Home › Glossary
Reference · 30 terms

Singapore reinstatement & tenancy glossary

Every term that decides who pays at the end of a Singapore lease, defined in one place. Each definition stands on its own, so you can quote it without reading the rest.

By REINSTATE.by MCSG · Updated 4 September 2026
Why the words matter: Singapore has no general residential-tenancy statute. Outside qualifying retail leases, reinstatement is entirely contractual — so a dispute is almost always an argument about what a term in the lease means. Getting the definitions straight before signing is cheaper than arguing them at handover. The law behind these terms is on our tenancy law page.

The lease

Reinstatement in Singapore is contractual. These are the clauses that decide it.

Tenancy agreementalso: TA, lease
The contract between landlord and tenant setting rent, term, and every obligation at the end of it. Singapore has no general residential-tenancy statute, so the tenancy agreement — not legislation — decides what condition the unit must be returned in, who pays for reinstatement, and what the landlord may deduct from the deposit. In depth →
Reinstatement clausealso: make-good clause, yield-up clause
The lease clause requiring the tenant to return the premises to a defined condition at the end of the term. A strong clause names the standard (original condition, bare shell, or make-good of listed alterations), attaches a dated schedule of condition, and states who appoints the contractor and who pays. In depth →
Diplomatic clausealso: break clause
A clause letting a tenant end a Singapore lease early — typically after 12 months of a 24-month term, on two months' written notice — if they are transferred out of or cease employment in Singapore. It usually triggers pro-rated agent-commission reimbursement, and it does not reduce the reinstatement obligation. In depth →
Minimum rental periodalso: MRP
The shortest legal lease term for a Singapore private residential property: three consecutive months. HDB flats and bedrooms have their own, longer minimum periods and approval rules. Short-stay letting below the minimum is an offence under the Planning Act, regardless of what the parties agree between themselves. In depth →
Holding overalso: double rent
Staying in the premises after the lease has expired without a new agreement. Under section 28(4) of the Civil Law Act 1909 a landlord who has given written notice to quit may claim double rent for the overholding period — which is why unfinished reinstatement works past the expiry date get expensive fast. In depth →

The condition standard

The words that decide whether a handover passes or a deduction sticks.

Reinstatementalso: rental reinstatement, end-of-tenancy reinstatement
Restoring a rented property to the condition required by the lease at the end of the tenancy — removing tenant additions, repairing damage, repainting to the original finish and cleaning, with fair wear and tear excepted. In Singapore it is a contractual obligation, not a statutory one, so the lease wording controls the scope. In depth →
Make goodalso: make-good works, commercial reinstatement
The commercial equivalent of reinstatement: stripping an office, retail or industrial unit back to the condition specified in the lease, usually bare shell. Scope typically covers partitions, ceilings, flooring, signage, and the mechanical and electrical points added at fit-out, with landlord sign-off required before the space is accepted. In depth →
Original conditionalso: handover condition, as-handed-over condition
The state the unit was in when the tenant took possession, as evidenced by the move-in inventory and photographs. It is the benchmark reinstatement is measured against. Without a dated schedule of condition at move-in, neither side can prove what original condition was — which is how most deposit disputes start. In depth →
Fair wear and tearalso: reasonable wear and tear
Deterioration that happens through ordinary, careful use over the length of the tenancy: faded paint, minor scuffs, worn floor finish, aged sealant. It is excepted from the tenant's reinstatement obligation in almost every Singapore lease. Damage caused by accident, neglect or alteration is not fair wear and tear and remains chargeable. In depth →
Vacant possessionalso: VP
Handing the property back empty of people, belongings and rubbish, with all keys, access cards and remote controls returned. Vacant possession is about emptiness; reinstatement is about condition. A unit can be fully vacant and still fail the handover because the required reinstatement works have not been done. In depth →
Bare shellalso: shell and core, warm shell
A commercial unit with only structure and base services — screed floor, unfinished ceiling, capped service points, no partitions or finishes. It is the most common make-good standard in Singapore mall and office leases, and it is the most expensive to reach, because everything installed at fit-out has to come out and be disposed of. In depth →
Dilapidationsalso: schedule of dilapidations
The landlord's itemised list of breaches of the repairing and reinstatement covenants at the end of a commercial lease, with a cost attached to each. In Singapore practice it is served near or after expiry and becomes the negotiating document: the tenant either does the works or settles the assessed sum. In depth →
Reinstatement valuealso: reinstatement cost (insurance)
A different meaning of the same word: in insurance and MCST context, the estimated cost of rebuilding a property to its existing standard after total loss, excluding land value. It is unrelated to end-of-tenancy reinstatement, and confusing the two is the most common terminology error in Singapore property searches. In depth →

Money and deposits

Where reinstatement actually gets settled.

Security depositalso: rental deposit
Money held by the landlord as security for the tenant's obligations — commonly one month's rent per year of term for Singapore residential leases. There is no statutory cap outside qualifying retail leases and no statutory deadline for return; both are set by the tenancy agreement, which is why the clause wording matters. In depth →
Bettermentalso: new for old
The principle that a landlord cannot charge a tenant for an improvement on the original condition. Replacing an eight-year-old worn floor with a brand-new one leaves the landlord better off than before, so the claim should be reduced for the item's used life. It is the strongest argument against inflated deposit deductions. In depth →
Deposit deductionalso: set-off
The landlord's withholding of part of the deposit to cover unperformed tenant obligations, usually reinstatement, cleaning or unpaid utilities. The party claiming has to prove both the breach and the original condition, and quantify the loss. An unsupported round-number deduction is the weakest position in a Small Claims hearing. In depth →
Tenancy stamp dutyalso: lease stamp duty
The duty payable to IRAS on a Singapore tenancy agreement, calculated on the average annual rent and the lease term. It is customarily borne by the tenant unless the agreement says otherwise, and must be stamped within 14 days of signing in Singapore. An unstamped lease is not admissible as evidence until duty is paid. In depth →
Reinstatement bondalso: banker's guarantee, BG
Security a commercial landlord holds — often a banker's guarantee equal to three to six months' gross rent — that can be called on if make-good works are not completed to the lease standard. Unlike a cash deposit it survives the tenant's cash-flow problems, and getting it released is the real end of a commercial tenancy. In depth →

Process and handover

The documents and works that get a unit accepted.

Schedule of conditionalso: inventory list, move-in inventory
A dated record of the property's condition and contents at move-in — photographs, video and a signed item-by-item list. It is the single document that decides most Singapore deposit disputes, because it is the only proof of what original condition looked like before the tenant's occupation began. In depth →
Handover inspectionalso: exit inspection, final inspection
The joint walk-through at the end of the tenancy where landlord and tenant compare the property against the move-in record and agree what still needs doing. Running it two to three weeks before expiry, rather than on the last day, is what leaves time to fix findings instead of paying for them. In depth →
Hackingalso: demolition, removal works
Breaking out built elements — partitions, feature walls, tiled surfaces, screed — as part of reinstatement. In Singapore it is priced with the make-good that follows it, because the real cost is patching, levelling and repainting the surfaces the removal exposes, plus permitted-hours access and debris disposal. In depth →
Strip-outalso: fit-out removal
The removal phase of commercial make-good: taking out everything installed during the fit-out — shopfront, signage, ceilings, lighting, flooring, joinery and added services — before the unit is restored to the lease standard. In malls it usually has to happen inside a landlord-set window and outside trading hours. In depth →
As-built drawingsalso: as-builts
The final drawings showing what was actually constructed during fit-out, as opposed to what was designed. They tell the reinstatement contractor which walls, ceilings and service runs were added by the tenant and must come out, and which belonged to the base building and must stay. In depth →

Approvals and compliance

The permissions that gate the works — and delay them if missed.

MCST renovation permitalso: management corporation permit
Written approval from a condominium's management corporation before reinstatement or renovation works start. It typically sets permitted working hours, requires a deposit against common-property damage, and restricts lift usage and debris routes. Starting without it risks a stop-work order in the middle of a fixed handover window. In depth →
HDB registered renovation contractoralso: HDB RRP contractor
A contractor on HDB's Registered Renovation Contractors Scheme, required for renovation works in HDB flats. HDB flat reinstatement that involves hacking, wet-area works or altering fixtures must go through a registered contractor and, for some works, an HDB permit — a constraint that does not exist for private condominiums. In depth →
URA written permissionalso: planning permission
Approval from the Urban Redevelopment Authority for additions and alterations to a Singapore property. It matters at reinstatement for landed homes: any structure built without written permission has to be demolished back to the approved plans, and that demolition is priced as construction work, not make-good. In depth →

Disputes and law

What happens when the handover is not agreed.

Small Claims Tribunalsalso: SCT
The division of the State Courts that hears qualifying Singapore tenancy and deposit disputes cheaply and without lawyers, for leases not exceeding two years. It is the usual forum for a withheld reinstatement deposit. The claimant must bring evidence: the lease, the move-in record, photographs and itemised quotations. In depth →
Distressalso: writ of distress
A landlord's statutory remedy under the Distress Act 1934 to seize and sell a tenant's movable goods on the premises to recover up to twelve months' arrears of rent. It applies to rent, not to reinstatement costs, and it requires a court order — a landlord cannot self-help by changing the locks. In depth →
Forfeiturealso: re-entry
The landlord's right to terminate a lease and retake possession for the tenant's breach. Sections 18 and 18A of the Conveyancing and Law of Property Act 1886 require notice specifying the breach and an opportunity to remedy it, and the court can grant the tenant relief against forfeiture. In depth →
Retail Code of Conductalso: LARPA 2023
The Code of Conduct for Leasing of Retail Premises, given statutory backing by the Lease Agreements for Retail Premises Act 2023. For qualifying retail leases it constrains reinstatement and deposit terms — including a security-deposit cap tied to gross rent — and provides a dispute route. It does not apply to residential or office leases. In depth →

General information, not legal advice. Reviewed 4 September 2026. Singapore statutes and the Retail Code update periodically — verify the current version on Singapore Statutes Online (sso.agc.gov.sg) and consult a qualified Singapore lawyer about your specific lease.

Know the term. Still need the works done?

MCSG has restored rented homes and commercial units across Singapore since 2014 — make-good, repaint, flooring, carpentry removal and aircon, with itemised quotes and documented condition records.

WhatsApp us for a quote →