Former property agent charged with renting out homes for illegal short-term stays back in court

SINGAPORE - Another former property agent has been charged with renting out residential properties for illegal short-term stays.

Joel Su Jiqing, 38, is facing six counts of renting out properties for less than three months, the minimum length of stay. He was charged on May 19.

Two of the apartments are in #1 Loft, an 80-unit condominium in Geylang, according to court documents.

Another three are units in condominiums, while the last is a terrace house, all in the east.

Su was in the State Courts on Tuesday (June 25) for a court hearing. No plea was taken and the case has been adjourned to Aug 30.

The Straits Times understands that this is the fourth case of prosecution for a breach of the Urban Redevelopment Authority's (URA) rules on short-term rentals.

Rules making home sharing illegal kicked in on May 2017, and in May 2019, the URA said these laws would stay.

In April 2018, two property agents were fined $60,000 each for providing short-term stays at multiple units at D'Leedon, a condominium along Farrer Road.

In August 2018, a 35-year-old man was fined $13,000 for renting out his condominium unit along Flora Road multiple times.

And in January 2019, a 34-year-old man was fined $70,000 for letting out several properties in the Pertain Road and Mackenzie Road areas for such stays. He was listed as the tenant for these units.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.