by Stephen Scourfield The West Australian thewest.com.au
If you plan to visit the Malaysian island of Penang, start considering your accommodation options as there is some news.
After mulling it over for more than a year, the Penang State Government has banned unlicensed Airbnb and Booking.com homestays throughout the island, cracking down on short-term holiday rentals — the typical units available in residential apartment blocks — with immediate effect.
Penang is the first State in Malaysia, and the first tourist hotspot in South-East Asia, to take such drastic measures — mostly to fight back against badly behaved tourists who disturb residents.
“With such provisions, I hope that the days of illegal accommodation will be put to rest,” the State Housing Committee chairman Jagdeep Singh Deo told local media.
According to the new regulations, only a few categories of commercial properties, such as serviced apartments, will be allowed to continue hosting people, subject to annual fees and mandatory approval from 75 per cent of other residents in the building.
Penang Island City Council (MBPP) Mayor Rajendran Anthony said from now on, commercial units must be registered with MBPP, and owners must provide additional documentation to the Companies Commission of Malaysia.
Read the full article at https://thewest.com.au/travel/penang-bans-airbnb-almost-all-other-short-term-holiday-rentals-c-11451711
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