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Raffles Place office towers across the Singapore River, barely visible through thick haze

Singapore's Haze Is Hurting Restaurants. Ask About Rent Relief Early.

Writer: Marc Singh
Marc Singh
Oct 21
8 min read

The kitchen is ready. The staff have turned up. The tables are empty, and the rent is still due.


For a number of Singapore's F&B operators, the haze has turned into a cash-flow problem. When customers decide to stay home, restaurants, cafes, bars and hawker stalls lose the sales they need to cover costs that keep running regardless.


The air has not settled into a pattern anyone can plan around. Air quality improved briefly over the weekend, then the 24-hour PSI moved back into the unhealthy range in four regions on the evening of 20 October, according to NEA readings reported by Malay Mail. At a haze press conference on 16 October, Minister Grace Fu said the episode "may last a few more weeks", with conditions expected to improve once the inter-monsoon period arrives.


CNA's 17 October report says some F&B businesses are facing drops in sales of up to 70%. That is not every outlet, and it is not a sector-wide average. But if your own takings have been materially affected, my advice is to write to your landlord now and ask for a temporary rental reduction. The conversation gets much harder once cash reserves have run out.


What F&B operators are reporting

In its 17 October video report, CNA described some F&B businesses experiencing "up to a 70% drop in sales". It also reported calls for rental subsidies, while the Restaurant Association of Singapore warned of disruption to staffing, outdoor seating and deliveries.


The Straits Times quoted Stephanie Howe of Harry's, who said some outlets were "not seeing any foot traffic at all". That describes footfall rather than sales, though few outlets can lose one for long without losing the other.


In CNA's 14 October report on haze-hit businesses, Sahil SK, owner of Shahi Maharaja Restaurant and Bar, reported a 60% fall in business, with cancelled reservations and fewer walk-ins. On where customers now want to sit, he said: "Now, many ask to sit indoors instead."


For hawkers, a 13 October report on Zaobao's website, which pointed readers to Shin Min Daily News for the full story, said some stalls had lost up to 50% of their trade, while takeaway business rose by 10%. Those are different measures. More takeaway orders do not mean total sales have recovered.


Outdoor trade is particularly exposed. CNA has also reported on how the haze is affecting alfresco dining and busking, both of which depend on people being happy to spend time outside.


The effects reach beyond dining. CNA reported on 12 October that some outdoor tourism businesses had seen bookings fall by up to 30%. Fewer outings also mean fewer people stopping nearby for a meal.


At the Deepavali bazaar, CNA's 18 October report described some merchants seeing "sales falling by about a third compared to last year". Organisers were considering seeking grants to help stallholders with rent if the haze worsened. With only a short festive trading window, that is a lot of lost ground to make up.


The picture is uneven. CNA's F1 weekend reporting on 10 October found some restaurants at Raffles City and CHIJMES still drawing strong crowds. The losses above are the experiences of individual businesses, not a measured decline across the whole sector.


In The Business Times on 16 October, UOB head of research Suan Teck Kin said the "net drag on GDP growth is likely to be limited". The report also pointed to the greater exposure of outdoor dining businesses. A small dent in national growth can still mean a very painful month for one operator.


A sales slump can swallow the money meant for rent

Here is a simple illustration. The figures are hypothetical and do not describe any business mentioned above. Sales and base rent are both stated before GST.


  • Monthly sales: S$80,000 before the slump, S$32,000 after a 60% fall

  • Base rent: S$12,000 in both months

  • Base rent as a share of sales: 15% before, 37.5% after


That leaves S$20,000 after base rent, before wages, ingredients, utilities, service charges and everything else. Some costs fall with sales. Many cannot be cut quickly enough.


A 60% drop in sales does not simply mean a 60% drop in profit. It can turn a profitable month into a loss. And when the air clears, an operator cannot assume the missed lunches and cancelled dinners will all come back.


Mostly empty outdoor tables and orange chairs outside restaurants in the early evening

I looked at a related question in my article on whether three busy hours can carry an F&B outlet's rent. What matters is the revenue the premises can produce across the whole month. Losing part of an already short selling window makes that sum much harder.


Existing support is not the same as haze rent relief

Many operators remember the Covid years. The Ministry of Finance's May 2021 support package included wage support and rental relief for qualifying businesses, including a cash payout for qualifying tenants of privately owned properties.


There is government support today, and eligible operators should check it. As at 21 October 2026:


  • SME Cash Grant 2026: eligible SMEs receive S$500 per local employee, capped at S$2,500, paid in November 2026. No application is required.

  • NEA support for stallholders: eligible stallholders at markets and hawker centres managed by the Government or Government-appointed operators receive S$200 a month for cooked food stalls, or S$100 for market stalls, from September 2026 to February 2027. It can be used to offset rent.

  • Haze Subsidy Scheme: since 12 October, eligible Singapore Citizens can get subsidised treatment for haze-related conditions at polyclinics and participating clinics.


The SME grant and the hawker support were announced in July as part of the Government's response to the continuing Middle East situation and the higher costs that came with it. The medical subsidy covers healthcare. None of these is a haze rent rebate for private commercial tenants, and as at 21 October I have not seen any haze-specific rental assistance announced.


If you run a restaurant in a privately owned shophouse, mall or commercial building, I would not build your cash-flow plan around a Covid-style rental payout arriving. Approach your landlord while there is still time to agree something workable.


Write to your landlord this week with a specific request

You can ask for temporary rental relief while your business remains open. Explain the effect on your outlet and propose a defined period of support. A short letter backed by clear figures gives the landlord something concrete to consider.


Prepare these before you write:


  • Sales evidence. Recent daily or weekly sales compared with comparable trading days before air quality deteriorated. Allow for public holidays, promotions and the F1 weekend where relevant.

  • Evidence of disruption. Cancelled bookings, fewer covers or outdoor seats customers are avoiding. Separate the haze's likely effect from other reasons sales may have changed.

  • A specific request. Your current rent and the concession you are asking for. For example, a 20% reduction in base rent for one month, with a review before it ends. That is only an illustration; your request should match your actual shortfall.

  • Your own plan. The changes you are making to protect cash and sales, a proposed date to discuss the request, and your payment history if it strengthens your case.


Be precise about whether you mean base rent or gross rent, and how service charges and GST will be treated. If the business needs an actual discount or partial waiver, ask for that. A deferral leaves the full amount payable later and may simply push the problem into next month.


Check your lease and get any concession confirmed in writing before you change what you pay. A fall in sales does not, on its own, give you a right to pay less rent.


Why a sensible landlord may say yes

Landlords have financial commitments too. A persuasive request explains why helping a viable tenant through a temporary disruption protects the rental income the landlord wants to keep.


Using the hypothetical S$12,000 monthly base rent above, a 20% rebate for one month costs S$2,400. One month of vacancy would mean S$12,000 of missed base rent, before any incentive needed to secure a replacement tenant, such as a rent-free period for the new tenant's fit-out. Re-letting an F&B unit can also take considerably longer than a month.


That comparison does not make every request reasonable, and it does not guarantee that a concession will save a business. It gives both sides a reason to look seriously at a limited reduction, a clear review date and the tenant's prospects of recovery.


As I wrote in my earlier article on Singapore's crowded F&B market, enquiries from prospective tenants do not automatically turn into dependable rental income. Keeping an established operator deserves serious thought.


Protect what you can while you talk

Keep customers updated on indoor seating, collection options and opening hours, and follow official air-quality advice and workplace guidance when planning outdoor operations. Review purchasing against current demand to cut avoidable food waste.


Collection orders, office catering and delivery may help, but work out what each order actually contributes after ingredients, packaging, platform fees and discounts. More orders only help if they leave money to pay the bills. Bars and businesses built around an outdoor experience may have fewer practical alternatives.


I can help you put the request into words

I specialise in F&B leasing in Singapore, and I am happy to help you draft a clear, professional letter asking your landlord for temporary rental relief.


You do not need a polished draft. Tell me where your outlet is, how sales have changed and what support would make a real difference. We can use that to set out your position clearly and make a practical request. The decision will still rest with your landlord.


WhatsApp me on +65 9117 0234 or email marc@era.com.sg with the words HAZE RENTAL RELIEF, and we can get started.


If you know another operator going through the same thing, please share this article with them. Starting the conversation early may give them more room to work things out.


Questions operators are asking

Can I ask for a rent discount if my restaurant is still open?

Yes. You can make a commercial request based on the impact on your outlet, supported by sales evidence and a defined proposal. Staying open does not stop you from asking, though it does not guarantee approval.


How much rental relief should I ask for?

Work from your actual sales shortfall, your cash needs and how long you expect to need support. A specific, proportionate proposal is easier for a landlord to assess than an open-ended appeal. No single discount suits every outlet.


Is there government rental support for the haze?

As at 21 October 2026, I have not seen haze-specific rental assistance announced for private commercial tenants. Existing measures such as the SME Cash Grant 2026 and NEA's support for eligible hawker stallholders may still help, so check whether your business qualifies.


Can I pay less rent while my landlord considers the request?

Not unless your lease allows it or your landlord agrees. Keep to your lease terms and get any concession confirmed in writing before changing your payments.


Can Marc Singh help draft my landlord appeal?

Yes. Send me your outlet's location, current rent and recent sales trend, and I can help you organise the facts and draft a professional request for temporary rental relief.


Sources


Cover photo: Singapore's skyline in haze during an earlier episode, 19 October 2006, by SpLoT, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons.

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