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Hi,

I can understand your frustration, especially since you have only moved in two months ago and the missing key belongs to the previous tenant.

Based on what you have shared, I do not see why you should be responsible for the $120 lock replacement.

Your tenancy agreement apparently states that you are responsible for keys lost during your tenancy. In this case, the missing key was never returned by the previous tenant, so the circumstances are quite different.

More importantly, this is also a security concern. If the previous tenant still possesses a key, your landlord should take reasonable steps to ensure that your home is secure.

I would suggest referring your landlord to the relevant clause in your tenancy agreement and requesting that the locks be replaced at the landlord's expense.

May I also know whether you engaged a property agent when renting this unit?

If so, was there a proper handover with an inventory of the keys provided? Has your agent been assisting you in resolving this matter with the landlord?

Ideally, the number of keys handed over should have been properly accounted for before the new tenancy commenced.

I would recommend resolving this amicably, but I do not think you should simply agree to bear a cost arising from the previous tenancy without a contractual basis.

Geryl Lim
 9278 7772  Read More

Hi, I would ask the landlord to identify the contractual basis for charging you, since the missing key reportedly relates to the previous tenancy rather than a key you lost. Check the full agreement and the key inventory from your move-in handover.

Reply calmly in writing, explain that distinction and ask for a secure replacement arrangement with the cost responsibility agreed. Keep the landlord’s message about the previous tenant and your handover records.

Do not deduct the amount from rent or change locks unilaterally without checking the agreement and getting advice. If you cannot resolve the charge, consider mediation or legal advice on the actual documents. Your immediate security concern and who ultimately pays should both be addressed.

Silas Tan | Huttons | TRIBE
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**Refuse to pay the S$120—under Singapore tenancy norms and your lease terms, securing the property from a previous tenant’s unreturned keys is strictly the landlord’s responsibility.**

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### 1. Why You Are Not Liable

* **Your Lease Governs:** Your Tenancy Agreement (TA) only makes you liable for keys *you* lose during your tenancy. A previous tenant failing to return keys before your handover is a pre-existing security gap between the landlord and the outgoing tenant—not your fault.
* **Landlord’s Duty of Quiet Enjoyment & Security:** Landlords are expected to hand over premises safely secured. If an outgoing tenant kept a spare key, the landlord should have deducted lock-changing costs from that outgoing tenant’s security deposit—not pass the bill onto you two months later.

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### 2. How to Handle This Firmly & Constructively

1. **Reply in Writing (WhatsApp/Email):** Politely state that since you received your full set of keys at handover and have not lost any, you are not liable under the TA for a previous tenant’s unreturned key.
2. **Offer a Practical Middle Ground (Optional):** Because a stranger still holds a key to your home, it is in *your* safety interest for the lock to be changed. Invite the landlord to arrange and pay for the lock change directly, or offer to arrange a locksmith at **the landlord’s expense** (with prior written approval so you can offset the S$120 against next month’s rent).
3. **Never Deduct Rent Without Written Approval:** Do not unilaterally deduct S$120 from rent without written agreement, as unauthorized deductions technically breach standard TA payment clauses.
4. **Keep Your Handover Inventory Record:** Keep your signed handover checklist and photos showing the exact number of keys handed to you at commencement so the landlord cannot withhold S$120 from your deposit when your lease ends.

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Gan Eng Joo Onassis 颜荣裕, REALTOR®

MSc BIT (Middlesex, UK); BBA (UniSA)

CEA Reg No: R021244C | Mobile: (+65) 8889 9918 

Email: onassis@sgagent.com

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