Foreigner Turns Hdb Flat Into A Budget Hotel

[therat 18]

http://www.tremeritu...a-budget-hotel/

A foreigner has been discovered running a "budget hotel" from a new HDB flat. A pinay by the name of Elena Gonzales had been advertising at various online sites and facebook about her "budget hotel" service. However, some netizens spotted it and started reporting it at the various forums and social media sites. Elena then quickly deleted her ads and facebook account. Fortunately, some enterprising netizens had taken screenshots of her ads and downloaded pictures of her "budget hotel" from her facebook before she deleted everything.

She created a facebook account called "Transient Rooms Singapore" (http://www.facebook.com/transientelena) to get customers. On the facebook, it was mainly Filipinos who were looking for cheap short-term stays in Singapore making enquiries. Clearly, she is targeting "transient" Filipinos, probably Filipinos on a 30-day social visit pass looking for jobs in Singapore and needing a cheap place to stay.

On one of her ads, it said: "Hi, we have transient rooms and bedspace for rent for Filipinos, located in Yishun". It also mentioned that the landlady is a Filipino and tenants are also all Filipinos. The apartment is new and comes with various amenities for a comfortable stay. Price was listed as $25 per head per night, much cheaper than the normal budget hotels in Singapore.

To help locate the place used by Elena for her enterprising hotel venture, netizens poured over the pictures downloaded from her facebook and worked collaboratively online to help find the place. It was in fact found to be a new HDB flat in Yishun's Jade Spring at Yishun Ring Road. To be precise, the block number of the HDB flat is found to be 450.

The flat is likely to be located on mid-floor. The field in front of the block belongs to Northbrooks Secondary School. The flat is a new BTO unit completed about 6 months ago which means only Singaporeans are eligible to buy. So, this pinay landlady is either a new citizen or rented it from a Singaporean and tried to run a budget hotel business from the flat.

In any case, there should be enough information here for the authorities to start investigating and take the appropriate actions. Under the Hotels Act (Chap 127), section 7(1), it is stated that "No person shall keep or manage any premises for the purposes of a hotel unless he is the holder of a valid licence granted in respect of the premises in accordance with the provisions of this Act" and section 16(7), "Any person guilty of an offence shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $2,000 and, in the case of a second or subsequent offence, to such fine or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to both".

It is unlikely that Elena would be granted a licence to operate a hotel from a HDB flat.

[therat 18]

[therat 18]

HDB reply and response.

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/hdb-warns-owner-of-flat-offered-as-%E2%80%98budget-hotel%E2%80%99.html

HDB warns owner of flat offered as ‘budget hotel’

(Updated: Thurs 6.55pm, added HDB’s comments)

A warning has been issued to the owner of an HDB flat in Yishun that has allegedly been turned into a “budget hotel”, said the Housing Development Board (HDB) on Thursday.

A HDB spokesperson said that the agency has investigated the matter, and it has sent a letter of warning to the Singaporean flat owner who had been given approval to sublet his flat on compassionate grounds.

The owner claims he was unaware his tenant had marketed his flat for transient accommodation and has since terminated the rental agreement, the spokesperson disclosed.

“HDB takes a stern view against the infringement of housing regulations. HDB and the other authorities are prepared to take firm action against the flat owners and the individuals involved who contravene such rules,” the spokesperson said.

While HDB flats are meant primarily for owner-occupation, owners are allowed to sublet their unit after completing the required Minimum Occupation Period (MOP).

This provides flexibility for owners who might be in financial difficulty or retirees who need to supplement their retirement income, and it also helps to meet the demand for market-rental flats, HDB explained.

However, those wanting to rent out their flats after meeting the MOP will only be considered under “extenuating circumstances”, it added.

The spokesperson said, “For this particular flat in Jade Spring, which was completed in 2011, the flat owners, a Singaporean household, was given approval to sublet the flat for a limited period of time. The approval had been given on compassionate grounds, as the flat owners needed to take care of a sick parent who is living in another location.”

HDB’s response came after advertisement of the flat as a “budget hotel” surfaced on various online and social media sites including Facebook. One ad read, "Hi, we have transient rooms and bedspace for rent for Filipinos, located in Yishun."

Those interested were asked to get in touch with a person known as “Elena Gonzales” who had also listed her contact details on one of the sites.

Attempts by Yahoo! Singapore to contact Gonzales were unsuccessful.

According to the ad, the apartment comes equipped with different amenities for a comfortable stay and that a night's stay at the unit costs S$25 per head, which is cheaper than that of budget hotels in Singapore.

Members of the public who spotted the ad managed to download photos of the unit before the account was deleted, helping others trace the flat to Block 450 in Jade Spring along Yishun Ring Road. It is also understood that the Build-to-Order (BTO) flat was only completed about six months ago.

Under the Hotels Act (Chapter 127), section 7(1) states, "No person shall keep or manage any premises for the purposes of a hotel unless he is the holder of a valid licence granted in respect of the premises in accordance with the provisions of this Act."

Moreover, Section 16(7) declares that, "Any person guilty of the offence shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding S$2,000 and, in the case of a second or subsequent offence, to such fine or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to both."

[therat 18]

What does warning mean?

[gimz63251073 0]

Verbal warning - one ear in, one ear out.

written warning - can throw the paper away after reading.

I still think no one should profit from HDB rental. Its a fundamental problem in HDB pricing to begin with, i think i can write an essay on that.. hah...

[dean 5]

how to know corner unit neighbor rent out whole unit with/without hdb approval. the owner rent to Filipinos family, they are suck. They liked to look into my house if i do windows cleaning. Very unfriendly attitude like own them a million dollar.

[therat 18]

how to know corner unit neighbor rent out whole unit with/without hdb approval. the owner rent to Filipinos family, they are suck. They liked to look into my house if i do windows cleaning. Very unfriendly attitude like own them a million dollar.

easy.

Just call Town council and told them.

The neigbour rent out the whole unit, don't know legal or not.

[bepgof 20]

What does warning mean?

Prof Rat,

Give home work to forumers to practice academic writing? Forumers can write at least 2,000 words thesis-style arugment on your sentence.

[therat 18]

Prof Rat,

Give home work to forumers to practice academic writing? Forumers can write at least 2,000 words thesis-style arugment on your sentence.

2000 words

Don't ...

I dont like to read long story.

Point form.

point form.

[kalimantan 6]

okay the fillipion should be the one can f ...

but the singaporean that sublet the whole flat (let's say it is not compassionate ground) - as long as he pay taxes, who cares ?

Why must always complain against another singaporean ?

[bepgof 20]

okay the fillipion should be the one can f ...

but the singaporean that sublet the whole flat (let's say it is not compassionate ground) - as long as he pay taxes, who cares ?

Why must always complain against another singaporean ?

This is a typical display of "low level of acceptance of diversities". To grow modern & global, one must "learn" to tolerate and accept then "dance" together. Remember the curry curry night episode?

Not to stereotype any (stereotyping no good meh?)usually youngsters like to group themselves together and "expel" "outsiders", they put "identity" or "icon" on themselves and like to compete ONLY among peers. Anything they view as "beoy song" then complain follow...

Singaporeans view themselves as "superior" than their surrounding counter parts. Same like the angmoh look upon themselves "very up" when they came to asia. Anyway, that has became a "once upon a time" museum display "exhibit". They are coming here to make a living now. They know pretty well what is "cannot beat them, join them", they know the "cherry picking" strategy = chinese call "no prawn fish also can".

Let nature take its course. Cool down, this is a learning process, they will learn one day.