Adoption of Fair Tenancy Framework by Landlords in Retail Sector

Assoc Prof Daniel Goh Pei Siong asked the Minister for Trade and Industry how widespread is the adoption of the Fair Tenancy Framework by landlords in the retail sector and whether the Ministry has taken steps to promote its adoption.

The Fair Tenancy Framework was developed by the Singapore Business Federation (SBF) in 2015. The Framework encourages tenants and landlords to conduct open, transparent and fair tenancy negotiations by establishing a set of clear leasing guidelines and negotiation principles for businesses looking to rent premises for commercial activities.

Since the launch of the Framework, SBF has been actively promoting its adoption through its SME Conventions and quarterly seminars. SBF does not collect statistics on the adoption rates of the Framework.

The Government welcomes this ground-up initiative by the business community. Government landlords which offer retail space to the private sector, such as HDB, are broadly aligned with the Framework. The Government has also released more data on retail rents to help retail SMEs make more informed leasing decisions.