Does my tenancy end if I move out but have not returned the keys?

Not under the CEA tenancy templates. Clause 20.1 of both the private residential and HDB templates says rent and upkeep stay the tenant's responsibility until the keys, access cards and transponders are returned, regardless of whether the tenant has vacated.

How much does it cost to replace a lost condo access card in Singapore?

Each condo's management corporation sets its own fee. As one example, the Mi Casa (MCST Plan No. 3879) by-laws set S$30 per card including GST and require a letter declaring the loss with the card's serial number so it can be voided.

Can my landlord charge me to change the locks if I lose a key?

Often yes. A missing physical key is a security risk, so a simple cylinder change of about S$80 to S$120, or S$150 to S$250 for a full mortise lockset, is a reasonable claim. The landlord should not charge you for an upgrade such as a new digital lock.

What should I do with a digital lock when I move out?

If it is the landlord's lock, delete your PINs and fingerprints with the landlord present and return the mechanical override key. If you installed it, the CEA templates required the landlord's written consent; without it, expect to refit the original lock at your cost.

Move-out guide

Lost Keys or Access Cards at Move-Out: What It Costs a Singapore Tenant

By Mr Kobayashi, Co-Founder, REINSTATE.by MCSG · Published 25 September 2026 · 6 min read

A lost condo access card is usually a flat management-office fee (one condo's by-laws set it at S$30 including GST), while a lost door key can cost S$80 to S$250 if the landlord reasonably changes the lock. Under both CEA tenancy templates, the tenancy and your rent do not end until every key, access card and transponder is returned.

Keys are the smallest item on the handover list and the one that holds everything else up. A missing mailbox key or a spare access card left in a drawer at the office can delay the joint inspection, stall the deposit refund and, under the standard tenancy wording, keep the rent running. Here is what the CEA templates say, what each item actually costs to replace, and how to hand everything back without an argument.

Does the tenancy end if you have not returned the keys?

No, not under the CEA templates. Clause 20.1 of both the private residential and the HDB tenancy templates says rent and upkeep remain the tenant's responsibility until the keys, access cards and transponders are returned, "regardless of whether the Tenant has vacated". Moving out is not the same as handing back.

The Council for Estate Agencies publishes these templates for agents to use, so a large share of Singapore residential leases carry this clause or something close to it. Its effect is simple: if you post the keys back three days after your lease end, the landlord can treat those three days as occupied. On a S$4,500-a-month condo that is roughly S$440 of rent for a set of keys. If the delay stretches further, the holding-over clause and double rent can come into play.

Annexure A of the same templates lists 8 things expected at handover. Item 7 is that "all keys, access cards, instruction manuals and items in the Inventory List are accounted for". Annexure B, the inventory list, has a dedicated Keys table with description and quantity columns, which is what the landlord will count against on the day.

How much does it cost to replace a lost key, card or lock?

From about S$10 for a cut key to S$250 for a full mortise lockset. Access cards are priced by each condo's management corporation (MCST). Locksmith work in Singapore also carries transport fees of S$30 to S$50, and after-hours jobs can add 50% to 100% to the labour cost.

Item	Who issues or fixes it	Typical cost
Duplicate door or mailbox key (original still exists)	Key-cutting shop or locksmith	S$10 to S$30
Replacement condo access card	Condo management office (MCST)	Set by each MCST, e.g. S$30
Simple lock cylinder replacement	Locksmith	S$80 to S$120
Full mortise lockset replacement	Locksmith	S$150 to S$250
Entry-level digital rim lock, supplied and fitted	Digital lock installer	S$299 to S$499

Sources: Mi Casa (MCST Plan No. 3879) by-laws for the access card fee; published 2026 Singapore locksmith price guides for the key, cylinder, lockset and digital lock ranges. Transport, weekend and after-hours surcharges are extra.

The access card figure is a real example, not a national rate. Mi Casa's by-laws set S$30 per card including GST, raised from S$20 at the development's 4th AGM in 2016, and cap each unit at 5 cards. Your condo will have its own figure in its by-laws or house rules, and the management office can tell you in one phone call.

Can the landlord charge you to change the locks?

For a lost door key, often yes; for a lost access card, usually no. A missing physical key is a security risk the landlord can only fix by changing the lock, so a S$80 to S$120 cylinder change is a reasonable claim. A lost access card is simply deactivated in the system, so the fair charge is the replacement card fee.

That distinction matters when you check the deduction list. A landlord claiming a full digital lock upgrade because one of three mechanical keys went missing is asking you to pay for an improvement, which runs into the betterment rule. The fair measure is putting the landlord back where they were: the same type of lock, with the right number of keys, and nothing more.

Two practical points reduce the bill. First, if you still hold one working key, a duplicate costs S$10 to S$30 and no lock change is needed at all. Second, ask the landlord whether they plan to re-key anyway for the next tenant. Many do, and a cost they would incur regardless should not be passed to you in full.

What happens to a digital lock at move-out?

If it is the landlord's lock, clear your PINs and fingerprints with the landlord present and hand back any physical override key. If you installed it yourself, clause 5.1(g) of the CEA templates required the landlord's prior written consent. Without that consent, expect to reinstate the original lock at your cost.

Digital locks cause more handover friction than old keys because the credentials are invisible. Delete every user code you added, reset to the landlord's master PIN in front of them, and return the mechanical emergency key most models ship with. Batteries count too: a lock that dies the week after handover is an awkward conversation.

If you fitted your own lock with written consent, agree in writing whether it stays or goes. Removing it means refitting the original lockset and filling any new holes in the door, which is the fixtures-versus-fittings question in miniature.

What if you have already lost a condo access card?

Report it to the management office in writing, quote the card's serial number so it can be voided, and pay for a replacement before handover. Do not try to clone a card to cover the gap: a copy needs a working original, and many MCST by-laws forbid duplication without permission.

Tell the landlord or agent first, so the missing card is not a surprise at the joint inspection.
Write to the management office. Mi Casa's by-laws, for example, require a letter declaring the loss plus the card's serial number, so the lost card is voided from the system.
Check who may apply. Some MCSTs only issue cards to the owner or ask for proof of residence, so the landlord may need to request the replacement for you.
Pay the fee and keep the receipt. Hand the new card over with the rest, or agree that the landlord deducts the exact fee from the deposit.

How should keys be recorded at handover?

Count every access item against the move-in inventory, list each type separately, and have both sides sign the count. A single line saying "keys returned" is how disputes start; "3 main door keys, 2 gate keys, 1 mailbox key, 4 access cards, 1 car park transponder" ends them.

Pull out the move-in record. Your move-in inventory should already list keys by type and number. If it does not, your first-week messages or photos are the next best evidence.
Gather everything a week early. Spare keys drift to offices, cars and cleaners. Collect them before the final week, not on the morning of handover.
Photograph the full set laid out, with any access card serial numbers visible, before you meet the landlord.
Record the count on the handover form at the joint inspection, alongside meter readings and agreed defects, and get it signed or acknowledged in writing.
Deregister vehicles and remotes with the management office, so car park access and your IU registration move to the next occupant cleanly.

Keys are only one line of a longer list. The rest is in our handover inspection checklist and end-of-tenancy checklist, and if a deduction still looks wrong afterwards, see how to get your full rental deposit back.

Handing back soon and want the unit ready first time?

Send us the unit and your handover date. We'll quote the reinstatement against your move-in condition, including patching holes left by a removed digital lock, so the only thing left on the day is handing over the keys.

WhatsApp us for a quote →

Clause 5.1(g), clause 20.1, Annexure A item 7 and the Annexure B keys table are quoted from the Council for Estate Agencies tenancy agreement templates for private residential property and HDB flats. The access card fee, 5-card cap and lost-card procedure are from the Mi Casa (MCST Plan No. 3879) by-laws; other condos set their own. Locksmith ranges are 2026 market guides and exclude transport and after-hours surcharges.

References & further reading

Authoritative Singapore sources for further reading. This guide is general information, not legal advice; confirm current rules with the relevant authority.