On leaving Singapore... Do I need to pay the 6 months rent??

Hi frazzla,

normally if you decide to leave your unit before the end of the TA (and without the diplomacy clause) it's feasible but the owner will not give you back the deposit.

Regards,
Thierry

Hi Thierry,

Appreciate the advise.  Just to update your and any others who may find themselves in this situation.

I had this checked with a lawyer and he advised that if your employer is named in the TA as the tenant (as in my case) then they are liable to pay for any loss that the land lord might incur as a result of early termination of the TA.  The deposit would offset this loss.  In my case the contract is for 24 months and the diplomatic clause can be invoked by giving 2 months notice after a period of 12 months have elapsed.

Damages are calculated based on the duration of the entire tenancy irrespective of whether you invoke diplomatic clause or not.

One very important lesson I've learned is that notwithstanding anything that may be in the TA you should also check your employment contract to ensure your employers can claim from you this loss/damages.  My employers can so at present I am trying to minimize this loss by finding another tenant.

Just thought you'd be interested to know and hope this is helpful to someone out there!

Cheers,
Fraz