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Airbnb: Tourism Recovery at Risk from Blanket Ban in Strata Buildings

Property News/ 15 October 2020 Leave a comment

airbnb-press-statement

Airbnb has today warned that Malaysia’s tourism recovery could be threatened by talk of proposed blanket bans on short-term rentals in strata buildings in Penang, Selangor and other states in Malaysia.

Prior to the pandemic, the Airbnb community in Malaysia made a significant contribution to the local tourism industry and economy. Research from Oxford Economics found in 2019 Airbnb guests spent a total of RM 4.4 billion (USD 1.1 billion) in Malaysia and supported more than 52,000 local jobs.

However, Airbnb’s role in helping kickstart Malaysia’s much-needed tourism recovery could be threatened by proposed blanket bans on short-term rentals in strata buildings. Earlier this year, Airbnb welcomed the Malaysia Productivity Corporation’s new guidelines for short-term accommodation, which provide an opportunity for the Malaysian government to simultaneously grow tourism and ensure compliance through responsible regulation.

“Airbnb believes all Malaysians should have the choice to responsibly and safely share their own home. We are strongly opposed to any unfair and heavy-handed blanket ban on short-term rentals in strata buildings,” said Mich Goh, Head of Public Policy, Southeast Asia, Airbnb. “The Malaysians who live in strata buildings rely on short-term rentals to earn extra income to pay the bills.”

“With economic recovery more important than ever, the key test for any policy must be – does it help grow the economy and create jobs for Malaysians? On that test, any proposal to ban short-term rentals in strata buildings fails. Blanket bans would have a devastating impact on the already weakened tourism industry. They threaten thousands of local jobs and the supplemental income that so many regular Malaysians rely on during these crucial times” she added.

By supporting clear and considered rules for short-term rentals in Malaysia that protect people’s choice to responsibly share their homes, while ensuring Joint Management Bodies and Management Corporations have appropriate oversight of short-term rentals in their buildings, Airbnb upholds its ongoing commitment to continue partnering with the Malaysian government and communities to spur tourism recovery.

 

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  1. Sammy
    October 15th, 2020 at 16:54 | #1

    Anyway, high rise, high density condos are just not suitable ! It’s a big nuisance !

  2. KT
    October 16th, 2020 at 00:23 | #2

    macam macam laa buy house cant rent, keep chicken or lamb inside better

  3. north
    October 16th, 2020 at 13:45 | #3

    How do we check which property projects will be subjected under this new rule of no airbnb?

  4. KamLan
    October 18th, 2020 at 09:55 | #4

    @north
    ALL will be subject to this new rule of no airbnb. As long as you have permenant residents in that project (which almost means ALL), and since airbnb always cause disturbances to neighbors, that means “NO AIRBNB”. Simple logic.

  5. KamLan
    October 18th, 2020 at 09:59 | #5

    “Prior to the pandemic, the Airbnb community in Malaysia made a significant contribution to the local tourism industry and economy. Research from Oxford Economics found in 2019 Airbnb guests spent a total of RM 4.4 billion (USD 1.1 billion) in Malaysia and supported more than 52,000 local jobs.”

    Well, even without airbnb, these visitors will be coming and staying in hotels/motels, which would provide 52,000 local jobs too. I have never heard of any friends/relatives telling me that they won’t be going to visit any certain countries just because they don’t have airbnb!!!!! Common sense lah.

  6. KamLan
    October 18th, 2020 at 12:08 | #6

    Airbnb has given “false hope” to many property owners of a potential lucrative passive income, resulting in many of them buying properties that would be left vacant, even without Covid. Due to this false hope, and the excessive buying of properties based on this false hope, developers’ have built massive amount to fulfill this “false demand”, subsequently resulting in over supply. A massive over supply disrupts the normal functioning of a healthy property industry, causing a mis-allocation of human and capital resources, that would otherwise be deployed to a more productive use. In short, AIRBNB SCREWED US ALL.

  7. KamLan
    October 18th, 2020 at 12:11 | #7

    AIRBNB REALLY SCREWED US ALL, INCLUDING THOSE 52,000 LOCAL WORKERS TOO.

  8. Jay
    October 18th, 2020 at 18:09 | #8

    Of course that lady working with airbnb does not live in a stratafied property though. So she tak tau the feeling of airbnb guest mentality

  9. Jay
    October 18th, 2020 at 18:11 | #9

    Plus, 52k thousand jobs? Most housekeeping cleaners are illegal workers from foreign contries, not Malaysiansalso.

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