If I have moved out but reinstatement is unfinished, am I holding over?
It depends on the lease and the facts. Statutory holding over is about continued possession and control; in UDL Marine the holding-over period ended when the tenant surrendered possession. But many leases make the tenant liable for double rent, or for the landlord's losses, if reinstatement is incomplete at expiry. JTC states this expressly for its tenants. Treat finishing reinstatement before expiry as the safe position.
From the RRD Field Guide, checked against the sources cited in The True Cost of a Late Handback: Holding Over, Double Rent and Mesne Profits in Singapore. General information, not advice for your project.
The fuller picture
If a tenant stays in possession after its Singapore lease ends, section 28(4) of the Civil Law Act 1909 lets the landlord charge double rent or double value for the holding-over period, and many leases add their own terms. With CBD Grade A rents around S$12 to S$13 psf a month in Q3 2026, a 5,000 sq ft office can cost over S$4,000 a day in double rent alone.
More questions on this topic
- Is double rent automatic if I hand back my Singapore office late?
- Does the tenant have to be deliberately overstaying for double rent to apply?
- Is double rent calculated on the old rent or the current market rent?
- What are mesne profits?
- Can the landlord keep my security deposit if I hand back late?
- How do I estimate my own exposure?
- Is it better to negotiate an extension than to overstay?