Confusion in the rental contract

[tung477]

Hi everyone. I am student and I have questions.

In May I signed a rental contract for a room in a HDB, living with the landlord's family. It is a 12-month contract beginning from June 2015 with the minimum staying period of 12 months.

Now, in Octocber, the landlord says he want us to leave in December. After hearing about it, my agent also tells me that I will have to leave at December.

Can anyone explain to me why I have to leave after 6 months, while the minimum staying period stated in the contract is 12 months? Does this break Singapore law?

Thanks a lot.

[Addadude]

It's impossible to answer this without knowing more details about your contract. Is there an early termination of lease penalty for both parties or just for you? Did you pay stamp duty? Is 'your agent' also the landlord's agent? Strictly speaking, if stamp duty has been paid and there is an early termination penalty for both parties, then your landlord should surely have to pay YOU the balance 6 months rental. Of course it never seems to work that way. Sadly, as you are about to discover, there is very little legal recourse for tenants in Singapore.

[tung477]

Above is the actual contract form I signed. This is the only page of the agreement. There is no extra document.

There is no early termination of lease penalty for both parties. When I moved in I only paid for the agent fee, the 1-month deposit, and the rental for the first month. My agent is not the landlord's agent.

[x9200]

I don't see anything on the 12 months rental period but I clearly see under the Clause 4 that either the LL and yourself serving 1 month notice may terminate this agreement at any time. In other words, if this is really what you signed than yes, you will have to leave.

[tung477]

I don't see anything on the 12 months rental period but I clearly see under the Clause 4 that either the LL and yourself serving 1 month notice may terminate this agreement at any time. In other words, if this is really what you signed than yes, you will have to leave.

In the actual contract, under the Clause 4, the minimum staying period is 12 months.

Also under the Clause 4, either parities serving 1 month notice may terminate this agreement at anytime after the minimum occupation period

I think the minimum occupation period = the minimum staying period (= 12 months in this case), meaning that we have the right to rent the room for at least 12 months. But now the landlord asks us to leave after only 6 months.

[bgd]

That would be my interpretation too. The contract you included doesn't have the dates or period completed. I assume the final contract does?

Anyway, talk to the agent and ask on what basis they think they can terminate early.

[adeline.35]

Is this TA has duty stamps?
Does the landlord register your name as tenant to HDB?

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