SHAH ALAM, Jan 8 — The proposal to impose a maximum stay limit of 180 nights for short-term rental activities, including Airbnb, in Selangor starting this year remains in place, said the state executive councillor for local government and tourism Dato' Ng Suee Lim.
He said that it is still under study and review to ensure a balance between the development of the tourism industry and the well-being of local residents.
“Short-term rentals have now emerged as a new business model that is increasingly accepted by the public in line with global trends and that contributes to the state’s tourism sector.
“However, Selangor has received various complaints regarding short-term rental services, such as those in apartments, which give rise to issues including noise, late-night disturbances, the presence of outsiders, and limited parking problems.
“These complaints have been reported by the local authorities and must be addressed so that the daily lives of residents are not affected,” he told Media Selangor.
Similarly, Ng noted concerns raised by hotel associations about what they deem unfair competition, given that hotels are subject to various regulations compared with short-term rental operators.
“The state is adopting an inclusive and balanced approach by studying the best mechanisms to support the growth of the short-term rental industry without compromising the interests of residents and existing industry players.
“Among the proposals being considered is limiting short-term rentals to 180 nights per year, but this is still at the study stage and has not been finalised,” he said.
Beginning this year, the state government has implemented a sustainability fee for accommodation charged to tourists staying overnight in hotels and homestays in Selangor, and has granted a three-month transition period for operators to adapt to the new mechanism.
The charges are set according to accommodation type: RM7 for five-star hotels, RM5 for four-star hotels and below, RM3 for unrated hotels, and RM2 for homestays or Airbnb properties.
Ng added that all local authorities have been instructed to publicise the matter by issuing notices to the operators concerned, and to provide flexibility to operators who are late in settling the fee, to help them understand the prescribed reporting and compliance methods.
He said the three-month period is sufficient, even though industry players have requested a longer transition period.
