RESIDENTS of a building have an equal right to peace, privacy and security in their homes. Therefore, as much as an owner-resident enjoys this right, he also has an obligation not to infringe on his neighbours' rights to the same enjoyment.
However, when an owner sublets his unit, his neighbours are significantly exposed to an infringement of their rights if the subletting is for transient lodging.
Unlike a genuine resident, a transient stayer has little interest in maintaining a conducive environment. Neither is it in the interest of the person who runs the property unit as a transient lodging, given the nature of his enterprise.
An aggrieved resident faces an onerous process of resolving disputes.
If the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) faces serious challenges in tackling illegal subletting because of the "lack of direct evidence of infringement" and "impracticability of obtaining evidence from the landlords" ("Medical tourists flouting short-term rental rule" by Ms Beatrice Tang; May 24, 2014), it is far more difficult for a resident to fight for his rights alone.
If the URA allows short-term rentals, it would not only aggravate the negative consequences of current illegal subletting, but also tilt the entire system in favour of landlords.
Licensing and policing are always easier said than done. Therefore, I am not optimistic that regulations can effectively mitigate the risks of short-term rentals.
Until and unless the URA can hold a landlord accountable for his tenant's behaviour and effectively enforce a landlord's obligation to uphold his neighbour's rights, short-term rentals should not be allowed. Let a residential dwelling remain what it was intended for: a peaceful haven for genuine residents.
Ong Bee Lian (Ms)
However, when an owner sublets his unit, his neighbours are significantly exposed to an infringement of their rights if the subletting is for transient lodging.
Unlike a genuine resident, a transient stayer has little interest in maintaining a conducive environment. Neither is it in the interest of the person who runs the property unit as a transient lodging, given the nature of his enterprise.
An aggrieved resident faces an onerous process of resolving disputes.
If the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) faces serious challenges in tackling illegal subletting because of the "lack of direct evidence of infringement" and "impracticability of obtaining evidence from the landlords" ("Medical tourists flouting short-term rental rule" by Ms Beatrice Tang; May 24, 2014), it is far more difficult for a resident to fight for his rights alone.
If the URA allows short-term rentals, it would not only aggravate the negative consequences of current illegal subletting, but also tilt the entire system in favour of landlords.
Licensing and policing are always easier said than done. Therefore, I am not optimistic that regulations can effectively mitigate the risks of short-term rentals.
Until and unless the URA can hold a landlord accountable for his tenant's behaviour and effectively enforce a landlord's obligation to uphold his neighbour's rights, short-term rentals should not be allowed. Let a residential dwelling remain what it was intended for: a peaceful haven for genuine residents.
Ong Bee Lian (Ms)
