How stamp duty works on a Singapore tenancy agreement

The stamp duty formula for Singapore tenancy agreements, worked examples, who pays, the 14-day deadline, and the penalty for missing it.

Stamp duty is one of the few costs in renting that's fixed by formula, not negotiation — which makes it one of the easier things to get right, if you know how it's calculated. This guide covers the formula, worked examples, who's responsible for paying, and the deadline that catches people out.

The formula

Rental stamp duty in Singapore is 0.4% of the Average Annual Rent (AAR), multiplied by the number of years in the lease — capped at 4 years even if your lease runs longer or is indefinite.

Average Annual Rent (AAR) = total rent for the lease period ÷ number of years

So the full formula is:

Stamp duty = 0.4% × AAR × number of years (max 4)

If your tenancy agreement includes a non-refundable amount on top of rent (some agreements bundle in furniture rental or a service charge), that gets included in the rent figure used to calculate AAR — check your TA for how the rent is itemised.

Worked examples

A 1-year lease at S$2,500/month: Total rent = S$2,500 × 12 = S$30,000 AAR = S$30,000 Stamp duty = 0.4% × S$30,000 = S$120

A 2-year lease at S$3,900/month: Total rent = S$3,900 × 24 = S$93,600 AAR = S$93,600 ÷ 2 = S$46,800 Stamp duty = 0.4% × S$46,800 × 2 = S$374.40

A room rental at S$900/month, 1-year lease: Total rent = S$900 × 12 = S$10,800 AAR = S$10,800 Stamp duty = 0.4% × S$10,800 = S$43.20

When you don't need to pay

If the Average Annual Rent is S$1,000 or less, the lease is exempt from stamp duty. This is uncommon for most Singapore rentals but can apply to very low-cost or shared arrangements.

Who pays, and when

The tenant is generally responsible for paying stamp duty on the tenancy agreement, though this should be confirmed against what your specific TA states — most agreements name the tenant explicitly, but it's worth checking rather than assuming.

You have 14 days from signing to pay (30 days if the agreement was signed overseas). Payment is done through the IRAS e-Stamping portal, using SingPass to log in.

What happens if you're late

Missing the deadline isn't free. Late filing carries a penalty that scales with how overdue you are — and if the delay exceeds 3 months, the penalty can reach up to 4 times the original duty owed. On a S$374 stamp duty amount, that's a S$1,496 penalty for something that would have taken 10 minutes to complete on time.

There's no reason to let this slip — set a reminder for within a few days of signing, not the 14-day deadline itself, so you have buffer if anything comes up.

Stamp duty is fixed. The rest of your agreement isn't.

Stamp duty is one of the few parts of a tenancy agreement that's genuinely non-negotiable — the formula is set by IRAS, and there's nothing to review or dispute. Everything else in your TA is a different story: who's responsible for what, what protections you have, and what happens if something goes wrong are all determined by the specific wording your landlord or agent used.

A tenancy agreement review checks the parts of your TA that actually vary from agreement to agreement — the clauses that determine your real financial exposure, not just the fixed government fee.

Review your TA for S$39 →

Key takeaways

  • Stamp duty is 0.4% of the Average Annual Rent, capped at 4 years of duty even on longer leases
  • The exemption threshold (AAR ≤ S$1,000) rarely applies to typical Singapore rentals
  • You have 14 days from signing to pay via IRAS e-Stamping (30 days if signed overseas)
  • Late payment can cost up to 4× the original duty if delayed beyond 3 months
  • Confirm in your TA who is responsible for paying — it's usually the tenant, but check rather than assume

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