LEGAL ISSUES OF SHORT-TERM RENTAL ACCOMMODATIONS (STRA) IN MALAYSIA: LESSONS FROM FOREIGN COUNTRIES

Activities referred to as Short-Term Rental Accommodations (STRA) include operating short-term rentals and listing owner-occupied accommodations on digital platforms such as Airbnb, Agoda, iBilik and Booking.com, among others. However, this STRA service has created various legal issues such as licensing, business registration, security issues and neighborhood disturbance. Currently, there is no specific law regarding the control of STRA, especially Airbnb in Malaysia. Thus, qualitative methods are used in this study using document analysis, especially related laws in Malaysia and in some selected countries. It is recommended that a specific legislation needs to be established to regulate STRA services for the benefit of property owners, tourists and the general public.