\nBut the question remains: Is it legal there?<\/p>\n
The debate about whether short-term rentals should be permitted in Singapore continues to make news, after a public consultation conducted by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) provided no clear consensus on the issue.
But the question remains: Is it legal there? The debate about whether short-term rentals should...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"false","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15938","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-property-news"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p75ss1-494","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":81994,"url":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/property-news\/airbnb-ready-to-make-concessions-in-singapore\/","url_meta":{"origin":15938,"position":0},"title":"Airbnb ready to make concessions in Singapore","date":"March 6, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"\r A top executive at Airbnb said the home-booking company is willing to make concessions on short-term rentals within Singapore, which is one of the toughest markets in which it operates, reported Reuters. The move comes after two men were charged for unauthorized short-term rental of apartments late last year.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Property News"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":43293,"url":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/property-news\/condos-pass-by-laws-to-curb-short-term-rentals\/","url_meta":{"origin":15938,"position":1},"title":"Condos pass by-laws to curb short-term rentals","date":"February 8, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"\r The government is considering creating a new building-use category for private homes whose owners wish to offer their property for short-term rent.\u00a0 In light of the growing number of homes offered for short-term rentals, the management committees of some condominiums have taken matters into their own hands by passing\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Property News"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":31564,"url":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/property-news\/airbnb-is-now-banned-in-new-york-city\/","url_meta":{"origin":15938,"position":2},"title":"Airbnb is now banned in New York City","date":"October 25, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"\r Could this also be enforced in Asian cities? An Airbnb user looks for rentals in Thailand. ArthurStock\/Shutterstock It\u2019s happened: after months of talks, Airbnb is now illegal in the big apple. On Friday Governor Andrew Cuomo signed legislation which means anyone advertising a short-term rental apartment on a home\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Property News"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":74026,"url":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/property-news\/property-agents-battle-with-the-lure-of-earning-easy-money\/","url_meta":{"origin":15938,"position":3},"title":"Property agents battle with the lure of earning easy money","date":"December 8, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"\r With the growing demand for short-term accommodations, property agents in Singapore contend with the constant struggle of fending off temptations of earning additional income by listing and managing vacant rooms or units on Airbnb. A property agent who wanted to be known only as William said requests to list\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Property News"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":18720,"url":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/property-news\/crackdown-on-airbnb-style-holiday-rentals-in-phuket\/","url_meta":{"origin":15938,"position":4},"title":"Crackdown on Airbnb style holiday rentals in Phuket","date":"July 5, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"\r Short term holiday rentals not only raise safety concerns and pose a nuisance for neighbors, they also fall foul of the law Many of Phuket\u2019s luxury hotels are being usurped by illegal hotel style rentals at luxury condos. Image credit: Roderick Eime (Flickr) Cape Panwa Hotel Short term \u201choliday\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Property News"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":106973,"url":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/property-news\/like-it-or-not-airbnb-rentals-will-remain-illegal-here\/","url_meta":{"origin":15938,"position":5},"title":"Like It Or Not, Airbnb Rentals Will Remain Illegal Here","date":"May 9, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"\r The URA arrived at the decision following extensive consultations with key stakeholders on the proposed regulatory framework for the use of private homes for short-term accommodation\u00a0 Airbnb-style short-term accommodation will remain illegal in Singapore, announced the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) on Wednesday (8 May). This means the minimum stay\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Property News"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15938"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15938"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15938\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15938"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15938"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15938"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nCurrently, it is illegal to rent out entire apartments or rooms to visitors for less than six months, but many homeowners still take the risk, just to earn extra income.
\nAirbnb and PandaBed are two examples of short-term rental websites that have flourished here in recent years, featuring hundreds of properties available for rent on a daily basis, from modest looking rooms in HDB flats to luxury apartments in Orchard Road.
\nThe use of gay-oriented website misterb&b has also been quietly growing in recent months. Modelled after Airbnb, it\u2019s open to all travellers and hosts, and allows you to book a room or an entire unit from a gay-friendly host. Started in Paris three years ago, the portal already has a large global community.
\nA check on misterb&b showed there are currently 35 listings in Singapore, with prices ranging from SGD28 (USD21) per night for a room in the western part of Singapore, to SGD279 (USD207) for a night\u2019s stay in a boutique apartment in Bukit Timah.
\nMore: Looking for short-term rental deals? \u2018Co-living\u2019 could be for you
\nHomeowners here who rent out their properties on misterb&b comprise both locals and expatriates. A press release for the website\u2019s launch in 2013 revealed that one of the main reasons for starting misterb&b was to provide a safer and more welcoming environment for gay visitors.
\nFrench entrepreneur Matthieu Jost, co-founder and CEO of misterb&b, said: \u201cHaving had experience renting apartments to individuals, I quickly realised the limitations of apartment rental sites. I could sometimes notice how apartment owners felt uncomfortable with me staying with my boyfriend, and it made us feel uncomfortable too.
\n\u201cThis is why I had the idea to create an apartment rental website specifically tailored for the gay community, where anyone can be accommodated in the best conditions possible.\u201d
\nThere\u2019s even a YouTube video highlighting some of the reasons why overseas hosts rent their places out on misterb&b. These include being able to pay for a gym membership, shop more, eat more often in restaurants, and even finance a dream vacation to Paris.
\n40-year-old Johari Ahmad told PropertyGuru that given the grey laws on homosexuality in Singapore, he would be wary of advertising his unit on misterb&b, as the authorities may choose to crack down on such activities.
\n\u201cYou never know what the authorities can do even when they say they will not interfere in the private lives of citizens,\u201d the property agent said.
\nMore: 3 ingenious Asian vacation rental websites you should know about
\nMarketing manager Ryan Tan, 36, is more open to the idea of opening up his home for gay-oriented short-term stays. \u201cIt\u2019s not illegal to be gay or to be friendly to gay travellers,\u201d he said.
\nHe also doesn\u2019t understand why short-term rentals are still illegal in Singapore. \u201cLong-term rentals allow homeowners to make rental income, so why can\u2019t the same apply for short-term rentals?\u201d
\nBoth men said they would use misterb&b to find accommodation when travelling overseas.
\n\u201cKnowing that the homeowner is gay or gay-friendly would mean I can refer to him or her for questions that are related to my needs, like where are the most happening gay bars and clubs, eateries that are gay-friendly, and even medical services that cater to homosexuals,\u201d said Tan.
\nWhile Ahmad reckons having a gay-friendly landlord is a huge plus, there are other important considerations as well, such as the location, price, accessibility and maintenance of the property.
\nWith this year\u2019s Pink Dot taking place this Saturday, 4 June, Paerin Choa, spokesman for the annual freedom to love rally, said: \u201cLGBT travellers have as much right to feel safe as other travellers, and such services to help LGBT people find discrimination-free spaces to stay in are invaluable.
\n\u201cAlthough we do have a vocal but small group of people who discriminate against the LGBT community, Singapore is a multi-religious, multi-cultural and multi-racial country, and I believe that Singaporeans are generally accepting of diversity and that they do not concern themselves with what other people might do in the privacy of their homes,\u201d he added.
\nThis article was first published on PropertyGuru.com.sg on 3 June 2016.
\n
\nSource : property-report.com
\nRead more…Alternative short-term rentals gaining popularity in Singapore<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"