Can expats rent a condo in Singapore before arriving?
Yes. You can shortlist and view condos remotely through a CEA-registered agent and sign the Letter of Intent and Tenancy Agreement before you land, but expect to show your work pass or approval letter, and never pay a deposit before verifying the agent and unit.
You can secure a condo remotely or during a short home-search trip. A CEA-registered agent can shortlist units, confirm they are still available, run video viewings and handle the offer, and both the Letter of Intent and the Tenancy Agreement can be agreed before you arrive. Landlords and agents typically ask for your passport and your work pass or in-principle approval letter, so time the search around your pass approval. Private condos must be leased for at least three consecutive months under URA rules.
The paperwork follows the usual sequence. The Letter of Intent records the key commercial terms and may come with a good-faith deposit, so understand the refund conditions before paying. The Tenancy Agreement then sets the binding terms, including rent dates, security deposit, maintenance duties and termination. Tenants commonly pay stamp duty through IRAS e-Stamping: for a lease of up to four years it is 0.4% of the total rent, due within 14 days if the agreement is signed in Singapore, or within 30 days of receiving it in Singapore if signed overseas. CEA does not prescribe commission rates, so agree any fee in writing.
What changes the answer
- Pass status: without your work pass or approval letter, many landlords will not commit.
- Employer support: a relocation package can change who pays commission and what housing budget applies.
- Special requirements: pets, diplomatic clauses and furnishing requests need written landlord approval before the offer.
- Timing: desirable condos can move quickly, so a unit seen weeks before your lease start may be gone.
- Listing quality: unusually cheap listings and requests for payment before viewing are common scam signs.
What to check before you decide
- Verify the salesperson on the CEA Public Register before sharing documents or paying anything.
- Ask for a live video viewing of the actual unit, and confirm availability rather than relying on listing photos.
- Confirm whether the agent represents you or the landlord, and pay deposits only to the party set out in the agreed transaction structure.
- If you cannot attend handover, ask for a dated inventory list, photos of the unit's condition and meter readings.