KOTA KINABALU: The City Hall (DBKK) is taking the necessary actions to help legalize Airbnb operations in residential areas here.
“We are in the process. As it is now, it is not going according to our by-laws. We will do the guidelines and change our laws so the Airbnb can be implemented at any residential place,” said Mayor Datuk Yeo Boon Hai whilst reminding the formulation of law provisions usually takes time.
Yeo denied that the Airbnb operations are currently allowed in Kota Kinabalu areas.
“We will advise the Airbnb operators to stop. We use an advisory procedure first but we have advised the management corporation, the owners of the buildings to take action,” he said at the Rakan Bandaraya memorandum of understanding signing ceremony between DBKK and Cosmopoint here yesterday.
The mayor said that any intentional damage done by renters within the property area is the responsibility of the owners and has nothing to do with the local authority.
“It is beyond our control. There must be a limit to a government involvement because we respect the privacy of the owners of the units, shops or property,” he said.
Yeo affirmed there are thus far no applications to organize an alcohol festival in Kota Kinabalu.
He said any request must go through a committee chaired by the mayor, consisting of the Penampang, Kota Belud and Tuaran district offices and would need the approval of the Customs Department and Royal Malaysian Police.
Yeo assured that DBKK will process, accept and consider any applications accordingly.