Renovation deposit protection in Singapore: how to keep your money safe
The ID asks for half the contract up front "to order materials". Two months later the site is quiet and the phone goes to voicemail. The money left your account on day one.
In 2024 CASE received 962 renovation complaints, with about S$728,000 lost in prepayments. 97% of those complaints were against firms that were not accredited.
Before you pay anything
- Check accreditation. Look the firm up on the CaseTrust website, and ask whether your deposit is covered by a deposit protection scheme.
- For HDB flats, check the contractor on the HDB Directory of Renovation Contractors.
- Check the company. Search the name on ACRA Bizfile to see that it is live and how long it has existed.
- Get an itemised contract. Scope, materials, timeline, payment split and warranty in writing, signed by both sides.
How to split payments
A common pattern is a small deposit, then payments as stages finish, with a small final amount held until handover. For example: 10% on signing, 40% when hacking is done and carpentry is measured, 40% when carpentry is installed, 10% at handover. See the payment schedule guide for other splits.
- Pay by bank transfer or cheque to the company account, never cash to a person.
- Get a receipt for every payment.
- Before each payment, check the stage is actually finished. Dated photos help.
If it goes wrong
- Put it in writing. Message or email the firm with what is late or wrong and a date to fix it.
- Gather the record. Contract, quotation, variation orders, receipts, site photos, chat history.
- Go to CASE for advice and mediation.
- File at the Small Claims Tribunals for claims up to S$20,000, or S$30,000 if both sides agree.
- If the firm has closed, claim under the deposit protection scheme if you are covered, or with the liquidator.
The record decides it
Every step above depends on proof of what was agreed, what was paid and what was done. Synify keeps the quotation, payment milestones, variation orders and dated site photos in one record that the homeowner, ID and contractor all see, so nobody has to rebuild it from chat history.
Good firms want this too. A clear record is how an ID shows a client the job is on track. See the app for interior designers.
Common questions
How do I protect my renovation deposit in Singapore?
Pay a small deposit, tie every later payment to work you can see is finished, and pay only the company named on the contract, by bank transfer or cheque. Choose a CaseTrust-accredited firm, and for HDB flats check the contractor is on the HDB Directory of Renovation Contractors. Keep the contract, receipts and dated site photos.
How much deposit should I pay my ID?
Many homeowners keep the deposit to around 10% or less of the contract. Be careful with any request for half the contract or more before work starts.
What happens to my deposit if the renovation firm closes?
If your deposit was covered by a deposit protection scheme, for example through a CaseTrust-accredited firm, you may be able to claim under it. Otherwise you may have to file a claim with the liquidator. Keep every receipt and the signed contract.
Where can I complain about a renovation contractor in Singapore?
You can go to the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) for advice and mediation. For claims up to S$20,000, or S$30,000 if both sides agree in writing, you can file at the Small Claims Tribunals.
How do I prove renovation work was not done?
Use dated site photos, the itemised quotation, signed variation orders and payment receipts. Written messages count for more than phone calls, so confirm anything agreed verbally in writing.