Easement Agreement (Singapore)
EASEMENT AGREEMENT
Date: [Agreement Date]
PARTIES
This Easement Agreement is made between:
(1) [Grantor Name] (NRIC/FIN/UEN: [Grantor NRIC/UEN]) of [Grantor Address] ("the Grantor"), being the registered proprietor of the Servient Land; and
(2) [Grantee Name] (NRIC/FIN/UEN: [Grantee NRIC/UEN]) of [Grantee Address] ("the Grantee"), being the registered proprietor of the Dominant Land.
1. THE LAND
1.1 Dominant Tenement: [Dominant Land]
1.2 Servient Tenement: [Servient Land]
2. GRANT OF EASEMENT
2.1 In consideration of [Consideration] (receipt of which the Grantor acknowledges), the Grantor hereby grants to the Grantee, for the benefit of the Dominant Land, the following [Easement Type]:
[Easement Description]
2.2 Duration: This easement is granted [Easement Duration]. [Easement Term]
3. OBLIGATIONS
3.1 Maintenance: [Maintenance Responsibility]
3.2 The Grantee shall use the easement only for the purpose(s) described in clause 2.1 and shall not unreasonably interfere with the Grantor's use and enjoyment of the Servient Land.
3.3 The Grantor shall not obstruct or interfere with the Grantee's exercise of the easement rights.
4. REGISTRATION WITH SLA
4.1 The Grantee shall, at its own cost, lodge this Agreement with the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) for registration as an easement on the title to the Servient Land and the Dominant Land under the Land Titles Act (Cap. 157).
4.2 Until registration, this easement binds the parties as a contractual easement. Upon registration, it binds all persons claiming through the Grantor under the Servient Land.
5. GOVERNING LAW
This Agreement is governed by the laws of Singapore, including the Land Titles Act (Cap. 157) and the Land Titles (Strata) Act (Cap. 158).
EXECUTION
Signed by [Grantor Name] (Grantor):
Signature: _________________________ NRIC/UEN: [Grantor NRIC/UEN] Date: _________________________
Signed by [Grantee Name] (Grantee):
Signature: _________________________ NRIC/UEN: [Grantee NRIC/UEN] Date: _________________________
Grantor
________________
Signature
Grantee
________________
Signature
What Is a Easement Agreement (Singapore)?
An Easement Agreement in Singapore sets out the rights and obligations the parties agree to be bound by.
Section 97 of the LTA provides that an easement over registered land may be created by an instrument in the approved form executed by the proprietor of the servient tenement and registered with the Registrar of Titles at SLA. Upon registration, the easement runs with the land — binding all subsequent owners of the servient tenement and benefiting all subsequent owners of the dominant tenement — for the duration specified in the instrument or, if no duration is specified, in perpetuity. An unregistered easement over registered land does not bind a bona fide purchaser for value who acquires the servient tenement without notice of the easement, reflecting the indefeasibility principle under Section 46 of the LTA.
The types of easements recognised under Singapore law include: rights of way (vehicular and pedestrian access across the servient land); drainage easements (the right to channel water through or under the servient land); utility easements (the right to install, maintain, and repair pipes, cables, and conduits); easements of support (relevant to party walls and adjacent buildings); and easements of light and air (protecting windows and openings from obstruction). The Planning Act (Cap. 232), administered by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), may impose planning conditions that require the grant of easements as a condition of development approval — particularly for back-lane access, drainage reserves, and road widening strips.
For strata-titled properties governed by the Building Maintenance and Strata Management Act 2004 (Cap. 30C, BMSMA), easements affecting common property require the approval of the management corporation by ordinary resolution (or special resolution for easements affecting the limited common property). The Strata Titles Board (STB) has jurisdiction over disputes arising from easements over strata-titled land.
Stamp duty under the Stamp Duties Act (Cap. 312) is payable on the easement instrument if the easement is granted for consideration. The Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) assesses stamp duty on the consideration or the market value of the easement, whichever is higher. Easements granted without consideration (such as reciprocal easements between adjoining landowners for drainage) attract nominal stamp duty.
The Singapore Institute of Surveyors and Valuers (SISV) and registered surveyors licensed by SLA prepare the survey plans that delineate the easement corridor — the precise strip of land over which the easement rights are exercised. The survey plan is a mandatory component of the registration application at SLA and must be prepared by a registered surveyor under the Land Surveyors Act (Cap. 156).
When Do You Need a Easement Agreement (Singapore)?
An Easement Agreement is needed whenever a landowner in Singapore requires a legally enforceable right to use another person's land for a specific purpose, or whenever a landowner grants such a right to a neighbouring property owner.
Property owners who need vehicular or pedestrian access across adjoining land require a right of way easement. In Singapore's dense urban environment, many private residential properties — particularly landed properties in estates such as Bukit Timah, Holland Road, and Katong — are accessible only through shared driveways or back lanes running over neighbouring lots. Without a registered easement, the access right is precarious and may be revoked by a subsequent purchaser of the adjoining land.
Developers obtaining planning approval from the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) under the Planning Act (Cap. 232) are frequently required to grant easements as conditions of Written Permission. Common planning-related easements include: drainage reserve easements (requiring the developer to grant a drainage easement to the Public Utilities Board, PUB, for monsoon drain maintenance); road widening easements (requiring the developer to set back the building line and grant an easement to the Land Transport Authority, LTA, for future road widening); and back-lane access easements (preserving rear access for adjoining properties).
Landowners installing or maintaining underground utilities — water pipes, sewerage pipes, telecommunications cables, or electricity cables — across neighbouring land need utility easements. PUB (the national water agency), Singapore Power (SP Group), and telecommunications providers (such as Singtel and StarHub) frequently require easements over private land for the installation and maintenance of infrastructure serving the public or adjoining properties.
Purchasers of landed property should check the Certificate of Title issued by SLA for existing easements encumbering the property. A registered easement is an overriding interest that binds all subsequent owners, and the purchaser's conveyancing lawyer should explain the effect of any existing easements before completion. Related documents include a Landed Property Sale Agreement (Singapore) and a Stamp Duty Declaration (Singapore) for the property transaction.
Strata property management corporations dealing with common property easements — such as vehicular access through the condominium driveway for an adjoining development — must obtain approval under the Building Maintenance and Strata Management Act 2004 (BMSMA) before granting the easement.
What to Include in Your Easement Agreement (Singapore)
An Easement Agreement for Singapore land must contain the following elements to comply with the Land Titles Act 1993 (Cap. 157) and to be accepted for registration by the Singapore Land Authority (SLA).
Parties identification requires the full legal names, NRIC numbers (for individuals) or UEN (for companies registered with ACRA), and addresses of the grantor (owner of the servient tenement) and the grantee (owner of the dominant tenement). Where a party is a body corporate — such as a management corporation constituted under the BMSMA or a statutory body such as PUB — the instrument must state the entity's full name and statutory authority.
Land description must identify both the servient tenement (the land over which the easement is granted) and the dominant tenement (the land that benefits from the easement) by their Certificate of Title numbers, lot numbers, Mukim (survey district), and postal addresses. The land description must match the records held by SLA, and any discrepancy will result in the registration application being rejected. A registered surveyor's plan — prepared under the Land Surveyors Act (Cap. 156) — must delineate the precise easement corridor, showing its dimensions, boundaries, and relationship to the servient and dominant tenements.
Grant of easement is the operative clause. The grantor grants to the grantee (and the grantee's successors in title) the right to use the defined easement corridor for the specified purpose — whether a right of way, drainage, utilities, support, or other recognised purpose. The grant should specify: the nature of the easement (vehicular, pedestrian, drainage, utility, etc.); the scope of permitted use (frequency, hours, vehicle types, load limits); whether the easement is exclusive or non-exclusive; and the duration (perpetual, fixed term, or until a specified event).
Obligations of the parties must address maintenance and repair responsibilities. Typically, the grantee is responsible for maintaining the easement corridor in good condition and for repairing any damage caused by the grantee's use. The grantor retains the right to use the servient land in any manner that does not unreasonably interfere with the grantee's easement rights. The agreement should address cost allocation for maintenance, insurance requirements, and the procedure for accessing the easement corridor for maintenance purposes.
Consideration and stamp duty section must state the consideration (monetary or nominal) for the grant of the easement. The Stamp Duties Act (Cap. 312) requires the instrument to be stamped by IRAS within 14 days of execution (for instruments executed in Singapore). The agreement should specify which party bears the stamp duty liability. For easements granted as a condition of URA planning approval, the consideration is typically nominal (S$1).
Registration provisions must confirm that the easement will be registered with SLA under Section 97 of the LTA. The forms-legal.com template includes registration-ready language conforming to SLA's approved instrument format. The grantee should bear the SLA registration fees (currently S$64.20 for electronic lodgment via the Singapore Land Authority's Integrated Land Information Service, INLIS). The agreement should include a covenant by both parties to execute any further documents and provide any further information required by SLA to effect registration.
Termination provisions should specify the circumstances under which the easement terminates: merger of the dominant and servient tenements in common ownership; expiry of the fixed term; abandonment by the grantee; mutual agreement; or compulsory acquisition of the servient land by the Government under the Land Acquisition Act (Cap. 152). Upon termination, the grantee must remove any structures or installations from the easement corridor and restore the land to its original condition.
Governing law and dispute resolution should specify Singapore law as the governing law and either the Singapore courts or the Strata Titles Board (for strata property disputes) as the forum for resolving disputes. Mediation through the Singapore Mediation Centre (SMC) may be included as a preliminary step.
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Reference this free template in an article, syllabus, or research note:
Forms Legal. (2026). Easement Agreement (Singapore) (Singapore) [Legal document template]. Forms Legal. https://forms-legal.com/singapore/real-estate/property/easement-agreement-singapore
"Easement Agreement (Singapore) (Singapore)." Forms Legal, 2026, https://forms-legal.com/singapore/real-estate/property/easement-agreement-singapore.
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author = {{Forms Legal}},
title = {Easement Agreement (Singapore) (Singapore)},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {\url{https://forms-legal.com/singapore/real-estate/property/easement-agreement-singapore}},
note = {Free legal document template. Based on Land Titles Act 1993 (Cap. 157)}
}Also available for these jurisdictions:
Frequently Asked Questions
Singapore law, following English common law principles as codified and modified by the Land Titles Act 1993 (Cap. 157), recognises several categories of easements. Rights of way are the most common easement type. A right of way grants the dominant tenement owner the right to pass over the servient tenement's land — on foot (pedestrian right of way), by vehicle (vehicular right of way), or both. Rights of way are frequently registered over shared driveways, back lanes, and access roads serving landed residential properties. The scope of the right of way (vehicles permitted, hours of use, maintenance obligations) should be precisely defined in the easement instrument. Drainage easements grant the right to channel surface water or stormwater through or under the servient land via drains, pipes, or natural watercourses. The Public Utilities Board (PUB) — Singapore's national water agency — frequently requires drainage reserve easements over private land to maintain monsoon drains and the national drainage network. Property developers receiving Written Permission from URA are often required to grant drainage easements as planning conditions. Utility easements grant the right to install, maintain, and repair utility infrastructure — water pipes, sewerage pipes, gas pipes, electricity cables, and telecommunications cables — across or under the servient land.
Registration of an easement with the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) follows a prescribed procedure under the Land Titles Act 1993 (Cap. 157). The parties must first execute an easement instrument in the form approved by SLA. The instrument must be signed by the proprietor of the servient tenement (the grantor) and witnessed in accordance with SLA's execution requirements. For individuals, the signature must be witnessed by a solicitor, a Commissioner for Oaths, or a Notary Public. For companies, the instrument must be executed under the company's common seal or by two authorised directors in accordance with Section 41B of the Companies Act 1967 (Cap. 50). A registered surveyor must prepare a survey plan delineating the easement corridor — showing its precise dimensions, boundaries, and location relative to the lot boundaries. The survey plan must be approved by SLA's Survey Division before lodgment. The Land Surveyors Act (Cap. 156) requires that survey plans for registration purposes be prepared by a registered surveyor holding a practising certificate. The instrument must be stamped by IRAS under the Stamp Duties Act (Cap. 312) before lodgment with SLA. The stamp duty is assessed on the consideration for the easement grant, or the market value of the easement rights, whichever is higher. Easements granted for nominal consideration (S$1) attract minimal stamp duty.
An easement registered under the Land Titles Act 1993 (Cap. 157) can be terminated in several ways. Merger occurs when the dominant and servient tenements come under common ownership. When a single owner holds both properties, the easement ceases to exist because a person cannot have an easement over their own land. SLA will cancel the easement entry on both Certificates of Title upon application by the owner. Release by the dominant tenement owner is effected by executing a release instrument in the approved SLA form and registering it with SLA. The release must be signed by the proprietor of the dominant tenement (the party benefiting from the easement) and lodged through the STARS system. The servient tenement owner cannot unilaterally release the easement. Expiry occurs when the easement was granted for a fixed term (e.g., 30 years) and the term has elapsed. SLA will cancel the easement entry upon application supported by evidence that the term has expired. Abandonment may be established if the dominant tenement owner has not exercised the easement rights for a prolonged period and has demonstrated a clear intention to abandon them. Abandonment is difficult to prove in Singapore courts — the mere non-use of an easement, without evidence of an intention to abandon, is insufficient. Court order may terminate an easement if the servient tenement owner applies to the Singapore High Court and demonstrates that the easement is obsolete, that its continuation would be unreasonable, or that the dominant tenement owner has agreed to termination.
An easement can affect the value of both the servient tenement (the land burdened by the easement) and the dominant tenement (the land benefiting from the easement) in Singapore. For the servient tenement, an easement typically reduces value because it restricts the owner's ability to use the burdened portion of the land. A right of way easement across a driveway, for example, prevents the servient owner from building over or blocking the access route. The extent of the value reduction depends on the size of the easement corridor relative to the total lot area, the intensity of the easement use, and whether the easement restricts the development potential of the land. Property valuers accredited by the Singapore Institute of Surveyors and Valuers (SISV) consider registered easements when assessing market value, and purchasers' conveyancing lawyers review the Certificate of Title for easement encumbrances during due diligence. For the dominant tenement, an easement that provides essential access — such as a right of way over the only access route to a landlocked property — significantly enhances value. A property without legal access may be virtually unmarketable or may trade at a substantial discount. The benefit of a registered easement, which runs with the land and binds all subsequent servient owners, provides certainty that access will continue regardless of changes in ownership.
An easement and a licence are distinct legal concepts in Singapore property law, with significantly different legal consequences. An easement is a proprietary interest in land — a right that attaches to the dominant tenement and runs with the land. Once registered with the Singapore Land Authority under the Land Titles Act 1993 (Cap. 157), an easement binds all subsequent owners of the servient tenement and benefits all subsequent owners of the dominant tenement. The servient owner cannot unilaterally revoke a registered easement. An easement can only be terminated by merger, release, expiry, abandonment, court order, or compulsory acquisition. A licence is a personal permission granted by the landowner to another person to use the land for a specified purpose. A licence does not create a proprietary interest in land — it is a contractual arrangement between the parties. A licence is revocable by the licensor (subject to any contractual notice requirements), does not bind a subsequent purchaser of the land, and terminates on the sale of the land unless the new owner agrees to continue it. A licence cannot be registered with SLA. The practical consequences of this distinction are significant. A right of way granted as a registered easement will survive the sale of the servient land and continue to benefit the dominant tenement indefinitely. The same right of way granted as a licence will terminate when the servient land is sold, leaving the licensee without access.
The Singapore Government can compulsorily acquire any land — including land subject to registered easements — under the Land Acquisition Act (Cap. 152, LAA). The power of compulsory acquisition is exercised when land is needed for public purposes (such as infrastructure, public housing, or defence) or for any residential, commercial, or industrial purpose. When the servient tenement is compulsorily acquired, all registered easements over the acquired land are extinguished. The easement ceases to exist because the Government acquires the land free of all encumbrances. The dominant tenement owner loses the benefit of the easement and may suffer a reduction in the value of their property if the easement provided essential access or utility rights. The dominant tenement owner may claim compensation for the loss of the easement rights. The Collector of Land Revenue assesses compensation based on the market value of the rights lost, taking into account the impact on the dominant tenement's value. If the dominant tenement owner is dissatisfied with the compensation offered, they may appeal to the Appeals Board (Land Acquisitions) within the time limit prescribed by the LAA. When the dominant tenement is compulsorily acquired, the easement is also extinguished by merger (the easement merges with the Government's ownership of the dominant tenement). The servient tenement owner is relieved of the easement burden but does not receive compensation for this benefit.
This template is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change over time. Consult a qualified attorney for advice specific to your situation.Full disclaimer
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