Two charged in Singapore over illegal Airbnb rentals
In a test of new stringent regulations against home sharing, Singapore has charged two property agents of flouting rental laws.
It is the first legal action since Singapore’s Planning Act was enacted earlier this year.
The two agents, Terence Tan En Wei, 35, and Yao Songliang, 34, face four charges each and could be fined up to S$200,000.
They worked together to list properties on Airbnb.
They rented out four units in a condo block for short term stays without gaining permission from the Urban Redevelopment Authority.
Under new rules tenants may not rent out or sublet a private home for under six months.
That was subsequently reduced to a minimum three months in June this year but the offences allegedly took place before then.
The Urban Redevelopment Authority is working through policy for a new home classification which would allow short term rentals in some apartment complexes but this is still some way off.
There are an estimated 8,700 Singapore listings currently on Airbnb, which accommodate more than 300,000 visitors a year.
The URA said it received over 600 complaints from neighbours about short term rentals last year, up 61% on 2015.
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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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