Penang hoteliers are calling for more consistent regulation of short-term rentals and homestays, as the industry continues to face competition from Airbnb and other private accommodation options. Malaysia Association of Hotels (MAH) vice-president Datuk Khoo Boo Lim said licensed hoteliers had raised concerns over the growing presence of unlicensed homestays, ... Read More

Malaysia’s short-term rental accommodation (STRA) sector – encompassing platforms like Airbnb and similar homestay-style offerings – is on the verge of a major regulatory shift. The government has confirmed that STRA operators will soon be required to obtain a business licence from local councils before registering as official tourist accommodation ... Read More

The Penang government is strongly encouraging tourists to stay at licensed premises over banned short-term rental (STR) accommodations, according to Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow. He said Penang has enough facilities, from star-rated hotels to heritage hotels, homestays and service apartments, to accommodate different types of tourists. “We encourage tourists to ... Read More

Penang Island City Council (MBPP) has recently established a guideline that prohibits all forms of short-term rental (STR) accommodation in residential units on the island. The ban, effective immediately, aims to regulate the STR industry and maintain the integrity of residential neighborhoods. Under the new regulation, private residential properties are ... Read More

Penang’s tourism recovery and growth, as well as the livelihoods of everyday Malaysian Hosts, would be gravely affected if the state’s proposed restrictions on high-rise residential short-term rental accommodation (STRA) is implemented, Airbnb warned today. Following more than two years of economic disruption in Penang brought on by the pandemic, ... Read More

The Penang state government will implement the guidelines for prohibiting short-term rentals (homestays). State Housing, Local Government, Town and Country Planning Committee chairman Jagdeep Singh Deo said he will present the proposal to the state executive council and the state government will announce the details later. "We do not want a ... Read More