Can You Rent a Condo for Less Than 3 Months? Singapore's Minimum-Stay Rule

Singapore is one of the strictest cities in the world on short lets. Before you list a condo on Airbnb, or agree a six-week rental, here is the hard legal line, straight from URA and the Planning Act, and what it means at the end of the tenancy.

The rule: three consecutive months, minimum

That means a private home in Singapore cannot be used or advertised as a hotel, hostel, motel, bed-and-breakfast or “homestay,” and cannot be let to temporary visitors through home-sharing platforms such as Airbnb.

The law and the penalty

The legitimate short-stay alternatives

HDB flats have their own, generally stricter, subletting rules and minimum tenancy periods, plus approval requirements, always check HDB's renting-out rules before letting an HDB flat. (Different framework from the URA private-residential rule above.)

What it means for landlords and agents

• Don't market or sign sub-3-month private leases. Both the person providing the accommodation and the arrangement itself can fall foul of the Planning Act.
• Tenancy paperwork should reflect a term of at least three months for private residential lets.
• Handover and reinstatement still apply at the end of even a minimum-length tenancy, the unit must be returned in its agreed condition.

When a compliant tenancy ends, the same reinstatement and deposit principles kick in, see whether reinstatement is legally required and the end-of-tenancy checklist.