Two Airbnb hosts to plead guilty to illegal home-sharing

The lawyer of two Airbnb hosts who were charged in Singapore with unauthorised short-term letting expects both men to plead guilty in February, reported Reuters.

Court documents show that the two men – 34-year old Yao Song Liang and 35-year old Terence Tan En Wei – faces four charges under the Planning Act for renting out four condominium units for less than six months without the approval of the city-state’s Urban Redevelopment Authority.

Their lawyer, Wong Soo Chih, noted that the duo is set to be sentenced on 27 February.

If found guilty, the two are liable to a fine of up to $200,000.

Last year, Singapore passed new rules that provided officials the right to enter homes and check whether residents were illegally renting them out.

Airbnb revealed that it has 8,700 listings within the city-state, where limited land area and high population density mean that majority of its 5.6 million population live in apartments.

 

This article was edited by Keshia Faculin.