Short-stay leasing platform Airbnb said it will continue to work closely with the relevant authorities to craft and implement clear and fair regulations governing short-term rentals in Malaysia, it said in a statement on Thursday, 25 January.

The statement was issued in reference to an article published last Friday (Jan 19). The article stated that owners or operators of residential properties leasing them out for short-term stays on platforms such as Airbnb will have to register with Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).

"Airbnb has worked with over 275 governments around the world to develop clear and sensible frameworks that support home sharing in their cities while addressing local community needs.

"We've had meaningful and productive conversations with the Malaysian authorities, who are excited by the prospect of home sharing and the benefits the Airbnb platform is already bringing to local tourism. With 1.5 million guest arrivals to Malaysia, Airbnb has generated an incredible RM200.4 million for the Malaysian economy in the last year alone" it added.

To recap, DBKL said it was proactively registering these owners and operators and studying the feasibility of short-term leases in various parts of Kuala Lumpur to ensure that owners and operators can rent their properties out legally.

"Short-term rental is widely marketed through websites such as Airbnb, HomeAway, as well as iBilik, and it may cause disturbance to other units and contribute to safety and cleanliness problems.

"The registration programme is done so that the Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM) can conduct studies on the operators who rent out their properties for short-term stays legally and be placed under the supervision of DBKL.

"Failure to register will be considered as an offence, and action will be taken by DBKL" it said in a statement last week.

The registration programme has begun and will run throughout the year, with registration open to individuals, agents, or companies involved in short-term stays without limitations on citizenship.