KUALA LUMPUR: The guidelines to regulate short-term rental accommodation (STRA) are being finalised before being submitted to the Cabinet for consideration, says Datuk Aiman Athirah Sabu.
The Deputy Housing and Local Government Minister said the guidelines cover key areas such as registration, compliance with the requirements of relevant authorities, safety, cleanliness, operational management and STRA operators’ responsibilities towards the local community.
She said the guidelines would subsequently be presented to the National Council for Local Government for collective agreement before being adopted by state governments and local authorities nationwide.
“We are currently awaiting input from the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry (Motac) before we can resubmit the guidelines to the Cabinet.
“Only after that will we bring them to the council, which is also chaired by the Prime Minister and attended by all state chief ministers.
“This is because the guidelines are intended to promote harmony and involve not only the ministry, but also Motac and several other ministries and agencies,” she said during the Question and Answer session in the Dewan Rakyat on Monday (Oct 26).
Aiman Athirah was responding to Syerleena Abdul Rashid (PH-Bukit Bendera), who highlighted complaints from residents over STRA operations in residential buildings, as residents had to contend with safety concerns, noise disturbances, misuse of shared facilities and unfamiliar individuals entering and leaving their buildings.
The STRA guidelines are being drawn up by the Housing and Local Government Ministry, through PLANMalaysia, in collaboration with Motac, state governments and local authorities to regulate STRA operations and ensure safety, public order and harmony in residential neighbourhoods.
STRA refers to the rental of residential properties for short stays, typically through online booking platforms.
Under the framework, only premises that are registered and meet local authority licensing requirements are allowed to operate legally.
Strata properties will also remain subject to the respective joint management bodies’ (JMBs) or management corporations’ (MCs) decisions and by-laws under the Strata Management Act 2013.
Aiman Athirah said the Strata Management Act 2013 already provided mechanisms for managing and enforcing by-laws at the JMB and MC levels and that local authorities and enforcement agencies could also take action under existing laws.
On the proposed 180-night limit for STRA operations, Aiman Athirah said the government was assessing it as part of the overall regulatory framework, taking into account property owners’ rental income, the needs of the tourism industry, public safety and residents’ well-being.
She added that a regulatory impact assessment had been conducted during the preparation of the initial framework, covering compliance costs, rental income, effects on the hotel and tourism industries, accommodation options for consumers and community welfare.
