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Tenancy Management - Landlord & Tenant Law for Non-legal Professionals

This practical 1-day seminar deals with the challenges and legal aspects of landlord and tenant obligations. This seminar will provide the practical aspects on managing tenancies and leases within Landlord and Tenant Law and in accordance with the Tenancy Agreements. It will also provide guidance on how to interpret and understand clauses found in tenancy agreements. Samples of a commercial tenancy contract and residential tenancy agreement will be provided; and with a walk-through explanation of a clause-by-clause analysis.

This seminar will highlight common problems in tenancies and how to tackle and manage them. The various methods for conflict resolution will also be discussed to resolve tenancy disputes effectively and promptly. Case-studies will be presented to aid in the understanding on how to read and interpret tenancy contracts. You do not need to have prior legal knowledge to benefit from this practical seminar.

Outline

1. Drafting Tenancy / Lease Agreements

• Understanding key terms in tenancy contracts
• Avoiding common pitfalls in tenancy contracts
• Misrepresentation and inducement into signing tenancies
• Minor repair clauses
• Renewal of tenancy contracts
• Terminating tenancy contracts
• The stamp fee
• What does ‘security deposit’ mean?
• The property agent’s commission
• Case-studies on best practice
• Key considerations to notice
• Practical tips in drafting effective tenancy contracts

2. Contents of a Tenancy Agreement

• The premises
• The habendum
• The reddendem
• The covenants
• Exceptions and reservations
• The conditions

3. Rights and Duties of Tenants and Landlords

• Covenants implied by landlord
• Covenant for quiet enjoyment
• Non-derogation form grant
• Premises fit for human habitation
• Repairing obligations
• Covenants implied by tenant to pay rent
• Tenant must not commit waste
• Use premises in a tenant-like manner
• Deliver up premises on termination of lease in same state as when let, fair wear tear excepted
• Allow landlord to inspect premises etc.
• Some covenants commonly found in leases
• Covenant against under-letting and assignment
• Covenant to insure

4. Types of Leases / Tenancies

• Lease for a fixed term
• Yearly tenancies and other periodic tenancies
• Tenancy at will
• Tenancy at sufferance

5. Rent Payable under Tenancy Lease

• Recovery of rent
• Forfeiture for non-payment of rent

6. Fixtures

• Right to fixtures as between the parties
• When is chattel a fixture?
• Degree of annexation
• Purpose of annexation
• Fixtures removable by tenant
• When to remove fixtures

7. Termination of Leases / Tenancies

• By express power
• By surrender
• By effluxion of time
• By merger
• By forfeiture
• By notice to quit
• By frustration

Who should attend

Bank Officers, Government Agency Officers, Property Developers, Housing Managers and Officers, Sales and Leasing Executives / Managers, Tenant Relations Officer, and anyone who wants to know the obligations and rights of landlord and tenant.

Profile of Catherine Tay

Catherine Tay has over 35 years of lecturing experience as an Associate Professor lecturing business law at the National University of Singapore (NUS) Department of Strategy and Policy, NUS Business School. She is an Advocate and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Singapore. She is also a barrister-at-law (of Lincoln’s Inn, United Kingdom). She is an author of more than 8 law books, including her best-seller book title called "Contract Law - A layman Guide".

She studied law at Queen Mary College, University of London and graduated with a Bachelor of Laws with Honours and with a Master of Laws, in which she specialised in Company, Shipping, Insurance and Marine Insurance Laws.

She has facilitated seminars and in-house training courses for many business law topics such as tenancy agreements, contract administration management, procurement contracts, legal and practical aspects of tender management, Service Level Agreements and Outsourcing contracts, oil and gas contract management, insurance contracts, Intellectual Property Laws and PDPA data privacy laws. She is an examiner on law subjects for a number of professional bodies and universities in Singapore and overseas. She has lectured at the NUS Extension in professional and business management law courses.

She was an adjunct lecturer at NUS Institute of System Science, in IT outsourcing contracts for over 20 years. She is the Honourable Legal Advisor for Singapore Optometric Association, as well as for the Singapore Institute of Engineering Technologists.