A shophouse along Serangoon Road in Little India had 37 people living on its second and third floors when the authorities carried out a surprise inspection in 2024.
Inside were 10 rooms containing just 36 bed spaces, according to CNA. The unit had been converted into an unauthorised dormitory, and the offender was eventually fined S$90,000.
Court documents cited by CNA also showed that bedframes and washing machines had been brought into the property through a rear entrance to make the operation less noticeable.
People working nearby told CNA that they had seen occupants regularly leaving early in the morning and returning at night.
The case comes as the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) is investigating more suspected illegal accommodation arrangements in Singapore.
Suspected Unauthorised Dormitory Cases Rose in 2025
URA investigated 544 suspected unauthorised dormitory cases in 2025, up from 534 cases in 2024.
Another 278 suspected cases were investigated between January and May 2026.
There has also been an increase in suspected illegal short-term accommodation cases.
URA investigated 200 such cases in 2024 and 219 in 2025. Another 58 cases were investigated in the first five months of 2026.
Importantly, these figures refer to suspected cases investigated by URA. They are not figures for people convicted of offences.
Can You Legally Rent a Condo for One Month?
For an ordinary private residential property in Singapore, generally no.
URA’s current rules require occupants of private homes, including condominiums, apartments and landed houses, to stay for at least three consecutive months. Private residential properties cannot be used to provide stays shorter than that.
So, for example, renting an ordinary condo unit for one month as accommodation would fall below the permitted minimum stay.
HDB flats have an even longer minimum rental period. An HDB flat or bedroom must generally be rented to each tenant for at least six months.
URA says the restriction on short-term stays is intended to protect residents’ safety, privacy and security, as well as prevent frequent changes in occupants from altering the residential nature of neighbourhoods.
Professor Sing Tien Foo from NUS Business School also told CNA that allowing more short-term accommodation could encourage speculative activity and potentially put upward pressure on property prices in popular areas.
Illegal Stays Can Be Difficult to Spot
The listings have not completely disappeared from the internet.
CNA found Carousell listings advertising stays in residential properties for periods as short as one month.
Carousell told CNA that it investigates listings when they are reported or when the platform identifies a potentially unlawful transaction. It may take action such as removing a listing.
Frank Ng, managing director of property and facilities management company Unity FM, told CNA that operators have also moved away from traditional accommodation platforms such as Airbnb.
Some are advertising on social media platforms that are not widely used in Singapore, making them more difficult for property managers to track.
Once occupants enter a development, spotting an illegal arrangement can also be difficult because they may hold access cards just like residents.
Mr Ng said property managers therefore look out for unusual patterns, such as people who appear unfamiliar with the development and repeatedly need directions.
Prof Sing said enforcement would need to be combined with people on the ground identifying and reporting suspicious arrangements.
Singapore Previously Considered Allowing Short-Term Home Rentals
Singapore did consider changing the rules.
In 2018, URA explored a framework under which short-term accommodation in private homes could potentially be allowed.
The proposals included requiring approval from 80 per cent of owners in a strata-titled development and limiting each participating property to 90 days of short-term accommodation a year.
But in May 2019, URA decided not to proceed after consultations. It cited an impasse between the position taken by home-sharing platforms and concerns raised by private homeowners. The three-month minimum therefore remained in place.
Other Cities Have Different Rules
Singapore is not the only place that restricts short-term stays, although the rules vary considerably.
In Hong Kong, premises offering paid sleeping accommodation for less than 28 consecutive days generally fall under its hotel and guesthouse licensing regime.
Japan permits private lodging under its minpaku framework, but a registered home is generally limited to providing accommodation for up to 180 days a year, with local authorities able to impose further restrictions.
Barcelona has gone further. The city’s mayor announced in 2024 that licences for 10,101 apartments approved for short-term tourist rentals would be scrapped by November 2028, as the city tries to return more homes to residential use and address housing affordability.
For Singapore renters, however, the practical rule remains much simpler: if someone is offering you an ordinary private residential unit for just a few weeks or one month, that stay would be below URA’s three-month minimum.
