Airbnb today has unveiled its Guide to Responsible Hosting in Buildings, for short-term rental accommodations (STRA) in strata buildings for strata hosts, property managers, joint management bodies (JMB), management corporations (MC), and strata developers to conduct short-term rentals in their apartment buildings and condominiums.
These includes its recommended Code of Conduct for STRA outlining the responsibilities and common courtesies of hosts and guests, alongside resources such as the Neighbourhood Support Line in multiple languages including Bahasa Melayu for guests to flag urgent concerns about nearby listings.
The guide also includes reference building by-laws, that were developed with partners Messrs. Zaid Ibrahim & Co (in association with KPMG law), that are aimed at equipping condominiums and apartment buildings with suggestions to ease the management of their STRA activities.
AirBnB said it serves as a reference point for hosts, residents, and building management, outlining a clear framework for short-term rental activities including procedures for addressing potential breaches. JMBs and MCs are free to adopt and implement these reference by-laws at their own discretion.
Implementation of these by-laws it said will draw on the existing Strata Management Act 2013 (SMA 2013) which empowers JMBs and MCs to implement rules to effectively manage day-to-day operations in their buildings.
Mohamad Izahar Mohamad Izham, Partner and Head of the Corporate and Government Advisory Department of Zaid Ibrahim & Co. (In association with KPMG Law) shared, “The introduction of these reference by-laws is a significant milestone in the regulatory framework of STRA operations. With the powers already provided under the SMA 2013, Joint Management Bodies (JMB) and Management Corporations (MC) are able to adopt these by-laws to provide minimum standards for STRA operations in strata properties. This would include among others parking management, the appropriate use of common properties, to name a few. These by-laws come as a timely resource for STRA operations as it preserves the autonomy of the JMB and MCs, and provides best practice guidance for all stakeholders to implement.”
AirBnB said the 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
Globally, Airbnb also launched an enhanced reservation screening technology to reduce the risk of disruptive incidents on the platform globally and the party ban policy introduced by Airbnb last year.
Mich Goh, Airbnb’s Head of Public Policy for Southeast Asia, India, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, reiterates the company’s ongoing commitment to promoting safer and responsible travel in strata buildings. “At Airbnb, we believe the neighborhoods and communities in which we operate are as important as the Hosts and guests who use our service.”
