landlord. The landlord will rectify or replace the damaged items free of charge within the agreed problem-free period. However, items damaged due to negligence are not covered by this problem-free period, in which case the repairs or replacement have to be shouldered by the tenant.