Stamp duty for tenancy agreement: the 0.4% rule and who pays

Stamp duty for a tenancy agreement in Singapore is 0.4% of the total rent for a lease of four years or less, charged on the higher of the agreed rent or the market rent and rounded down to the dollar. It must be paid within 14 days of signing, or within 30 days of the document reaching Singapore if it was signed overseas, and the tenant pays unless the agreement says otherwise. On an illustrative two-year lease at S$4,800 a month, the duty is S$460.

This guide is for owners letting a new launch for the first time after collecting the keys, and for their tenants. The rules come from IRAS and URA pages read on 30 October 2026; the rents are invented. It is general information, not tax or legal advice.

How is stamp duty on a tenancy agreement calculated?

IRAS's page on stamp duty for renting a property (last updated 22 June 2026) sets the lease duty rates on the average annual rent (AAR):

• AAR of S$1,000 or less: exempt.
• Lease of four years or less: 0.4% of the total rent for the period of the lease.
• Lease of more than four years, or for an indefinite term: 0.4% of four times the AAR.
• Rounding: down to the nearest dollar, with a minimum duty of S$1.

Two details matter. The duty is charged on the contractual or the market rent, whichever is higher, so a rent set below the market does not shrink it. And the AAR includes charges such as a furniture or fittings charge, a maintenance charge and a service charge, but not GST, so a lease that splits "rent" from "furniture rental" is stamped on both.

Worked examples for a new condo let after TOP

All rents below are illustrative; the sums are our arithmetic on IRAS's rates.

1. Two-year lease, furnished. Rent of S$4,600 a month plus a S$200 furniture charge is S$4,800 a month, or S$115,200 over 24 months. Duty: 0.4% is S$460.80, rounded down to S$460.
2. One-year lease, then a renewal. S$4,500 a month for 12 months is S$54,000, so S$216. IRAS's renting-out page (last updated 13 August 2026) says a renewal document is stamped too: renewing for another year at S$4,700 a month is S$56,400 of rent, so S$225.
3. Rent raised in year two. On a two-year lease at S$4,500, a supplemental agreement lifting the second year to S$4,800 is stamped on the increase only: S$300 times 12 months is S$3,600, so S$14. IRAS charges no duty on a document that lowers the rent or shortens the lease.
4. One room, six months. S$1,300 a month for six months is S$7,800, so S$31. URA's renting rules (last updated 15 June 2026) require every occupant of a private home to stay at least three consecutive months, so a shorter room let is not an option.
5. A lease longer than four years. In IRAS's own five-year example, rent rising from S$1,800 to S$3,300 a month gives an AAR of S$30,240, and the duty on four times that is S$483.

An extension is stamped as new rent: in IRAS's example, a 12-month lease extended by three months pays duty on those three months at the monthly rent, even though the landlord gave an equal rent-free period in return.

Who pays the stamp duty: landlord or tenant?

Whoever the agreement says. IRAS's page on who should pay stamp duty (last updated 30 January 2026) points to the tenancy agreement first; when it is silent, the Third Schedule of the Stamp Duties Act makes the tenant liable. The same table lists an agreement for lease, a variation of lease and an acceptance of a letter of offer as lease-duty documents for the tenant. Our reading: an accepted letter of offer can itself be dutiable, so settle who pays before anyone accepts one.

Even when the tenant pays, the landlord has reason to check. IRAS's poster for landlords (correct as at 19 June 2026) says you will need the Stamp Certificate to pursue legal action in disputes such as unpaid rent, damage, unauthorised subletting or a tenant who will not leave. Ask for a copy and check it at go.gov.sg/verifystampcertificate.

A landlord who pays the duty may be able to claim it against rental income. IRAS's rental income page (last updated 15 October 2026) lists stamp duties to obtain, grant, renew or extend a lease among the allowable costs of securing a tenant from Year of Assessment 2022, but allows nothing for a lease whose term, not counting any option to renew or extend, exceeds three years. Our reading: this helps only an owner who claims actual rental expenses rather than the 15% deemed expenses, which our rental income tax guide compares.

When must a tenancy agreement be stamped, and what if it is late?

IRAS's basics page (last updated 14 August 2026) says to stamp a document before you sign it, and charges no penalty if a signed document is stamped within 14 days of signing in Singapore, or within 30 days of receiving it in Singapore if it was signed overseas. The date that counts is generally the date the document is first signed.

A tap in an app can start that clock. The same page says a tenancy accepted through a mobile application creates an electronic document chargeable with stamp duty, and it counts clicking a button, email, SMS and WhatsApp as electronic signatures.

Paying late at least doubles the bill. IRAS's late payment page (last updated 27 January 2026) charges S$10 or an amount equal to the duty, whichever is greater, for a delay of up to three months, and S$25 or four times the duty, whichever is greater, beyond that. On the S$460 two-year lease above, paying two months after the deadline adds S$460 (S$920 in all); paying four months after it adds S$1,840 (S$2,300 in all). IRAS may also recover unpaid duty through the person's bank or employer, or stop them leaving Singapore.

What does stamping tell IRAS about your property tax?

Stamping through myTax Portal (Stamp Duty Login) also counts as the landlord's notice to IRAS for property tax. IRAS's renting-out page says an owner must tell IRAS within 15 days after letting, or face a fine of up to S$5,000, but need not do so separately when the lease is stamped on myTax Portal. A stamped rent increase updates IRAS too; if it will be stamped more than 15 days after the increase, tell IRAS within those 15 days.

Letting the whole unit ends the owner-occupier rates from the date of letting, and they do not return on their own: if you move back after the tenancy, reapply through IRAS's "Apply/Withdraw Owner-Occupier Tax Rates" service (if the lease ends early, IRAS asks for a written application with supporting documents). Our property tax calculator shows what the higher rates mean for your unit.

A landlord's checklist from offer to stamp certificate

1. Before anyone accepts an offer: write into the letter of offer and the tenancy agreement who pays the stamp duty, and keep the lease to at least three consecutive months. Our guide to the minimum rental period covers URA's occupancy cap too.
2. Day of signing or electronic acceptance: note the date and count 14 days.
3. By day 14: the agreement is stamped on myTax Portal and you hold a copy of the Stamp Certificate, checked as genuine.
4. Any rent rise, renewal or extension: stamp the new document within 14 days of signing it.
5. When the tenancy ends: reapply for owner-occupier rates if you move back in.

Before the first tenant, see our guides to what the TOP sets off and choosing a rental manager, and more under Compare carefully.

Common questions