KUALA LUMPUR – Airbnb has introduced its guidelines for responsible hosting in buildings for short-term rental accommodations (STRA) to ensure its services are well-managed in Malaysia.
“With renewed enthusiasm for travel among local and international travellers, we believe that STRA will continue to be a key driver for tourism growth, attracting different types of travellers to Malaysia,” said Airbnb’s public policy head for Southeast Asia, India, Hong Kong and Taiwan, Mich Goh.
“We remain committed to working hand in hand with the government to ensure that more communities can share in the benefits of tourism and will work with local authorities to support and educate our hosts and guests on responsible hosting and behaviour,” she added.
Meanwhile, Airbnb, in a statement, said that it has provided the guidelines for strata hosts, property managers, joint management bodies (JMB), management corporations (MC), and strata developers to handle short-term rentals in their apartment buildings and condominiums properly.
These include the suggested code of conduct for STRA by Airbnb, which outlines the obligations and customary courtesy of hosts and guests, and also provides a “Neighbourhood Support Line” tool in various languages, including the national language for guests to report urgent concerns regarding listings that are nearby.
Airbnb collaborated with Messrs Zaid Ibrahim & Co to structure the reference building bylaws and to provide assistance to apartments and condominiums in improving the management of STRA operations.
The reference provides a defined framework for short-term rental operations, including processes for handling any breaches, and functions as a point of reference for hosts, residents, and building management.
These reference bylaws are up to the JMBs and MCs to approve and apply at their discretion since the Strata Management Act 2013 (SMA 2013) gives them the authority to enact regulations to oversee day-to-day activities in their buildings.
“The guide is the latest step in Airbnb’s ongoing efforts to encourage and support community safety.
“Airbnb engaged with PLANMalaysia last year to share industry inputs and global best practices on national STRA guidelines.
“The recommendations, including the introduction of a national-level online registration portal for STRA operators and the creation of an exclusion register, aim to create a fair and transparent regulatory framework that benefits Malaysia’s community,” said Airbnb.
Airbnb, citing a recent Oxford Economics report, said that visitors using Airbnb spent almost RM7 billion in Malaysia on dining out, shopping, and transportation in 2022.
Meanwhile, its operations supported around 57,000 jobs and added over RM5 billion to Malaysia’s gross domestic product (GDP), or 4.9% of the GDP generated by the tourism sector. – June 20, 2024