Airbnb launches responsible hosting guideline for short-term rentals in Malaysia

• The guide provides strata hosts, property managers, joint management bodies (JMB), management corporations (MC) and developers with a toolkit of resources to conduct short-term rentals responsibly in their apartment buildings and condominiums.

KUALA LUMPUR (June 20): In line with its ongoing commitment to promote responsible short-term rental activities in Malaysia, Airbnb on Thursday unveiled its Guide to Responsible Hosting in Buildings for short-term rental accommodations (STRA) in strata buildings.

According to a press statement issued on Thursday, the guide provides strata hosts, property managers, joint management bodies (JMB), management corporations (MC) and developers with a toolkit of resources to conduct short-term rentals responsibly in their apartment buildings and condominiums. These include Airbnb’s recommended Code of Conduct for STRA, which outlines the responsibilities and common courtesies of hosts and guests in multiple languages, as well as resources such as Airbnb's Neighbourhood Support Line for users to flag urgent concerns about nearby listings directly with Airbnb.

Airbnb also partnered with legal firm Zaid Ibrahim & Co (in association with KPMG law) to develop reference building by-laws aimed at equipping condominiums and apartment buildings with suggestions to ease the management of their STRA activities.

These by-laws serve as a reference point for hosts, residents and building management to establish a clear framework for short-term rental activities, including procedures for addressing potential breaches. JMBs and MCs are free to adopt and implement these reference by-laws at their own discretion, the statement said.

Airbnb added that the implementation of these by-laws will draw on the existing Strata Management Act 2013 (SMA 2013), which empowers JMBs and MCs to implement rules to effectively manage day-to-day operations in their buildings.

“The introduction of these reference by-laws is a significant milestone in the regulatory framework of STRA operations. With the powers already provided under the SMA 2013, JMBs and MCs are able to adopt these by-laws to provide minimum standards for STRA operations in strata properties. This would include, among others, parking management, the appropriate use of common properties, to name a few. These by-laws come as a timely resource for STRA operations as they preserve the autonomy of the JMB and MCs, and provide best practice guidance for all stakeholders to implement,” said Zaid Ibrahim & Co's partner and head of the corporate and government advisory department Mohamad Izahar Mohamad Izham in the statement.

Airbnb’s head of Public Policy for Southeast Asia, India, Hong Kong, and Taiwan Mich Goh (pictured) said the Guide to Responsible Hosting in Buildings is designed to help ensure that each stay is a positive experience for hosts, guests and neighbours.

"With renewed enthusiasm for travel among local and international travellers, we believe that STRA will continue to be a key driver for tourism growth, in attracting different types of travellers into Malaysia."

Citing a recent study by Oxford Economics, Airbnb said the platform’s guests spent approximately RM7 billion in Malaysia in 2022 across various industry sectors, including restaurants, retail stores and transportation, and that Airbnb’s activities contributed over RM5 billion to Malaysia’s gross domestic product (GDP) and supported nearly 57,000 jobs, which accounted for approximately 4.9% of the tourism industry’s contribution to GDP in 2022.

The introduction of Guide to Responsible Hosting in Buildings is also the latest step in Airbnb’s ongoing efforts to encourage and support community safety, the statement said. Last year, Airbnb engaged with PLANMalaysia to share industry inputs and global best practices on national STRA guidelines, aiming to create a fair and transparent regulatory framework that benefits Malaysia's community. Globally, Airbnb also launched an enhanced reservation screening technology to reduce the risk of disruptive incidents on the platform as well as introduced the party ban policy last year.

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