Chances are you’ve used Airbnb (or similar home-sharing services) on your overseas trips. Now that you’re back in Singapore, you’re wondering if you can do the same here, that is, to be a home-sharing host.
The short answer is “no”.
The Singapore government has strict rules governing short-term stays for tourists here. In case you’re not aware of this, here are the facts.
Find out about the rules before renting out your place on home-sharing portals
For public housing
The minimum rental occupancy period for HDB flats is 6 consecutive months and HDB flats/rooms can only be rented out to those who hold valid passes to stay in Singapore e.g. student pass, work permit, or long-term visit pass.
Since tourists neither have these passes nor normally stay for half a year at a stretch, HDB home owners here are prohibited from accommodating them by way of home-sharing services such as Airbnb or HomeAway.
Even when renting out their flats to non-tourists, HDB flat owners should take note that there are legal restrictions on the number of people occupying the flat at any one time.
For example, if the flat owner is renting out the entire flat after meeting the minimum occupancy period (MOP), there can only be a maximum of 4 persons for 1- and 2-room flats, and a maximum of 6 persons for 3-room or bigger flats.
Owners of 1- and 2-room flats are not allowed to rent out their bedrooms whilst 3-room flat owners must ensure that there are not more than 6 persons occupying the house at any point in time (including the flat owner and his/her family) should they want to rent out bedrooms.
What are the penalties for flouting the law? You may be slapped with a fine or have your flat compulsorily acquired by HDB.
For private housing
The minimum rental occupancy period is 3 consecutive months. Owners must obtain permission from the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) should they want to extend this period.
If the owner intends to rent out the entire house, he/she should take note that only up to a maximum of 6 unrelated people can stay in the house at any one time. Owners have to obtain permission from the URA should the number of tenants exceed 6.
If the owner and his/her family are staying in the house but intends to rent out a bedroom or two, he/she should ensure that his family members (including maid(s) and caregiver(s)) do not exceed 6 people. Families with 6 people already staying in the house are not allowed to rent out their bedrooms.
Those who run afoul of the law can be fined up to $200,000 and/or jailed for up to 12 months. If the owner persists in the wrongdoing even after conviction, he/she can be slapped with a fine of $10,000 for each additional day of rental after conviction (or part thereof).
So, there you have it: the dos and don’ts on being a home-sharing host in Singapore. The consequences of not abiding by the law are probably not worth the amount that you would earn from these activities. There are those who learn it the hard way. Here are the stories:
Story 1
Story 2
In this article, we’ve explained the laws in Singapore regarding being a home-sharing host. If you want to know more, schedule a visit with us or book a free consultation with our trusted and renowned representatives.
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