What Fully Furnished Means: Inventory List for Tenants

By Winfred Quek · CEA R073319H · Published 28 October 2026

Facts verified: 28 October 2026 · Sources listed below

A listing that says fully furnished tells you almost nothing. It does not say how many chairs, whether the sofa is included, which appliances work, or what condition any of it is in. When you move out, the question is not what the advert said but what the paperwork says was handed over. This guide is the tenant's side of that paperwork, based on the CEA tenancy agreement templates. The landlord's side, and how a deposit claim is built, is covered in the landlord's move out inventory guide. The checklist below is a practical aid used by many tenants. It is not a legal standard and does not replace your own agreement.

What "fully furnished" means in the CEA template

The CEA private residential template has a line in its schedule where the parties tick whether the premises are let unfurnished, partial furnished or fully furnished. The template does not define any of the three. There is no list of items that makes a home fully furnished. What gives the word content is the Inventory List attached to the agreement, so the safe reading is that your furnished home is whatever the signed list says it is, in the condition the list records. Both CEA templates, for private homes and HDB flats, are version 1.3 updated 11 March 2024, and CEA says their use is not mandated, so your landlord's agreement may be worded differently. Read what you are actually signing.

Source: CEA, Tenancy Agreement Template for Private Residential Property, version 1.3, schedule item on furnishing, checked 28 October 2026. isomer-user-content.by.gov.sg/71/60052678-1592-4904-b443-3269a655e0de/Tenancy%20Agreement%20Template%20for%20Private%20Residential%20Property.pdf

What the template says about the inventory

In the private template, the inventory clause says the landlord warrants that, when handing over possession at the start of the term, the landlord will prepare two copies of the Inventory List for the tenant's endorsement. Each party keeps one copy. The clause also says the list serves as conclusive evidence of the condition of the furniture and fixtures in the premises for the purposes of the agreement and any extension or renewal. The HDB template has the same clause. The template adds that a breach of this clause by either party is not a ground for termination.

Two things follow for a tenant. First, ask for the list at key handover and do not sign until it matches what you see. Second, because the wording is conclusive evidence, anything vague, missing or wrongly described on the list is something you may find hard to dispute later. This is general information about how the template reads, not a legal opinion on how a court would treat your agreement.

The template's Annexure B sets out the format: for each area, a description, a quantity and remarks. Its sections are living area, dining area, master bedroom, bedroom 2, bedroom 3, attached bathroom, common toilet, kitchen and keys. It says the list should describe the quantity and condition of each furniture, fixture and fitting at the start of the term, and be prepared in duplicate and endorsed by both landlord and tenant.

The property condition report and the problem free period

The template adds a second document that is the tenant's job. The tenant warrants that, within the problem free period set in the schedule, the tenant prepares two copies of a Property Condition Report for the landlord's endorsement. The clause refers to the number of days left blank in the schedule, and the annexure itself says to prepare it within thirty days of the start of the term, so check which number your agreement uses. The report is also stated to be conclusive evidence of the condition of the premises at the start of the term.

The report has columns for a move in photo and a move out column. It prompts you to look at floors for stains, burns, holes and snags, walls for holes, marks, stains, hooks and nails, ceilings, doors and locks, lighting fixtures, windows, curtains, appliances for dirt, damage, inoperable or missing parts, and furniture for scratches, burns, worn upholstery and missing parts. The problem free period also matters in its own right. The template says that within that period the landlord shall not hold the tenant responsible for defects in any item, furniture or fitting that the tenant identifies and brings to the landlord's attention in writing, and the landlord is responsible for rectifying them.

Source: CEA, Tenancy Agreement Template for Private Residential Property (clauses 15 and 16, Annexures B and C), checked 28 October 2026. isomer-user-content.by.gov.sg/71/60052678-1592-4904-b443-3269a655e0de/Tenancy%20Agreement%20Template%20for%20Private%20Residential%20Property.pdf

Source: CEA, Tenancy Agreement Template for HDB Flats (inventory list and property condition report clauses), checked 28 October 2026. isomer-user-content.by.gov.sg/71/e53bfeea-8a5e-4f0e-ac46-9b20ba12c71e/Tenancy%20Agreement%20Template%20for%20HDB%20Flats.pdf

Fair wear and tear: what the template says and does not say

The template says at the end of the tenancy the premises are to be returned in similar condition as delivered, with authorised alterations, fair wear and tear, and acts of God excepted. The end of tenancy checklist uses the phrase fair wear and tear again. The template does not define fair wear and tear, and does not list examples. So a disagreement about whether a faded curtain or a scuffed wall is normal ageing is decided by the facts and your wording, and the move in record is your starting evidence.

Read the clauses together. Another clause says the tenant keeps the interior, including furniture, fixtures and fittings, in good and tenantable repair and replaces items that are damaged, lost or broken. The clause on removing items excepts reasonable wear and tear and damage by accidental fire. The private template's end of tenancy conditions also include professional dry cleaning of curtains at the tenant's expense. If you want any of these softened, ask before you sign, and get it in writing. For repairs and the cost limit per item, see the minor repair clause guide.

The template also says the tenant delivers the premises after a joint inspection, and that after it the tenant is not liable for other damage than what is ascertained at that inspection. Ask for that inspection, and bring your move in record with you.

A baseline inventory checklist for tenants

This is a checklist built from the template's headings and common practice. Add or remove lines to suit your home. For each line, record the quantity, the condition in plain words and a photo reference.

Move in photos: how to make them count

• Photograph each room from the doorway, then each wall, the floor, the ceiling and every piece of furniture, with close ups of any mark.
• Turn on the camera's date stamp or keep the original files, and note the time.
• Put the photo reference next to each line in the list or the Property Condition Report, as Annexure C's move in photo column suggests.
• Test and photograph appliances running, and write down anything that does not work, then report it in writing within the problem free period.
• Send the full set and the signed list to the landlord by message or email on the same day, so there is a dated record, and keep your own copy.

For what to do on handover day, including utilities and keys, see the handover day guide, and if a deduction is later disputed, deposit disputes.

Frequently asked questions

Does fully furnished have a set meaning in Singapore tenancies?

In the CEA template it is one of three tick boxes: unfurnished, partial furnished or fully furnished. The template does not define them, so the Inventory List attached to your agreement is what records what is included.

Who prepares the inventory list?

In the CEA private residential template, the landlord warrants to prepare two copies at handover for the tenant to endorse, and each party keeps one. The tenant prepares the Property Condition Report within the problem free period.

What is the problem free period?

It is a number of days set in the template's schedule from the first day of the tenancy. Within it, the landlord shall not hold the tenant responsible for defects the tenant identifies and brings to the landlord's attention in writing, and the landlord rectifies them.

Does the template define fair wear and tear?

No. It says the premises are returned in similar condition as delivered, excepting authorised alterations, fair wear and tear, and acts of God, but gives no definition or examples. Your move in record is the evidence you will rely on.

Is the checklist on this page a legal standard?

No. It is a practical checklist built from the template headings and common practice. Your signed Inventory List and your agreement are what apply, so check them and take advice if unsure.

Winfred Quek, CEA R073319H, Crestbrick Pte Ltd (L3010886H). General information as at 28 October 2026, not legal, financial, tax or property advice. Figures and wording are from CEA templates and may change. The checklist is a practical aid, not a legal standard. This page makes no price or rent forecast.