Property agent in trouble for allegedly renting out six homes for illegal short-term stays
Joel Su Jiqing of Propnex Realty faces six charges of breaking Singapore's laws on short-term accommodation rentals.
SINGAPORE — Another property agent — this time Joel Su Jiqing of Propnex Realty — has been charged with renting out residential properties for illegal short-term stays.
That makes the 38-year-old Singaporean the fifth person to face such a charge since May 2017 when the Urban Redevelopment Authority’s (URA) rules made home sharing illegal. Just last month, the URA reiterated its position.
Of the five charged so far, three are property agents and were tenants of the properties they were renting out for less than three months — the minimum permitted length of stay.
Su was served with six charges on May 14 for illegally renting out:
Two condominium units at the #1 Loft in 1 Lorong 24 Geylang
A condominium unit at the D’weave at 5 Lorong 39 Geylang
A single-storey terrace house at 52 Lorong 36 Geylang
A condominium unit at Smart Suites at 302 Sims Avenue
A condominium unit at #1 Suites at 1 Lorong 20 Geylang
The charge sheets indicate that he allegedly started renting out these properties from as early as Oct 12, 2017 till Sept 28, 2018.
TODAY understands that as with previous cases, Su had also put up listings on platforms such as home sharing site Airbnb to draw customers.
Su attended the State Courts on Tuesday (June 25), but no plea was taken and his case was adjourned till Aug 30 as he had just appointed a defence counsel and requested the opportunity to make submissions to the court.
If convicted, Su could be fined up to S$200,000 for each of his charges.
Last April, two other property agents — who were charged with providing short-term stays in multiple units at the D’Leedon condominium along Farrer Road — were fined S$60,000 each.
And in August last year, a 35-year-old owner of a condominium unit along Flora Road was fined S$13,000 for allowing short-term accommodation on multiple occasions.
The latest case to conclude in court was in January this year, when a 34-year-old man was fined S$70,000 for letting out multiple properties at Petain Road and Mackenzie Road in the Little India area for short-term accommodation. He was a tenant of the units.
