Malaysia’s Penang Island imposes partial ban on Airbnb to tame rowdy tourists
- Penang has been mulling a ban on Airbnb for over a year, following complaints of bad tourist behaviour in residential areas
- The measure would not come into force until next March to give property owners enough time to comply with the new rules
“Housing premises, be it in the form of landed properties (housing estates) or strata (high-rise) properties, are not allowed to operate as short-term rental accommodation,” Penang Island Mayor Rajendran Antony said in a statement issued on May 30.
Rajendran said full implementation and enforcement of the ban would not come into force until March 1 next year, to give property owners and managers enough time to comply with the new regulations.
Penang is thought to be the first place in Southeast Asia to seek restrictions on certain short-term rentals, following in the footsteps of European cities such as Barcelona and Florence, which were suffering with too many tourists squeezing out the locals.
The ban is currently limited to Penang Island districts, rather than the mainland Penang state, and certain rentals – such as serviced apartments and home offices – will still be allowed, subject to certain restrictions. Landlords are asked to take note of guidelines on “security, public hygiene, health, social aspects and public order.”
