KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 11 — If you’ve long been infuriated by 2.00am poolside parties and other shenanigans and nuisance wrought by Airbnb guests in the neighbouring units of your high-rise apartment, 2026 may bring some welcome new laws.

News reports citing officials suggest a regulatory framework is in the pipeline and could be made public by early 2026, in time for the record number of tourists expected as the new year marks the start of Putrajaya’s year-long tourism drive, when some homeowners will be eager to cash in.

Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming said his ministry has prepared the National Framework (PLANMalaysia), which includes a Uniform Planning Guideline for short-term rental accommodation services.

Nga told Parliament in August the framework will spell out ways to address disturbances, and will likely include a licensing requirement with preconditions to ensure compliance with standards required of property owners providing short-term rental.

But when exactly the regulation will take effect is unclear.

In the meantime, are there any recourse options for residents and proprietors to take regarding short-term rental units at their development?

There are, and here’s what you can do.

Know your legal standing

In Malaysia, the legality of Airbnb is governed primarily by the Strata Management Act (SMA) 2013, which grants proprietors the collective power to enact any rule they deem to be best for their community, so if a majority of residents feel they want to ban or restrict commercial renting in their property, they can.

This means the voted-for rule becomes a binding by-law.

In 2020, the country’s apex court reaffirmed this power in a verdict for the Innab Salil & Ors v Verve Suites Mont’ Kiara Management Corporation case, which declared a special resolution of owners to bar short-term rentals as lawful.

This set a precedent for another case just last year.

In the Wawasan Raya v Marc Residence case, the Court of Appeal ruled that while short-term rental accommodation (STRA) services aren’t “illegal”, management bodies can strictly enforce by-laws against them if they follow the correct statutory procedures, that is voting and passing an additional by-law via a special resolution at a general meeting.

Your immediate rights as a resident

If a neighbour’s guest is currently causing a disturbance, you don’t have to wait for the next AGM.

The SMA asserts your right to the peaceful enjoyment of your property, and most strata properties would already have by-laws to deal with “nuisance” and “interference with the peaceful enjoyment” of other residents.

A property management company is also empowered to restrict facility access such as pools and gyms to residents only, or require STRA guests to pay separate usage fees, which often discourages loud “party groups”.

Under Section 70(2) of the SMA 2013, the JMB or MC can impose a maximum fine of RM200 per offence against owners who breach the house rules.

The tricky bit about this is strict enforcement relies heavily on the competence of a property’s management company, which means whether action against complaints of nuisance will be effectively dealt with will boil down to the professionalism of the management staff you employ.

Will the new regulatory framework override a house rule?

At least from what has been reported, no.

The incoming guidelines mostly cover regulatory issues such as mandatory licensing and operator registration, restrictions on how many days in a year a residential property can be rented out to tourists, and safety and fire compliance.

If anything, media coverage of the regulatory framework suggests it would reinforce residents’ powers through the management corporation to enact rules that govern commercial letting.

Penang offers a glimpse of what regulated STRA might look like.

The state has implemented some of the strictest rules in Malaysia, effectively banning short-term rentals in private residential high-rises on the island, while allowing them in “commercial-titled” buildings with JMB approval.

The ministry has not responded to Malay Mail’s inquiry on when the guidelines would be ready for implementation.

Why this matters to you

As a host, the national regulatory framework means you can no longer assume that owning a property gives you an absolute right to rent it out daily.

You must check your land title (commercial versus residential) and your condo house rules.

Residents, on the other hand, have more legal ground to complain about “nuisance” or “security” issues, as PBTs now have a framework to fine or shut down unauthorised operators.