People Are Renting out Places in S’pore with AirBnB Though a Loophole


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So we all should know by now that the minimum rental period for private homes in Singapore is three months.

Simply put, you can’t rent out your apartment on Airbnb.

I mean, one should abide the rules, especially when 2 people were charged for renting out their condo on Airbnb last month.

But now there is supposedly a way to get around the rule.

A loophole

According to Channel NewsAsia, some home rental agencies are offering tenants short-term stays alongside an early termination clause in their contracts.

Image: popkey.co

This came to light when Channel NewsAsia tried to rent units from two different home rental agencies.

The first company told the reporter that a three-week stay was “not a problem” as long as the termination form is signed when the tenant ends the stay.

In the email sent by the company, it read: The company’s agent also stated in an email that “as per Singapore rules and regulations, the minimum lease duration in residential developments in Singapore is three months but it could be terminated earlier with no penalty if a notice of termination is sent 30 days before the departure date”.

The second company also accommodated the reporter’s request.

So, these tenants can stay there for two weeks or so under the pretext of a 3-month stay.

Smart but…

Consequences

Since last year February, it is illegal for owners to rent out their apartments on online homestay networks, for less than 6 months which was revised to 3 months subsequently in June.

According to the URA, 600 properties were investigated from January to September 2017.

Those caught breaking the rules can face up to a year of jail time or $200,000.

While the government is still working on creating a new category of private properties where short-term rental might be allowed, it is best to stay in line.

Well, it is not sure how URA will tackle this predicament. Let’s just wait for another legislation to pass, I suppose.


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This article was first published on goodyfeed.com

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Image: channelnewsasia.com