Why the certificate matters
The IRAS poster, accurate as at 19 June 2026, says tenancy agreements require a stamping record and stamp-duty payment. A Stamp Certificate is needed to pursue legal action, subject to the tenancy agreement’s terms. Its dispute examples are unjustified sudden termination, poor common-area maintenance, a sudden above-market rent increase during tenancy and withholding a security deposit without valid reason. Stamping supports the document’s use; the poster does not guarantee a successful claim or decide whether an individual dispute breaches the agreement.
Who pays and when to submit
The tenant pays unless the tenancy agreement states otherwise. If signed in Singapore, submit the stamping record within 14 days after signing. If signed overseas, submit within 30 days after the agreement is received in Singapore. The overseas deadline is tied to receipt in Singapore, not simply the foreign signature date. Arrange with the landlord/agent who will submit, without assuming that this removes the tenant’s contractual payment responsibility.
The five steps to obtain the certificate
Have the tenancy agreement available. Log in to myTax Portal — Stamp Duty; under Stamping choose Stamp Lease and Tenancy Documents; submit the stamping record; pay stamp duty; download the Stamp Certificate. The poster directs readers to the How to Stamp Lease or Tenancy Agreements guide at go.gov.sg/estampingguides for detailed instructions. It does not publish rates or a worked duty computation, so those must not be inferred from the poster.
If a landlord or agent submits for you
When the landlord or agent files on your behalf, log in to the Stamp Duty area of myTax Portal and retrieve a copy of the certificate. Keep it with the tenancy agreement. Having someone else submit does not mean you should go without a certificate or rely only on an assurance that stamping was done. This is the practical safeguard expressly emphasised for tenants.
Official source
This article independently explains the substantive contents of the official PDF, including the relevant conditions, procedures and annexes. The linked document remains the authoritative source for its original wording, and later changes should be checked separately.
Read the official PDF ↗