6 Singaporeans fined $990K for running illegal short-term Airbnb rental service

Robin Koh Guohui, 41, the mastermind, recruited four individuals to participate in the unauthorized short-term accommodation business between July 2018 and November 2021. Another man was also involved in the crime, according to a media release by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA).

A view of a golf course and buildings in eastern Singapore in July 2022. Photo by NurPhoto via AFP

Guohui was fined SGD1.1 million. The remaining individuals were fined between SGD8,000 and SGD32,500.

"Acting under Koh’s instructions, the men signed tenancy agreements in their capacity as company directors for a total of 31 private residential units sourced by Koh," the URA said.

The scheme involved advertising these units for stays shorter than the three-month minimum period mandated by Singapore’s Planning Act, typically using platforms such as Airbnb and HomeAway.

Koh collected payments from tenants, employing multiple bank accounts and mobile numbers, as well as host accounts using different aliases to disguise the operation.

The rule restricting rentals to a minimum of three consecutive months "is intended to prevent frequent turnover of transient occupants, which can potentially change the residential character of a property and negatively impact neighboring residents," according to the URA.

The agency pledged strict enforcement and prosecution for severe offences.

Many have been fined in recent years in Singapore as the country clamps down on short-term rents.

From 2019 to July 2024, a total of 86 people have been fined or taken to court since for providing illegal short stays, Channel News Asia reported.