What has JTC changed for industrial lessees in 2025 and 2026?

Assignment and sale

The faster track that began on 1 May 2026 skips JTC’s full assignment assessment. JTC’s factsheet says it instead checks compliance with the approved industrial use and its prevailing policy and land use guidelines. A case that misses the size, tenure, use or infrastructure conditions, or involves a dormitory, substantial redevelopment or self-storage, stays on the normal track, which can take up to 2 months from a full application.

The circular of 8 January 2026 opens a route for lenders. A liquidator, or a mortgagee whose mortgage JTC consented to or whose consent JTC has waived, can apply to sell during the Assignment Prohibition Period. JTC assesses the application on its prevailing policies, including the buyer’s business plan, and fees unrelated to the waiver may apply.

Sellers can read our assignment guide and buyers our guide to buying a JTC factory; the incoming company’s business plan is covered in our business plan guide.

Renewal and extension

The 10-year window gives more time, but JTC’s handbook still considers applications before the halfway mark of the original term only exceptionally, and the latest point to apply remains 3 years before expiry. In a written reply to Parliament on 5 May 2026, MTI said that over 400 companies, an increase of about 50%, will now be eligible to renew between 2026 and 2030, and that the typical renewal tenure is 20 years. Our renewal guide and business plan guide cover the application.

FLEXI is separate from renewal: a 5-year extension, subject to JTC’s assessment and a commitment to new investment. MTI reported that no applications had been received as at end April 2026. JTC’s Environmental Site Assessment page lists extending a lease among the points at which a site without an existing baseline needs an assessment. See our lease extension guide and Environmental Site Assessment guide.

On rents, MTI told Parliament on 26 September 2025 that industrial rents for JTC’s developments average about 10% below prevailing market rates, and that JTC offers staggered rent adjustments to eligible tenants renewing their leases. That describes existing practice rather than a new rule. If a renewal is refused, our guide to refused renewals sets out what JTC publishes about lease expiry.

Subletting

The dated subletting change we found concerns self-storage and is covered in the next section. MTI’s written reply of 4 August 2026 adds context rather than a new rule: from 2021 to 2025, about 37% of JTC’s land lessees applied to sublet their premises to other businesses, and JTC approved 99% of the applications it received. Subletting without approval is a breach that can lead to higher sublet fees for the unauthorised period and, in serious cases, termination. Our subletting guide covers the 30% cap and the process.

Change of use and self-storage

Since 1 April 2025, a lessee who wants to change the use to self-storage does so through an assignment application, not a change of use application. Assignment and renewal applications for self-storage must meet JTC’s prevailing assessment criteria for the business proposal, and operators must follow URA’s 60:40 guidelines. JTC’s map shows the Business 1 locations reserved for clean and light manufacturing, where self-storage is not allowed, and agency requirements such as NEA’s and LTA’s still apply. Our change of use guide and NEA siting guide cover the other steps.

Solar

JTC’s solar page makes solar deployment mandatory for new and renewed leases and, from 1 June 2026, on the assignment, transfer or redevelopment of a site, where the site has at least 600 sqm of available contiguous rooftop and 10 or more years of lease left. On a transfer, the seller must tell the buyer about any solar already deployed; if there is none, the buyer must deploy where the site meets those thresholds.

The June 2026 handbook now states the same thresholds for renewals, where its July 2025 edition said 800 sqm and 15 years. JTC’s redevelopment page still gives 800 sqm and 15 years; see where official pages disagree. Our assignment guide and renewal guide cover solar at each stage.

Dormitories

From 1 October 2026, MOM asks applicants to seek agencies’ in-principle no objection for factory-converted dormitories through a new IPNO Portal on GoBusiness, which it describes as a single submission channel for setting up a new dormitory, increasing the occupancy load or renewing the land use permission of an existing one.

JTC’s own dormitory page, updated 15 September 2026, still describes an emailed request to JTC, landowner’s consent through CORENET and Temporary Permission from URA, without mentioning the portal, so ask JTC how its steps fit with it. Our dormitory guide covers the JTC process.

Business parks

Since 2 February 2026, a business in approved commercial premises in a business park on land owned or leased by JTC no longer applies to URA for a change of use when switching to another commercial use, such as from shop to restaurant, or to childcare or certain community uses, such as a family service centre. URA’s circular took immediate effect and covers business parks that JTC manages directly and those it leases to another entity.

JTC’s prior consent is still needed and can be sought through CORENET. URA’s conditions include approval of the premises for commercial use on permanent permission, no increase in gross floor area, no nuisance to other users, and clearances or licences from the relevant agencies before the new use starts. Our change of use guide covers JTC’s consent.

Mortgages, fees and reporting

JTC’s practice circular of 7 September 2026 waives JTC’s prior written consent for mortgages and charges created or transferred from 1 October 2026, subject to a digital Notice of Mortgage/Charge submitted beforehand and the circular’s terms. Under the 2008 circular it replaces, that waiver covered only mortgages in favour of financial institutions. A notice is needed for every mortgage or charge, including second mortgages, whether or not the lender is a financial institution, and JTC no longer asks for borrower and lender details. As before, only a lease can be mortgaged, not a tenancy, and a buyer can mortgage the lease only once JTC has approved the assignment and it has completed. Buyers financing a purchase should read our guide to buying a JTC factory.

Two smaller changes date from 2025. Since 1 April 2025, lessees and tenants whose agreements contain a ‘Submission of Information’ clause no longer report the progress of their business operations to JTC; the waiver needs no acceptance, and JTC is not amending individual agreements. Since 1 May 2025, JTC’s administrative fee for customers without GIRO has been $327 including GST per contract.

Where official pages disagree

We found these inconsistencies on 25 September 2026. Where one affects your plans, ask JTC which applies before relying on either.

• Solar on redevelopment. JTC’s solar page applies mandatory solar to redevelopment from 1 June 2026 at 600 sqm of rooftop and 10 years of lease. Its ‘Redeveloping your land’ page, updated 3 July 2025, still sets 800 sqm and 15 years, in force since 1 April 2022.
• Renewal window. JTC’s announcement, updated 22 January 2026, and its June 2026 handbook put the window at 10 years before expiry. Its renewal page, updated 13 May 2025, mentions only a reminder email 6 years before expiry and the 3-year deadline.
• Mortgagee-sale circular date. JTC’s web page, updated 2 June 2026, labels the circular ‘dated 1 October 2026’. The circular itself is dated 8 January 2026 and applies from that date, yet it refers to JTC’s practice circular of 7 September 2026.
• FLEXI’s scope. JTC’s March 2025 announcement described FLEXI for lessees on 20-year leases, in up to two five-year tranches. Its renewal page describes a 5-year extension, for which lessees may be eligible after 10 years on leases of 30 years or more, or after 5 years on shorter leases. Neither says the other is superseded.

How we keep this page current

We re-check these sources and update the date above when we do. We go by what each source says, not only its date: JTC’s solar page, for example, shows a last-updated date of 14 November 2023 but describes a change from 1 June 2026. If an agency has since published something different, its current version prevails.