Learn From Our Mistake: Airbnb Illegal in Singapore

Earlier this year my family booked two nights at a condominium in Singapore. Everything looked good, and the host responded well. There were no problems with the booking. Upon arrival, a different host greeted us, and we noted in the lift large signs stating “Airbnb illegal in these apartments. We have CCTV.” The apartment was certainly not ready for us, and the host claimed a problem in a change of ownership which we needed to discuss with Airbnb. To cut a long story short, it appeared that police had in fact visited this block recently, and the original owner cut his ties. We told the new host we did not want to be part of an illegal practice and would leave early next morning, which we did, involving time wasted and additional expense during our short break. I have since raised this with Airbnb and gotten absolutely nowhere. It appears that sublets of less than six months are indeed illegal in Singapore and most people certainly knew this. Suffice to say, our condominium and many others continue to be advertised on their website.

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One Comment

  1. Reply from an Airbnb host. I feel for Guests. I have been attempting to book an Airbnb to go visit my son who’s in the army. But I’m super nervous, what if they cancel on me ? I would then have $1000 plane ticket and nowhere to stay. I think about this because I often see in the reviews the statement ” host canceled stay 6 days ( 14, 28, 2, days etc. etc. ) before Guest arrival.
    But then I have to remind myself a hotel in Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii starts at $174 a night in the median rate is about $250-$275 a night. So this bit of nervousness I guess is the price I pay in exchange for a host might cancel on me.

    I’ve always had good dealings with AirBnB. And they’ve always been more than fair with me. I have hosted over 142 bookings and over 400 people. I would say I regretted 2/3 of them. Other than that everybody has been wonderful.

    Most of the complaints that I read about AirBnB are really Guest mistakes. Ask questions, and more questions and more questions… Learn from other people’s mistakes!
    When you were communicating with your host on Airbnb’s site you’re creating a contract that is enforceable through not only Airbnb, but with the court system ( at least in America I don’t know about other countries ). If you ask your host flat out is it legal for you to rent your apartment through Airbnb now and 100% at the time of my stay? If you think get there and there are signs everywhere that it’s illegal ( I tell all Guests you must be responsible for doing your own due diligence. Subletting is 99.999% illegal in the United States. If you’re going to a different country look it up! Don’t hold AirBnB responsible for your well-being. ) hose or under the impression that the reason we do not get paid till 24 hours after your stay is because that gives the guests a full day to experience all aspects of the apartment and get in touch with airBnB and let them know things are not up to par along with the advertisement. Hence up until 24 hours after your arrival money has not been released to the host. AirBnB still has your money.

    A quick way to find out, again in the United States I’m not sure about other countries, is to ask your host do you own or rent this apartment. Is this apartment a duplex or multi level unit?

    If you renting United States and you are renting from Airbnb an entire space the host must either own the apartment, not rent. Or the apartment must be a duplex or multi level situation where maybe you don’t know it because they’ve separated but you were literally Sharing one space. Even though you are in two different units ( two units in appearance only ) you are technically in one release that includes the square footage you’re staying in as well as the square footage that they are staying in. I am from New York City and I’m sure other states have different variances different laws they’re trying to pass etc. etc. but again we come back to you or taking a certain amount a chance for the savings you’re getting. My apartment does 1 to 4 people my rates go between $99 and $185 a night depending on the season and or the situation. So for four people in New York City who do not want to spend $175-$250 a night to stay in one small Hotel room with two beds and a desk I guess it’s worth the risk. For guest who want a full kitchen so they can cook meals to save money, I guess it’s worth the risk.

    Now why don’t you reduce your risk… Read the reviews! Not one or two all the reviews! If I’m reading a hosts reviews maybe they’re on a roll in the last 50 people were wildly happy. But maybe out of the 150 reviews the first 50 said the host was drunk, lost the keys, didn’t clean the house… Well that’s not a host is book with…lol maybe for the last 50 people she’s been on the wagon, but she might start drinking the day of my arrival… LOL yes I know this is an extreme example. But I think I get my point across, you are responsible to do your due diligence. Not
    NOT to just scan the ad, instant book and ask no questions and then blame AirBnB in the host because you’re unhappy. For the amount of money you’re saving you must put in a little bit of work

    Two things to keep in mind Airbnb hosts are not a hotel. That’s why I stay in hotels. If I open the blanket at 11 PM at night and find there’s a stain I want to know that someone is going to pick up the phone by the third ring and get me a new blanket in the next 20 minutes so I can go to bed. That’s a hotel, not AirBnB.

    You’re staying in Arizona and at bedtime it’s still 102°. The first night of your stay you were super comfy at a cool 68 with the AC. The second night of your two week stay the air-conditioner breaks and now it’s a 110 inside the house… Even though I try to keep a spare of every major part of the house that would affect my guests stay you cannot reasonably expect that from an Airbnb host. I keep an extra blowup bed, and extra AC to name a few, but I’ve been in the hospitality business I know the things that will shut her stay down as fast as you can bat an eye. I didn’t have these things when I first started AirBnB. I didn’t have the money, as I started doing Airbnb because I was going through radiation and was behind on my rent.
    Figure out what are the things that would completely ruin your stay. Mine is AC. So if I was booking I would ask how does your AC function as well as how does your apartment to hold the air conditioning. I like to be cool when I sleep? If you were talking to me I would quote you a statistic based on my hundred and something bookings. Example, out of 140 stays I have had one guest feel the air condition was not what they were expecting. They told me when they stay in a hotel they put the air condition as cold as it will go and they leave it on 24 hours a day so the room is actually chilly at all times. OMG what a coincidence so do I… LOL can you reasonably expect this from an Airbnb NO. Unless you ask and their answer is yes we have central air and the house is hermetically sealed to keep the temperature at whatever you set the thermostat at. Are you getting my drift?

    Parking, I just recently had an issue with someone. On my ad under parking it says free parking. Free parking to me in New York City means that there is no meter and there is no pay garage. You park on the street and it’s free. I have written to AirBnB and explain to them I don’t believe that their options for hosts when it comes to parking is reasonable. The only option a host has for parking is to put a checkmark next to free or don’t. So I put a checkmark because the street is free, if I wouldn’t of put the check mark Then people would’ve taken it as they must pay to park. I told Airbnb I think it should be more options, driveway, assigned spot, metered parking, Street parking, pay garage etc. etc.

    But again it comes back to you. If parking is super important and could ruin your stay then ask questions. What does it mean when you say yes to free parking, do you have your own garage or driveway? Think about where you’re going to Manhattan, California, Chicago or Idaho… That will help you think about what questions to ask

    The bottom line you’re responsible for certain amount of your stay. What is reasonable to assume and to ask questions about the things that are important to you.
    Use that 24 hour window, first contact your host on Airbnb’s website or by text message so you have it in writing what your complaint is and how they’re going to go about to fix it or if they fix it or not. If not then you have written proof you first tried to contact the host then go immediately to AirBnB

    Using this method myself I have never had AirBnB turned me down for something I felt was on my side

    OK I guess I’ve said enough, or all I can, I’m out of breath… LOL
    Please excuse any typos I did this by dictation

    As I did provide my email below please do not email me. Going through my treatments I am not working except for my Airbnb so my email is out of control. If you wanted to say something and have me answer 100% then text message me 646-831-6575 I’d be happy to answer any questions or let you know from the host side how we answer the questions that was asked of us by Airbnb and that might give you a little more insight to what you need to do to secure that you have a good stay.

    Today is 12/13/2016 in the next week or so I am actually changing my whole site. After reading some Guests comments and horror stories I think I can write a better commentary of my place to better inform Guests of what to expect. Plus keep in mind people AirBnB offers a free photographer to all hosts. I do not use a photographer I take the pictures myself using my iPhone or iPad hence why most of my reviews say that they thought the apartment was much more then was represented in the pictures. While when you use the professional photographer you end up with a lot of beauty shots of the lovely lamp next to the bed… LOL as well as a photographer can add 50% more natural daylight to the photo as well as 50% more Area to the room. The number one question to ask can you provide any DIY photos of the space if you can clearly see the professional photos. Or ask how well represented is your space to these photos example are you really getting that much daylight during daylight hours that’s represented in the photograph. Or are these professional photos ? You get the idea

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