Two to four weeks is the realistic range for a properly priced unit in a normal market. HDB flats in mature estates and condos near MRT stations sit at the shorter end. Older walk-ups, units with awkward layouts, or anything priced 5%+ above the URA SRX median tend to drag past a month. Budget 3 weeks of vacancy as the planning baseline. If your unit is luxury (above $8,000/month) or in a slow segment, plan for 6 to 8 weeks.

Industry norm: full one-month commission split between landlord agent and tenant agent for a new tenancy (so the landlord typically pays half a month if there are co-broke agents on both sides, or one full month if a single agent represents both ends). For a renewal, the convention is half a month, paid by the landlord. Some agents waive the renewal commission entirely if the original deal was theirs and the tenant didn't move. Always confirm in writing before the renewal is signed.

Take your vacancy cost plus commission, divide by 12. For a $3,000 HDB with 3 weeks vacancy ($2,250) plus half-month commission ($1,500), that's $3,750 total, or $312/month. So the new tenant has to pay $312 more per month just to match what you'd earn renewing the existing tenant at the same rent. That's a 10.4% rent increase, before accounting for risk. If the market rent has moved up by less than that, renewal wins on math alone.

If your current tenant is a foreign worker, you have no MOM or ICA filing duty as the landlord. The tenant's employer handles work pass administration. What does change: you should refresh the new tenant's pass details (EP/S Pass/WP number, expiry) in the new tenancy, and re-check the FIN expiry against the lease end date. If you rent to a non-pass-holder foreigner illegally, MOM penalties fall on you. Verify pass validity at every change of tenant, not just at the start of the original lease.

Yes, mildly. With a returning tenant you already know how they treat the unit and you've handled their handover behaviour once. A new tenant is unknown — you'll discover their cleaning standards, willingness to fix small damage, and dispute style only at the end of their lease. The Small Claims Tribunal sees more new-tenant deposit disputes than renewal-tenant disputes simply because new tenancies are where the unfamiliarity sits. Not a reason to refuse new tenants, but factor a small risk premium into the math.

Sometimes yes. If the unit's condition has deteriorated badly and the tenant won't fund repairs from their deposit (or the damage exceeds the deposit), keeping them at the same rent locks in further wear. Letting them out, repainting, fixing fittings, and re-letting at even 5% lower can be net positive over a 2-year horizon because you reset the baseline condition. Run the numbers: cost of refurb + vacancy + commission vs. expected continued damage from the same tenant. If refurb cost recovers in 18 months of clean tenancy, switch.

Rental income is taxed only when received, so vacancy weeks pay no income tax. But IRAS still assesses property tax based on Annual Value (AV) regardless of whether the unit is rented. AV is set by IRAS and doesn't drop because your unit is empty for a few weeks. So vacancy means lost rent without any tax shield. Mortgage interest, maintenance, and property tax during the vacant period remain deductible against rental income for the year, but only up to the rental income earned. Long vacancies erode the deductibility cap.

Long tenure (3+ years), perfect payment history, no complaints from neighbours, and they handle small fixes themselves. That tenant is worth 5 to 10% below market rate to keep, because the alternative is vacancy plus commission plus the unknown risk of someone worse. The math: a $3,000/mo HDB tenant who's been there 4 years with zero hassle is probably worth holding at $2,800 rather than chasing $3,200 with a new face. Good tenants are an asset. Price them accordingly.