In Singapore, it’s commonly recognized that landlords generally hold more power than tenants. Since 2001, we’ve been without any formal rent control measures, and there’s no dedicated body for tenancy disputes. Instead, issues are typically handled by the Small Claims Tribunal (SCT), and much depends on private agreements between landlords and tenants.
That’s why I’m always intrigued when a tenant manages to win a claim against a landlord; it seems like quite the challenge. But when it does happen, the security deposit often takes center stage. You’ve likely heard the tale: by the end of the lease, the landlord makes all sorts of dubious deductions for supposed damages, sometimes giving back very little to none of the deposit.
From what I’ve observed, when tenants successfully reclaim their deposits through the SCT, certain patterns emerge:
For starters, landlords often try to make deductions for what’s essentially wear and tear—the everyday deterioration that isn’t the tenant’s responsibility.
