Airbnb in Singapore?

For a long while there’s been a huge buzz over racism and discriminatory practices on Airbnb. However, an article about ‘Airbnb’s racism problem is much bigger than a few racist hosts’ by @dgrobinson David Robinson inspired me to think about the greater societal issues that “disruptive technologies” like Airbnb bring.

I would like to share my personal experiences with Airbnb first. I’d first seen many bloggers share heartwarming stories of how welcoming Airbnb hosts are, going to the extent of preparing a home-cooked meal and introducing the best of local culture. It seemed like a wonderful alternative to hotel accommodation, especially with its pocket-friendly price. That few extra bucks saved during a holiday always counts!

My first two Airbnb encounters came as a surprise. I thought I’d booked to stay in a café and sort of expected that the second storey of the café was converted into guest rooms. Unbeknown to me we were actually putting up at a tiny boutique hotel about 20 metres away from the café. (No complaints though, because it was a chic, woody and clean place for Chiang Rai standards.) It was still rather homely because of the small size and the only breakfast they had was white bread. Perhaps the dogs at the lawn sort of provided a bit of homeliness.

For my second try, I was again surprised that the rustic and artsy room I’d booked actually belonged to a real boutique hotel complete with concierge service and tourist bookings.

This was unexpected because the photos clearly didn’t show the ‘lobby’ and looked like an apartment. Reviews left by previous airbnb guests also remarked about how warm and friendly the host was (whom I didn’t even meet). Surprise again!

For both of these two stays, I had looked forward to meeting my airbnb host and learn more about local culture but was thoroughly disappointed that I didn’t even know how my (phantom) host looks like. I was instead greeted by the friendly concierge who treated me like a typical tourist and gave me travel guide brochures.

On my third and fourth try, I stayed in a private apartment/condominium in Bangkok and Melbourne. They were priced attractively for a prime location in the city and by then I had lost all hopes of actually being hosted by a real local and being recommended local places to dine. I remember that one key was under a flower pot, and another one was in the mail box. I had a rather unpleasant experience explaining to the security guards (cue language barrier) why I was dragging my luggage into the private residence too.

A quick search on Airbnb will show that many of these (obscenely wealthy) hosts own several properties and lease them all. Considering that the average price for a night in the city is around $50–250, it really is easy bucks to rent out that extra space just by taking some Instagram-worthy pictures to lure the aesthetics addicts in.

The sad thing about Airbnb is that it doesn’t offer that amazing local homestay experience. At least not to me. For travelers who seek to immerse themselves in local cultures and anticipate making friends with their hosts, perhaps couch surfing will be a better idea.

The good thing about Airbnb, and perhaps the ONLY good thing in the consumer’s point of view, is that it is cheaper than hotels. Other than being price competitive, I don’t see any other reasons why it is better. For private apartments, they all look off-the-Ikea-mill. Perhaps I am generalizing, but they really do.

David Robinson talks about how local communities are disadvantaged and almost displaced because capitalistic homeowners are renting out their space at the expense of others. That space could have been for the homeless, or the poor, but Airbnb is driving up property prices and making it uninhabitable for those who could not afford housing.

Such a communitarian view might not be equally welcomed by the individualist, who believes in their rights to do whatever they like with the property they own.

In Singapore, short-term rental for less than 6 months is considered illegal.

The HDB and URA have yet to clarify its stance on leasing private housing. For public housing it’s a definite no but for private residences, the grey area remains. If the authorities are bent on cracking down, they can easily search Airbnb Singapore and knock on the (300+) doors of every single host. I’ve heard of real life encounters of how strict HDB is with those who lease public housing but I guess they are allowing some leeway for private residences for now.

For parents, safety concerns are inevitable. Since they’ve paid a premium for tighter security, it is understandable that parents feel uneasy that tourists come and go every few days. At the same time, my personal view of condo security is that it is virtually non-existent… For years I’ve been entering condominiums (for weekly lessons/parties/drop-by) without ever being questioned of my identity, or to show any proof of being a resident/visiting guest. Again I may be generalizing here, but I have not been to any condo that actually subjects visitors to stringent checks yet. How ‘safe’ may a private residence be in the first place?

The more optimistic view, instead of safety concerns, is that allowing people of different nationalities, colours, religions, languages to be sharing homes can build social capital in our society. I am a strong believer of social capital and learning across cultures. We can learn how to say hello in another language. We can make small talk and share our favourite hawker hunts with airbnb guests. Perhaps it is a little too far-fetched to suggest everyone can live happily together, but I suppose children can grow to be a little more aware of the world and people.

A young Taiwanese Uber driver once told me that when people of his country visit Singapore, they are especially fearful of flouting Singapore laws. His friends were so afraid of being caught smoking on campus that it was “suffocating” to stay in hall, he said. Much to the annoyance of many passionate Singaporeans, Singapore is well-known internationally for its draconian bubblegum ban.

This bubblegum ban stars as the forefront of Singapore as a country with strict laws and punishable consequences should the laws be challenged.

What I am trying to say is, I believe that a legal framework of dos and don’ts can help to regulate the property rental industry. Make sure that these regulations and legal consequences are effectively communicated with the guests. For instance, I remember a sort of ‘penalty list’ from my last Airbnb visit:

Broken glass — $5

Broken hanger — $2

Missing key — $20

Stains or defects on sofa — $800

Replacement for TV — $1000

Perhaps such lists can be modified to suit each property, but they come in useful in reminding guests not to take the house for granted and leave a huge mess.

On the other hand, I believe Airbnb needs to strengthen its own practices. Don’t let beaming reviews cloud the poor ones, for example. Photos are deceiving, so make sure the host states whether it is an apartment or a boutique hotel. I think there should be a filter for apartment/boutique/hostel/hotel and not let Airbnb guests have unrealistic expectations of their accommodation. The current host-reviews-guests and vice versa is an excellent move as trustworthiness is built up when good reviews are left and accumulated. Yet it should not be the only variable.

Home is the place where we wear our heart on our sleeves and we sometimes forget that it is OUR responsibility to keep ourselves and our belongings safe.

Just last week I’d placed my Cath Kidston strawberry printed umbrella outside my door to air dry but it was lost within the next few days. I was really upset about it because it was a special gift but I had no one to blame but myself. It was my fault for putting it outside. What can be helpful for those who stay in private residence is to not take security for granted. Robberies, though rare here, can still take place with and without security guards, with and without tourists. I believe this is where technology comes into play.

Tackle the “disruptive technology” with technology. It could be in the form of biometric security, smart homes and CCTVs. The options are endless.

At the end of the day, a city that rejects technology juggernauts will be one that is perceived as unreceptive to new ideas. Singapore should not put a harsh blanket ban on all, and I’m glad that there have been public consultations for homeowners to share their thoughts.

Sharing one of my favourite quotes on ‘home’:

“Perhaps home is not a place but simply an irrevocable condition.” 
― James Baldwin, Giovanni’s Room

A home may not be a place. It could be a person. It could be a condition. It could be a time when moments intersect. A home is where we feel safe, at ease, where we laugh. For the holidaying guest who just wants to have a good time, we should be reminded to always respect homes as a space that means the world to somebody.

A very, extremely irrelevant ending, but that’s it.