The Singapore room rental checklist: 50 checks before you pay

A printable 50-point checklist for renting a room in Singapore — viewing, the person you are paying, the agreement, move-in day and handover. Free to use, copy and share.

Most room rental disputes in Singapore trace back to something nobody wrote down. This checklist exists to stop that.

Work through it in five stages: before the viewing, at the viewing, before you pay, on move-in day, and at handover. Use the interactive version of this checklist to tick items off as you go, or print it, screenshot it, or copy it into your notes app — it is free to use and free to share. If you run a student group, a relocation service or an expat community, you are welcome to link to this page or reproduce the list with attribution to renthero.sg.

Stage 1 — Before the viewing (7 checks)

  1. Confirm the exact address and unit type — HDB, condo or landed.
  2. Confirm whether the room is a master room (attached bathroom) or common room (shared).
  3. Ask who else lives in the unit: owner, family, how many other tenants.
  4. Ask the asking rent, the deposit, and the minimum term.
  5. Ask what rent includes and whether utilities are capped.
  6. Ask who you will be dealing with: owner, head tenant sub-letting, or a licensed agent.
  7. Compare the asking rent with other listings for the same estate and room type. A price far below the market is a warning, not a bargain.

Stage 2 — At the viewing (13 checks)

  1. View the actual room being let, not "a similar unit".
  2. Check the bathroom you will use, and how many people share it.
  3. Test the aircon in the room. Ask when it was last serviced.
  4. Test water pressure and hot water.
  5. Check mobile signal and ask to test the Wi-Fi speed.
  6. Look for damp, mould, water stains on ceilings and around windows.
  7. Check window locks, the room door lock, and whether you get a key to the main door.
  8. Open every wardrobe and drawer; note existing damage.
  9. Check for pests: bin areas, under the sink, kitchen corners.
  10. Ask about noise — neighbours, construction, main-road frontage, the MRT line.
  11. Confirm laundry arrangements and whether there is a drying area.
  12. Confirm kitchen access and any cooking restrictions.
  13. Note the house rules you are told verbally: guests, curfews, shared-area cleaning, overnight visitors.

Stage 3 — Before you pay anything (12 checks)

  1. Verify the identity of the person letting the room against identification.
  2. Confirm they have the right to let it: owner, head tenant with the owner's written consent, or a licensed agent.
  3. If an agent is involved, check their licence on the Council for Estate Agencies public register.
  4. For an HDB room, confirm the rental is registered with HDB.
  5. Confirm the minimum rental period that applies to the property type is met by your term.
  6. Confirm no upfront "holding fee" is required before a written agreement exists.
  7. Get everything you were told verbally added to the written agreement.
  8. Read the deposit clause. Reject "at the landlord's sole discretion" wording.
  9. Confirm the deposit return deadline in writing — 14 days after handover is a reasonable position.
  10. Confirm the utilities cap in figures, not adjectives.
  11. Confirm the notice period for early exit, on both sides.
  12. Confirm who pays for repairs, and any per-repair cap.

Stage 4 — The written agreement (10 checks)

  1. Full names and identification numbers of both parties.
  2. The exact room let, and the address including unit number.
  3. Rent amount, payment date, and payment method.
  4. Deposit amount, and the standard for deductions — damage beyond fair wear and tear.
  5. Start date, end date, and what happens if you stay past the end date.
  6. Exactly what is included: utilities and cap, Wi-Fi, aircon servicing frequency, cleaning.
  7. House rules, written out.
  8. Access rights: the notice the landlord must give before entering your room.
  9. Early termination terms, including any diplomatic-style clause if your stay depends on a pass.
  10. Stamp duty: who pays, and confirmation the agreement will be stamped with IRAS.

Stage 5 — Move-in day and handover (8 checks)

  1. Complete a written inventory of the room's contents and their condition, signed by both parties.
  2. Photograph every wall, the floor, the ceiling, the mattress, inside wardrobes and every existing mark.
  3. Photograph meter readings if utilities are separately charged.
  4. Send all photographs to the landlord the same day so the date is not disputable.
  5. Test every appliance in the room and report faults in writing within the first week.
  6. Keep every payment receipt in one place.
  7. At the end of the tenancy, repeat the photographs and request a joint inspection.
  8. Get the deposit return, or a written itemised breakdown of any deduction, within the agreed deadline.

Use this checklist

You may print this list, share it and reproduce it for non-commercial use with a link back to this page. If it saved you a deposit, tell someone else about it.

Related reading: renting a room in Singapore · move-in documentation · fair wear and tear · how security deposits work

If you already have an agreement, our tenancy agreement review reads every clause against Singapore market norms.

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