Malaysia drafts national guidelines for short-term rental accommodation

The Malaysian Ministry of Housing and Local Government, through PLANMalaysia, is drafting uniform planning guidelines to regulate short-term rental accommodation (STRA) nationwide. Developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, state governments, and local authorities, the framework aims to ensure that only premises registered and compliant with local authority licensing conditions can operate legally.

Deputy Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Aiman Athirah Sabu stated that the guidelines are undergoing final review before being submitted to the Cabinet and the National Council for Local Government. The framework will emphasize safety, cleanliness, and operational management. For strata properties, operators will remain subject to the by-laws of their respective joint management bodies or management corporations under the Strata Management Act 2013.

To improve enforcement, the government is encouraging digital platform companies to implement automatic license status verification mechanisms. Platform providers will be expected to take responsibility for delisting premises that are unlicensed or in breach of local laws. Enforcement agencies maintain the authority to take legal action against non-compliant operators under existing planning and building acts.