For the most part, landlords have a strong advantage over tenants in Singapore. We have no formal rent control measures (at least not since 2001*), there is no specific tenancy resolution body (everything goes to the Small Claims Tribunal or SCT), and nearly everything comes down to a private contract. So I’m always surprised when I hear of tenants making a successful claim against a landlord, as it seems like a tough thing to do. But whenever I do hear of this, it usually involves the security deposit. You’ve probably heard the story before: at the end of the lease, the landlord deducts all sorts of questionable “damages” from the deposit—sometimes to the point of returning practically nothing (or literally nothing). In cases where tenants have successfully claimed their deposit back through the SCT, I’ve noticed the following patterns:

• Their landlord attempted to make deductions for wear and tear. Tenants aren’t liable for this. Some

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