Airbnb willing to compromise to secure approval in Singapore
Home sharing giant Airbnb has hinted it is prepared to make some concessions to allay the Singapore government’s concerns.
Singapore has some of the most stringent regulations, while lawmakers want to liberalise them to allow an element of closely regulated home sharing.
Two Singapore men recently pleaded guilty to operating unauthorised home letting services and face fines of up to S$80,000.
Chris Lehane, Airbnb’s head of global policy told Reuters that current regulatory obstacles are not insurmountable and Airbnb is prepared to compromise.
"We feel optimistic that as the government looks around and sees the 400-plus partnerships that have been done, that if we can figure this out in Cuba, we should be able to figure it out in Singapore," he said.
The vast majority of Singapore homes are part of public housing estates and Airbnb will block public housing units from its platform if asked to do so.
Currently home sharing is allowed only for a minimum rental period of six months in public housing.
"We have so many examples from around the world, where there are different pieces that you could put into a framework that could work here, understanding that there are unique pieces here," Lehane said.
Lehane said Airbnb may also consider a cap on the number of days Airbnb hosts were allowed to rent out their spaces.
Singapore is symbolically important to Airbnb as it is home to its Asia Pacific regional HQ.
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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