KPKT drafts nationwide STRA guidelines

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KPKT STRA guidelines

Highlights

The Ministry of Housing and Local Government is finalising national STRA guidelines for final Cabinet approval, in consultation with Motac and local authorities.
The new framework emphasises digital partnerships for automated licence verification, the delisting of unlicensed premises, and enforcement powers under various acts, including the Town and Country Planning Act 1976.
Penang introduced STRA operating guidelines and by-laws on 1 April 2023 and will fully enforce them from 1 August 2026.

This article was translated from the original. Read the original version by our correspondent here.

National guidelines and licensing review

The Edge Malaysia reported that the Ministry of Housing and Local Government, through PLANMalaysia and in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, state governments and local authorities, is drafting STRA planning guidelines to provide a consistent reference for authorities. Deputy Minister of Housing and Local Government Datuk Aiman Athirah Sabu said the document is undergoing a final review with Motac before being submitted to the Cabinet for consideration.

She said that under the framework, strata premises remain subject to the provisions and by-laws of their respective joint management bodies or management corporations under the Strata Management Act 2013. She added that the government is also encouraging strategic partnerships with digital platform companies to implement an automated mechanism for verifying licence status before premises are listed.

Aiman Athirah said digital platform providers must be responsible for delisting premises that are unlicensed or breach local authority requirements and existing laws. She said local authorities and enforcement agencies have the legal power to take action under the Town and Country Planning Act 1976, the Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974, and the relevant by-laws to prevent illegal accommodation from being listed on service providers’ portals.

Implications for states, platforms and the tourism sector

The guidelines will be presented to the National Council for Local Government for mutual agreement before being adopted by state governments and local authorities nationwide. The move could establish more consistent compliance standards for STRA operators, digital booking platforms and local enforcement agencies.

Aiman Athirah also praised Penang for taking early steps to regulate the sector by gazetting local by-laws. She said the state introduced the Guidelines for the Operation of Private Lodgings in Strata Property Schemes on 1 April 2023 and will enforce the Private Lodgings By-Laws from 1 August 2026.

On the proposal to limit rentals to 180 nights, she said a regulatory impact assessment had been conducted while the initial regulatory framework was being prepared. Any limit, she said, must take into account the opportunity to generate income from premises, the needs of the tourism industry, public safety, public order and residents’ well-being.

In our earlier coverage of Menara Asia’s launch of Menarabena, we explained how the B2B platform connects construction industry players with building materials suppliers, while highlighting documentation, certification and compliance. The article also covered its collaboration with CIDB to facilitate the approval process and improve supply chain efficiency through digitalisation, without replacing existing certification requirements.

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