64 fined, 15 prosecuted for illegal short-term rentals since 2019
A total of 64 people have been fined for illegally renting out their private homes for short-term stays of less than three months since 2019, with 15 others prosecuted in court for the same offence.
Seven people were also fined for renting out their HDB flats for less than six months.
Revealing these numbers in a joint statement on July 3, the Housing Board and the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) warned the public against unauthorised short-term leases and said they would not hesitate to take strict enforcement action against offenders.
The minimum stay duration for private residential properties is three consecutive months. It is six months for HDB flats.
The authorities’ statement follows a report by CNA in June which found that condominium units and HDB flats were being offered for short-term rental on platform Airbnb, with some claiming to be authorised serviced apartments.
Serviced apartments have a minimum stay requirement of seven days.
The report said there were more than 15 such listings on Airbnb in areas such as Geylang, Katong and Bukit Timah. Several of them were active for months, and one had reviews from previous guests.
The authorities said on July 3 that they would investigate all suspected cases of illegal short-term accommodation reported by the public.
“We also actively carry out investigations to identify errant cases, and monitor listings on online platforms,” they added.
First-time offenders who rent out their private homes for short-term stays will be fined up to $5,000. Repeat offenders, or those involved in larger-scale operations, will be fined up to $200,000 per charge.
For illegal rentals of HDB flats, offenders will be issued a written warning by HDB and could also be fined up to $50,000. In the most “egregious cases”, HDB said it would compulsorily acquire these flats.
The authorities said they have been engaging key online platforms “to highlight the important role they play in ensuring that the listings on their platforms are aligned with Singapore’s laws”.
The three-month minimum stay for private properties is in place to minimise frequent turnover of transient occupants, which could negatively impact neighbours and affect safety and security, they said.
HDB and URA added that the six-month minimum rental period for HDB flats takes into consideration the “more compact nature and porosity” of public housing estates.
Owners are required to live in their flats during the minimum occupation period, and they must obtain HDB’s approval before renting out their bedrooms or the whole unit.
The authorities urged the public to report suspected cases of illegal short-term rentals involving HDB flats by calling HDB’s dedicated hotline at 1800-555-6370.
For those involving private homes, the public can submit feedback on URA’s website at ura.gov.sg/feedbackWeb/contactus_feedback.jsp
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