☀ Asia short-term rental guide
Where can you actually Airbnb in Asia?
Short-term rental rules, returns and managers across Asia, city by city. Cited rules, sourced estimates, no invented numbers.
Photo: Fabio Achilli / CC BY 2.0
The map
12 cities, five kinds of rules
Pins are colored by how each country treats nightly rentals.
- Permit
- Night cap
- License
- Restricted
- Banned
- Hover or tap a pin
Destinations
Pick a city
Allowed with local permitsManila
Philippines
Allowed with local permitsCebu
Philippines
Licensed operators onlyBali
Indonesia (Bali)
Hotel license needed for stays under a monthBangkok
Thailand
Hotel license needed for stays under a monthPhuket
Thailand
Hotel license needed for stays under a monthChiang Mai
Thailand
Gray zone; building rules decideKuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Only approved tourist apartmentsHo Chi Minh City
Vietnam
Only approved tourist apartmentsDa Nang
Vietnam
Registration + 180-night capTokyo
Japan
Registration + 180-night capOsaka
Japan
Banned under 3 monthsSingapore
Singapore
Rules at a glance
Where nightly stays are allowed
| City | Country | Status | Nightly stays allowed? | Annual night cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manila | Philippines | Allowed with local permits | Yes, subject to LGU and building rules | None nationally |
| Cebu | Philippines | Allowed with local permits | Yes, subject to LGU and building rules | None nationally |
| Bali | Indonesia (Bali) | Licensed operators only | Only via a licensed accommodation business | None |
| Bangkok | Thailand | Hotel license needed for stays under a month | Not without a hotel license or small-accommodation acknowledgement | None |
| Phuket | Thailand | Hotel license needed for stays under a month | Not without a hotel license or small-accommodation acknowledgement | None |
| Chiang Mai | Thailand | Hotel license needed for stays under a month | Not without a hotel license or small-accommodation acknowledgement | None |
| Kuala Lumpur | Malaysia | Gray zone; building rules decide | Yes, unless your building bans it | None in KL (Selangor has floated 180 nights) |
| Ho Chi Minh City | Vietnam | Only approved tourist apartments | Only for units approved as tourist apartments, or houses, with registration | None |
| Da Nang | Vietnam | Only approved tourist apartments | Only for units approved as tourist apartments, or houses, with registration | None |
| Tokyo | Japan | Registration + 180-night cap | Yes, with minpaku notification (or a hotel/inn license) | 180 nights per year (stricter in many wards) |
| Osaka | Japan | Registration + 180-night cap | Yes, with minpaku notification (or a hotel/inn license) | 180 nights per year (stricter in many wards) |
| Singapore | Singapore | Banned under 3 months | No | n/a |
Photo: Bijay Chaurasia / CC BY-SA 4.0
Greetings from Singapore
Singapore: what a hard ban looks like
Singapore is our 'rules' example: short-term accommodation in private homes is illegal, so it's included to show what a hard ban looks like.
- Private residential property: every stay must be at least 3 consecutive months.
- HDB flats: 6-month minimum per tenant.
Returns calculator
Run the numbers for any city
Prefilled with market-average estimates. Adjust fees, night caps, cleaning and taxes.
Postcards from the rulebook
Newsletter coming soon
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