Post by High Priestess on Dec 25, 2015 15:10:24 GMT
See here:
www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/as-johor-hoteliers-carp-about-airbnb-city-council-says-no-law-against-house
Unhappy with the falling occupancy rate in Johor during what ought to be its most lucrative year-end holiday season, the state’s budget hotel industry group has blamed home-sharers for the phenomenon.
PK Leong, president of the Johor chapter of the Malaysian Budget Hotel Association, told Malay Mail Online this week that the occupancy rate in the state registered 75 per cent during the year-end season in 2012, but fell to 55 per cent last month allegedly due to the mushrooming of “illegal accommodation providers.”
He even named Airbnb, a global home-share service that connects house owners with renters — usually for short stays — as a culprit.
“Licensed budget hotel operators have to pay taxes and licensing fees unlike those house-stay providers who do not have to pay anything. Is this fair?” the association’s legal bureau chairman Dr Sri Ganesh Michiel told Malay Mail Online in a recent phone interview.
He also claimed the concept of homestays has been manipulated by “illegal accommodation providers” in an attempt to bring in tourists.
Seeking to differentiate the two programmes, Dr Sri Ganesh said homestays are recognised by the Tourism Ministry but “house-stays” are not, but did not elaborate on the distinction apart from adding that enforcement agencies have no access to the latter category.
He claimed that this loophole would allow criminal activities to happen easily.
However, the Johor Bahru City Council (MBJB) rubbished such a concept when contacted for clarification, saying no license is required for a house-owner to rent out his property.
MBJB corporate communications director Abdul Aziz Ithnin explained that the so-called “house-stay” concept was akin to a tenancy deal.
“There are no rulings within MBJB that forbids a landlord to do this. It is like renting out your house and you don't have to tell MBJB about it.
“But if you are running a restaurant or a sundry store from your home, then it is wrong as this can cause trouble among your neighbours,” Abdul Aziz told the Malay Mail Online when contacted this week.
He added licenses were only issued to those who wanted to start a kindergarten or day-care centre in housing areas.
Even then, the city council will need to get the consent of the neighbours before issuing the permit, Abdul Aziz said.
A December 10 report cited the Malaysia Budget Hotels Association (Johor) complaining of a drop in business due to an emerging trend for out-of-towners to book home stays with online home-sharers, like Airbnb.
The group also cited the weak ringgit, the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), manpower shortage and the RM5,000 deposit for business licensing as among other factors that were affecting their rice bowl, New Straits Times reported.
The budget hoteliers wanted government intervention to protect their industry, the national daily reported.
Airbnb acknowledged but did not respond to Malay Mail Online when contacted for response to the allegation.
www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/as-johor-hoteliers-carp-about-airbnb-city-council-says-no-law-against-house
Unhappy with the falling occupancy rate in Johor during what ought to be its most lucrative year-end holiday season, the state’s budget hotel industry group has blamed home-sharers for the phenomenon.
PK Leong, president of the Johor chapter of the Malaysian Budget Hotel Association, told Malay Mail Online this week that the occupancy rate in the state registered 75 per cent during the year-end season in 2012, but fell to 55 per cent last month allegedly due to the mushrooming of “illegal accommodation providers.”
He even named Airbnb, a global home-share service that connects house owners with renters — usually for short stays — as a culprit.
“Licensed budget hotel operators have to pay taxes and licensing fees unlike those house-stay providers who do not have to pay anything. Is this fair?” the association’s legal bureau chairman Dr Sri Ganesh Michiel told Malay Mail Online in a recent phone interview.
He also claimed the concept of homestays has been manipulated by “illegal accommodation providers” in an attempt to bring in tourists.
Seeking to differentiate the two programmes, Dr Sri Ganesh said homestays are recognised by the Tourism Ministry but “house-stays” are not, but did not elaborate on the distinction apart from adding that enforcement agencies have no access to the latter category.
He claimed that this loophole would allow criminal activities to happen easily.
However, the Johor Bahru City Council (MBJB) rubbished such a concept when contacted for clarification, saying no license is required for a house-owner to rent out his property.
MBJB corporate communications director Abdul Aziz Ithnin explained that the so-called “house-stay” concept was akin to a tenancy deal.
“There are no rulings within MBJB that forbids a landlord to do this. It is like renting out your house and you don't have to tell MBJB about it.
“But if you are running a restaurant or a sundry store from your home, then it is wrong as this can cause trouble among your neighbours,” Abdul Aziz told the Malay Mail Online when contacted this week.
He added licenses were only issued to those who wanted to start a kindergarten or day-care centre in housing areas.
Even then, the city council will need to get the consent of the neighbours before issuing the permit, Abdul Aziz said.
A December 10 report cited the Malaysia Budget Hotels Association (Johor) complaining of a drop in business due to an emerging trend for out-of-towners to book home stays with online home-sharers, like Airbnb.
The group also cited the weak ringgit, the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), manpower shortage and the RM5,000 deposit for business licensing as among other factors that were affecting their rice bowl, New Straits Times reported.
The budget hoteliers wanted government intervention to protect their industry, the national daily reported.
Airbnb acknowledged but did not respond to Malay Mail Online when contacted for response to the allegation.