At MetroResidences, transparency and integrity have always been at the heart of our operations. We would like to inform our community that our Singapore business has recently received notice of a court case related to short-term rental bookings made between 2017 and 2019. 

While the legal proceedings come several years after the period in question, we are taking the matter seriously and are working closely with legal counsel to address it responsibly and appropriately.

We want to take this opportunity to reassure our customers, partners, and stakeholders that since early 2020, our Singapore operations have been in full compliance with local laws and regulations. Our Japan and Australia businesses, which operate as separate businesses, have also maintained full regulatory compliance across all markets.

• 100% Regulatory Compliance in Singapore Since 2020

• Fully Compliant Operations in Japan and Australia

• Ongoing Commitment to Responsible Growth and Transparency

This legacy issue does not reflect our current standards or practices. Over the past several years, we’ve transformed our operations to meet evolving regulations and industry best practices. We remain committed to upholding those standards and being a responsible member of every community in which we operate.

As part of our longstanding compliance framework, the following measures have been firmly established across our platform since 2020:

• All accommodation listings are prominently and consistently labelled with a minimum stay requirement of three (3) consecutive months, in line with regulations set by Singapore’s Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA).
• Our booking system has long been configured to enforce this requirement—the calendar defaults to a three-month stay and prevents bookings shorter than 90 days, ensuring compliance is maintained throughout the reservation process.
• Our AI-powered chatbot has also been designed to pre-screen user enquiries by verifying intended stay durations. Only enquiries that meet the three (3) consecutive months minimum are allowed to proceed, providing an additional layer of regulatory alignment.

 

We understand that trust is built not only through our services but also through how we respond in moments like this. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and keep our stakeholders informed should there be any significant developments.

Thank you for your continued support as we remain focused on building a company that values integrity, compliance, and long-term sustainability above all else.

MetroResidences Singapore
2 July 2025

Photo by Mark Stoop on Unsplash

SINGAPORE, May 14, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — MetroResidences, a leading Tech-driven hospitality company has announced the launch of Safe Home Programme in Singapore and Japan. The initiative aims to support not only healthcare workers but also other frontline workers from essential sectors who are currently serving operational duties to help fight the Coronavirus pandemic.

James Chua, MetroResidences CEO says, “In the fight against coronavirus, MetroResidences is committed to protecting the people who are bravely leading the frontlines. Coming home every day after a hard day’s work and wondering if one is a carrier of the coronavirus is not something the workers should have to worry about. Ultimately, we want to provide a safe and secure space where frontline workers can rest well without the concern of potentially infecting their loved ones.”

Properties offered by Safe Home Programme will be heavily discounted and includes essential facilities, like laundry and kitchen facilities, to ensure these workers have a sense of home during these troubled times. Under this initiative, frontline workers will be able to book selected apartments at special rates.

Addressing the increased concerns on hygiene and cleanliness, MetroResidences housekeeping teams have also implemented extensive cleaning and disinfecting procedures across all apartments’ teams. This elevated standard will help to ensure the safety of all existing and new tenants.

Applicants are required to provide a proof of employment with photo ID or corporate endorsement letter indicating job scope prior to the completion of booking. The Safe Home Programme is applicable for all check-ins before 1 June 2020.

In March, MetroResidences Singapore partnered with property listing platform, 99.co to house Malaysian workers affected by the Movement Control Order (MCO).

For more information about MetroResidences’ Safe Home Programme, visit:
https://info.metroresidences.com/safehomeprogramme

Credit to/Original article

6 February 2018 – Singapore-based corporate accommodations startup, MetroResidences announced its expansion to Hong Kong, offering more business travellers and expatriates a local and guest-centric way to stay.

Hong Kong is the third market in which the business operates in, after its entry to Tokyo, Japan in 2017. The Singapore and Japan team has since garnered over 200,000 nights booked.

The current home listings located in Hong Kong’s business and shopping districts include Wan Chai, Tin Hau, Causeway Bay, Quarry Bay and Central.

Wesley Tang, Country Manager (Hong Kong) commented, “Hong Kong is one of the prime business hubs in Asia and is also among the highly visited places in the world. We foresee a strong demand for short to long-term stays from corporate travellers and even athletics. MetroResidences is about providing the market with an affordable living space without compromising the quality of stay that every modern traveller deserves.”

The business adopts a sharing economy model where corporate clients can house their expatriates in homes owned by property owners but fully managed and serviced by the MetroResidences team.

MetroResidences commenced its operations in Singapore in 2014. The startup has raised funding of US$2,800,000 in 2017 from Rakuten, a Japanese electronic commerce and Internet company, and is accelerating its expansion in Asia.

Singapore, 13 December 2017 – Singapore based corporate accommodation start-up, MetroResidences is one of six finalists to secure a position in Mitsubishi Estate Co., Ltd. (MEC) Corporate Accelerator Program.

MetroResidences, along with five other Japanese start-ups were presented with the Excellence Award. The teams will embark on a four-month accelerator programme, working with market experts from MEC to enhance their business plans.

MEC is one of the largest real estate developers in Japan, headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo.

Following expansion to the Japan market in July 2017, this latest milestone will provide MetroResidences with opportunities to work with MEC to further localise the online corporate accommodation booking business for the Japanese market and explore ways to grow its apartment supply and demand.

Finalists will be entitled access to membership-only resources such as a business club, Tokyo 21c Club by the Entrepreneur Group for Growing Japan (EGG Japan) and a co-working space, 3 x 3 Lab Future.

MetroResidences was one of 255 companies to apply for the programme in June 2017.

Co-founder and Country Head for MetroResidences Japan, Lester Kang said: “It has been an exciting and humbling experience for the Japan team, from business plan preparation to the presentation earlier in November. As a foreign start-up operating in Japan, forging strong alliance with an established player like MEC is one of the many ways to scale the business. We look forward to greater learning opportunities with MEC in the coming months.”

The final presentation of the business plan will be held on 13 March 2018.

MEC’s Corporate Accelerator Program is an initiative intended to support and grow businesses in the Japan market by providing them with management resources (e.g. assets, sales channels and consultations).

As of December 2017, MetroResidences Japan has list over 300 apartments in its platform and garnered close to 20,000 nights booked. The team is set to capture 10% of the serviced apartment market share by Tokyo Olympics 2020.

The number of foreigners working in Japan topped one million for the first time this year, but official data showed that nearly 40 per cent of foreign residents who sought housing in the last five years were turned down at least once as they are not Japanese.

This aversion to foreigners has not put off at least two Singaporean-owned property start-ups from entering the Japanese market.

The start-ups work with property owners to list apartments for medium-term stays of at least one month. This allows them to circumvent recently enacted home-sharing laws in Japan that cap rentals through sites such as Airbnb to 180 days a year.

Singapore start-up MetroResidences, which won a $4 million investment from Japanese e-commerce firm Rakuten in April, is holding a soft launch in Tokyo today.

In Fukuoka in south-west Japan, a national deregulated zone offering various incentives to encourage start-ups, Fukuoka Properties run by Ms Annie Ho, 37, has been providing corporate travellers with a roof over their heads since 2015. It manages more than 200 apartments.

Ms Ho’s firm started out in 2013 by leasing temporary office space, before branching out in 2015 into rental service apartments as the city became more popular among expatriates.

As for MetroResidences, it has about 50 listings now, mainly in the Minato and Shibuya wards that are popular among expatriates. The start-up, which also has $1 million in funds from venture capitalist 500 Start-Ups, does not own apartments but works with mainly domestic private property owners, or asset management firms.

Co-founder Lester Kang, 34, told The Straits Times that the firm is a “disruptor of the traditional property model” adopted by big-name Singapore developers like Fraser and Ascott, which last month launched a lavish serviced apartment property in the Marunouchi business district.

“They are like the five-star hotel to our Holiday Inn – every apartment on our curated platform is comfortable, not of poor quality and offers good value for money,” he said.

The start-up targets junior to mid-level executives, he said, adding: “We strive to be the Amazon of furnished apartments where, on one platform, human resource managers can source an array of apartments for their staff.”

MetroResidences started in Singapore in June 2014, where it manages more than 400 properties that have an average occupancy of over 85 per cent. And Mr Kang, whose company can provide English, Mandarin and Japanese support, expects more expatriates, in line with Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike’s vision for the city to become a financial centre, and with Tokyo set to host the 2020 Olympics.

He added that Rakuten’s backing has helped to break down barriers.

Rakuten managing executive officer Masatada Kobayashi said in a statement: “With its technical expertise and understanding of the Asian travel market, MetroResidences is on track to develop a strong market share with its unique commitment to providing sharing economy accommodation.”

This article was originally posted on the Straits Times, by Walter Sim.

As Airbnb challenges hotel chains across the globe, some local accommodation start-ups are quietly carving out slices of the regional pie.

The co-founder and head of sales of start-up MetroResidences, Mr James Chua, believes the trick is to focus on a particular niche segment of the market where there is a gap.

Launched in 2014, MetroResidences, with 25 staff, runs a platform on which overseas businesses can rent affordable serviced apartments for their staff when they visit Singapore on work trips.

The start-up does not own the local properties but sources them from private owners or companies.

“We target travellers staying from one month to 12 months. For example, engineers engaged to work on the new train lines will likely stay for a few months… We provide an affordable alternative as other serviced apartments in the market can be quite pricey at more than $8,000 a month for a one-bedroom apartment,” he added.

Mr Amit Saberwal, the founder and chief executive of start-up RedDoorz, agrees that focus is a key ingredient, but added that testing out the business model in real markets will be crucial.

RedDoorz, which started in 2015, is aimed at young budget travellers and manages a chain of budget hotels in South-east Asia by bringing hundreds of unbranded budget hotels under its brand.

It currently has more than 500 properties in Indonesia and six in Singapore, with plans to move into the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand in the next two years.

“In order to find out which parts of your idea will actually gain traction in the market, you need to test it out and see if you can replicate it consistently. For RedDoorz, we first tested our business model in three places in Indonesia: Jakarta, Bali and Bandung. With that, we found that our model worked best with a larger domestic market.

“We found that we had traction with younger travellers targeting budget accommodation so we have focused on building around that and using similar models in the other markets,” he said.

Technology has been vital in helping RedDoorz find customers.

“For our customers, we have a mobile-responsive website and an Android app. The app is the largest channel through which we engage our customers – 77 per cent of our bookings are mobile bookings. We have a team of about 15 members in India dedicated to our technology operations,” Mr Saberwal said.

For MetroResidences, Mr Chua said half its recent funding from Internet firm Rakuten of about $4 million will go towards strengthening its technological capabilities.

“Technology will allow us to provide seamless bookings. Customers should be able to go to a platform which works smoothly and get an immediate confirmation upon booking… Technology will also allow us to manage more properties. All this will enable us to surpass our competitors,” said Mr Chua.

The journey towards growth has not been without its challenges.

Mr Chua, whose platform manages more than 400 properties in Singapore, highlighted the importance of pacing business growth.

“It is indeed tempting to grow our supply of properties quickly but we don’t want to succumb to large numbers. Instead, we want to be more selective and restrain ourselves in order to pride MetroResidences on quality,” he said.

In order to overcome these challenges, it is important for the start-up to concentrate and build on its core competencies.

“We don’t want to fight in an arena in which we cannot win. For one thing, we cannot outspend the larger hotels in marketing. Instead, we play to our strengths. For instance, the variety of properties we have in over 80 locations allows customers to choose a place close to where they work,” he added.

Mr Saberwal agreed: “Competition will always be there but we stick with our strategy of focusing on our main operations and execution. This is not a winner-takes-all model – there’s always a slice of the pie to go around as long as we do our job well.”

This article was originally posted on the Straits Times, by Samuel Chan.

15 March 2017 – MetroResidences, a curated platform connecting business travellers with high-quality apartments, today announced it has secured an S$4 million (US$2.8 million) funding from Rakuten to spearhead its expansion into major Asian business hubs.

Launched 2.5 years ago, MetroResidences aims is to make corporate stays 30% – 40% more affordable than branded operators while maintaining a consistently high quality stay experience since their customers are from major multi-nationals. MetroResidences does this by connecting a list of highly curated asset owners directly to corporate travellers.

Masatada Kobayashi, Co-Founder and Managing Executive Officer at Rakuten, Inc, shares “In term of business travellers, Asia accounts for than a third of US$1 trillion in annual spending and is the faster growing and a credible research¹ states that more than 40% of this group would consider accommodation from Sharing Economy. I am confident MetroResidences can own a piece of this segment in Asia Pacific.”

Within 15 months of receiving S$1million seed funding from 500Startsup, the MetroResidences rental revenue has grown 400% in Singapore, 5x its staff count to 25 all while maintaining profitability.

To date, 118,300 room nights from 500 corporate clients, some from Fortune 500 companies, have been booked in our platform, MetroResidences is now ready to expand its platform into key Asian cities such as Tokyo and Hong Kong.

Lester Kang, Founding Partner and Head of Japan, states that “with the new change in Japan’s home-sharing regulations (Minpaku) expected to be announced late 2017 and highly anticipated Tokyo Olympics 2020, MetroResidences will work with Japanese asset owners, developers and professional operators to offer customer the highest quality serviced accommodation coupled with an unbeatable price.”

Leading up Olympics, Tokyo aims to 4x their tourist arrivals from 10 million (2014) to 40 million (2020). With such a huge arrival increase and an upbeat economy, companies will also be ramping up the effort to prepare for the big event such as the construction of new Olympics Venues where more short-term corporate accommodation will be required.

On a broader note, James Chua Founding Partner and Head of Singapore shares that “MetroResidences has leapfrog itself from a localized accommodation player in Singapore into a regional branded platform.”

“We will be investing heavily in technology that allow will HR Managers a faster way to book their stay corporate stays, optimizing our in-house guest experience where they can use MetroConnect App to connect to food delivery services, order additional room amenities and get neighbourhood guides.”

With an emphasis on quality rather than quantity, all apartments go through a stringent audit and must pass our minimum standards such as ensuring the apartment furniture are in mint condition and even as detailed as providing 300 thread count bed linens.

Should an aircon or fridge breakdown, MetroResidences also provides the guest peace of mind by sending a backup unit within the same day while their maintenance team coordinate repairs.

The founder’s vision of MetroResidences vision is to create a trustworthy hospitality brand where the customer can always expect the greatest stay comfort and authentic customer service without the serviced apartment price markup.

11 Jan 2016 – MetroResidences, a platform connecting business travellers with quality apartments, today announced it has secured an S$1 million seed funding led by 500 Startups.

MetroResidences, which launched 18 months ago with the aim of making corporate stays more affordable and enjoyable, currently has more than 200 high quality furnished apartments within its inventory of homes.

With the $1 million seed funding, MetroResidences aims to capture 10% of the serviced apartment market in Singapore and to expand to one other Asian city within this year.

Other participants who co­invested in the round are Phey Teck Moh (ex­CEO of Pacific Internet), Lim Dershing (ex­founder of JobsCentral), Linus Lim (Co­CIO at Phillip Capital Management) and Ashok Melwani (CEO of A B Melwani).    

Khailee Ng, Managing Partner at 500 Startups, shares “for a long time corporates had to rely on brands such as Frasers and Ascott. MetroResidences is now offering them a fresher option, to take a piece of this billion dollar market.”    

To date, MetroResidences has housed over 100 Multinational companies and 200 small to medium enterprises, chalking up to over 10,000 apartment nights booked.

James Chua, Founding Partner and Head of Sales, stated that the key reason for returning clients is because of MetroResidences’ ability to “provide the highest quality serviced accommodation coupled with an unbeatable price that is near their offices.”

“At the end of the day, MetroResidences provides the best value on a dollar per night per square foot basis,” Chua said.

Within just 18 months, the MetroResidences portfolio has grown from just 10 to 200 apartments across the island, with an emphasis given more on quality than quantity of apartments. Only the best apartments that are in excellent condition, near subway stations and with good facilities and amenities are available for rent on MetroResidences.

“Significant attention is given to the quality of apartment such that poorly maintained apartments are removed from the portfolio as they do not meet our minimum corporate standards,” says Lester Kang, Founding Partner and Head of Assets.

With fresh funding, MetroResidences will double its effort on growing its existing assets through a multi­channel and stakeholder approach by targeting developers, private investors, real estate funds and existing property management companies.

MetroResidences offers asset owners the hassle­-free turnkey furnishing, housekeeping and maintenance solution by converting existing residential assets into high yielding serviced residences for business travellers.