Renting as a foreigner

Renting a condo or private home in Singapore as a foreigner

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A foreigner can rent a condominium, apartment or landed home in Singapore for at least 3 consecutive months; daily and weekly stays are not allowed. At most 6 unrelated people may live in it, or 8 in a home of 90 sqm or more that the owner has registered with URA. A property agent will check and copy your passport and pass. An agent can be paid by only one side, and commission is negotiable. Stamp the tenancy agreement with IRAS within 14 days, and update your address with MOM within 5 days of moving if you hold an Employment Pass, S Pass or Dependant’s Pass.

Checked against official sources on 2 November 2026

How long you can rent for

  • Every occupant of a private home must stay at least 3 consecutive months.
  • Short stays rented by the day or week are not allowed in private homes.
  • An HDB flat has different rules: at least 6 months, a pass valid for 6 more months, and a non-citizen quota for whole flats. Renting an HDB flat or room

How many people can live in the home

  • At most 6 unrelated people may live in a private home.
  • In a home of 90 sqm or more, up to 8 may live there until 31 December 2028, but only once the owner has registered the home with URA.
  • Tenants do not register with URA. The condo’s management (MCST) may ask tenants to register under its by-laws, so ask the owner or agent.

What a property agent checks and charges

  • When a tenant or occupier is not a Singapore citizen, the agent must check and photocopy their passport and their work, student or immigration pass. The agent may use the copies only for the rental.
  • An agent may collect commission from only one party in a rental. The landlord’s agent may help you with paperwork, but cannot charge you for it.
  • Commission rates are not fixed. If you hire your own agent, agree the amount and whether GST applies before they start, and pay it to the agency, not the agent.
  • CEA prescribes the agreement for an agent working for a tenant: Form 8 if the agent is your only agent, Form 4 if not.

Before you sign

  1. View the home in person, and never pay to arrange a viewing.
  2. Go through CEA’s checklist for a tenant renting private residential property.
  3. Start from CEA’s tenancy agreement template for private homes, and agree the rent, deposit, term, occupants, repairs and early ending before you sign. Tenancy agreement and deposit checklist
  4. Pay the landlord directly by bank transfer or crossed cheque, so every payment is on record.

Stamp duty on the tenancy agreement

  • Duty is 0.4% of the total rent for a lease of up to 4 years. A 2-year lease at S$4,000 a month pays S$384.
  • Stamp the agreement on IRAS’s myTax Portal within 14 days of signing it in Singapore, or within 30 days of receiving it in Singapore if it was signed overseas.
  • The agreement says who pays. When it says nothing, the tenant pays. Tenancy stamp duty calculator

Update your pass address when you move

  • Employment Pass and S Pass holders: you or your employer must update your residential address within 5 days of moving, on MOM’s EP eService. Otherwise the pass holder may be penalised.
  • Dependant’s Pass holders: the sponsoring company, the main pass holder or the Dependant’s Pass holder updates the address within 5 days, also on EP eService.
  • The update takes effect at once. Print the acknowledgement page and keep it with your pass card.

Find a home to rent

See condos, apartments, landed homes and HDB flats for rent across Singapore, with the asking rent and size.

See homes for rent

Questions

Can a foreigner rent a condo in Singapore?

Yes. A foreigner can rent a condominium, apartment or landed home for at least 3 consecutive months. The home may hold at most 6 unrelated people, or 8 in a home of 90 sqm or more registered with URA.

Can I rent a condo for 1 month in Singapore?

No. Every occupant of a private home must stay at least 3 consecutive months, and renting by the day or week is not allowed.

Why does the agent want a copy of my passport and pass?

CEA requires property agents to check and copy the passport and pass of every tenant or occupier who is not a Singapore citizen, and to use the copies only for that rental.

Do I pay the landlord’s agent commission?

No. An agent may collect commission from only one party in a rental. You pay commission only to an agent you hire yourself, at a rate you agree, to their agency.

Do I need to tell MOM when I move?

Yes, if you hold an Employment Pass, S Pass or Dependant’s Pass. Update your residential address on EP eService within 5 days of moving.

Sources

Rules and fees change. Check the linked official pages before you commit, and ask a lawyer about your own sale or purchase.

Related guides

Renting an HDB flat or room

Who can rent an HDB flat or room, including foreigners on a work, student or dependant pass, the non-citizen quota, the 6-month minimum, tenant limits and what to check before you pay.

Tenancy agreement and deposit checklist

What to check before signing a tenancy agreement in Singapore: CEA’s standard templates, the security deposit, who pays the agent’s commission, the clauses to agree, stamp duty within 14 days, and how to avoid rental scams.

Buying property in Singapore as a foreigner

What a foreigner can buy in Singapore without approval, which homes need SLA approval, why HDB flats and new ECs are out of reach, and the 60% ABSD, with the free trade agreement exception.