Your licence comes from your local council, so the council is your first stop. MOTAC then registers tourist accommodation through TOURLIST, and its form asks for that council licence first. MOTAC's Homestay Programme is a separate, voluntary scheme for rural village hosts. Penang is the first state with its own short-stay by-laws, in force since 1 August 2026. In every other state, start with your city or municipal council.
Which applies to you
Three questions sort almost every stay. Start at step 1 and stop at your first yes.
Is the unit in Penang?
Yes Apply to MBPP on the island or MBSP on the mainland. The Penang guide has the fees and the deadline.
No Go to step 2.
Do you host guests in your own family home, in a rural village, with neighbours who host too?
Yes MOTAC's Homestay Experience Programme fits you. Apply at your state MOTAC office.
No Go to step 3. Condos, housing estates and Airbnb units take this route.
Everyone else: which council covers your address?
Start here Ask that council which licence covers a short stay. Bring your title and your building's house rules.
Then With the council licence in hand, you can register the premises with MOTAC on TOURLIST.
Is Airbnb legal in Malaysia?
Airbnb is a booking platform, so the rules follow the unit, whatever app takes the booking. Three things decide your unit. They are your council's licence, your state's rules and your building's own rules.
The building part matters most in condos. A 2025 Court of Appeal ruling shaped what management can decide by house rules alone. Our Penang guide explains that ruling in plain terms. It came from the Court of Appeal, so it reaches beyond Penang.
Does a homestay need a licence?
Plan on a council licence. It is the document every later step asks for.
| Where you register | What it asks for first |
|---|---|
| MOTAC, through TOURLIST | A business or operating licence for tourist accommodation, from your council or another government authority |
| Penang, MBPP or MBSP | A licence under the 2026 by-laws, applied for before enforcement starts on 1 November 2026 |
| MOTAC Homestay Programme | A rural home you live in, inside a registered village cluster |
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The law behind MOTAC's register is wide. The Tourism Industry Act 1992 counts any building offered to tourists for overnight stays, for rent, as accommodation premises. That covers a homestay, a guesthouse or a whole apartment.
Homestay licence requirements in Malaysia
MOTAC's registration guideline for tourist accommodation took effect on 1 August 2025. Here is what it asks for.
| Item | What MOTAC asks for |
|---|---|
| Business registration | Registered with SSM, or with the Cooperative Commission if you run a cooperative |
| Council licence | A business or operating licence for tourist accommodation |
| Documents to upload | A current SSM e-Info, the licence copy, the premises name, a photo of the building front, room types and facilities |
| Fees | RM 20 processing, plus RM 50 registration after approval |
| Time to certificate | Seven working days at the state office, then seven at MOTAC headquarters |
| Premises name | Leave out words like pelancongan or pengembaraan, and butik, which is a MOTAC grade |
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How to apply for a homestay licence in Malaysia
Do it in this order. Each step supplies a document the next one asks for.
| What to do | Where |
|---|---|
| 1. Read your title and your building's house rules, so you apply for the right licence | Your title document and the management office |
| 2. Apply for the council licence that covers short stays | Your city or municipal council |
| 3. Register the business, if you register with MOTAC | SSM |
| 4. Register the premises and pay RM 70 after approval | TOURLIST, at tourlist.gov.my |
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MOTAC homestay registration: who it is for
MOTAC's Homestay Experience Programme began in 1995 in Temerloh, Pahang. Guests live with a village family and join daily life. Joining is voluntary. Its guideline is dated November 2021.
| Rule | Peninsular Malaysia | Sabah, Sarawak, Labuan |
|---|---|---|
| Who may join | Malaysian citizens, living with family in a rural home | |
| Smallest cluster | 10 hosts | 5 hosts |
| Radius from the activity centre | 10 km | 50 km |
| Rooms per host | Up to 5 for a homestay, up to 10 for a kampungstay | |
| Where to apply | Your state MOTAC office. Inspection within 14 working days, then a basic homestay course | |
| Housing estates and Airbnb units | Outside this programme. They take the council route in step 3 | |
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MOTAC once kept a short-term residential register, known as STRA. MOTAC's notice says it stopped taking STRA registrations from 15 February 2020. Today the MOTAC counter for a city unit is TOURLIST, once the council licence is in hand.
Short-term rental licensing, state by state
Where we could read a state's rule on an official site, it is in the table. Elsewhere, the line names the council to ask.
| State, date read | Who licenses you | What is required, and the source |
|---|---|---|
| Penang 22 Sep 2026 | MBPP on the island, MBSP on the mainland | A licence under the 2026 by-laws, in force since 1 August 2026. Apply before enforcement starts on 1 November 2026. Source: our Penang guide, from the state's news portal |
| Kuala Lumpur 29 Sep 2026 | DBKL | Ask DBKL's licensing counter which licence covers a short stay. Source: dbkl.gov.my |
| Selangor 29 Sep 2026 | Your city or municipal council, such as MBPJ or MBSA | Check with your council. Source: council sites |
| Johor 29 Sep 2026 | Your council, such as MBJB in Johor Bahru | Check with your council. Source: mbjb.gov.my |
| Melaka 29 Sep 2026 | Your council, such as MBMB in Melaka City | Check with your council. Source: mbmb.gov.my |
| Sabah 29 Sep 2026 | Your council, such as DBKK in Kota Kinabalu | Check with your council. Source: council sites |
| Every state 29 Sep 2026 | MOTAC state office | TOURLIST registration, with the council licence first. The rural Homestay Programme for village hosts. Source: motac.gov.my |
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At the council, ask three things. Which licence covers a short stay? What does it cost each year? What papers does it need from your building?
Sources & dates
- MOTAC, Garis Panduan Pendaftaran Premis Penginapan Pelancong (PPP), in force 1 August 2025. It sets the conditions, documents, TOURLIST steps, fees, service times and naming rules. It quotes the definition of accommodation premises from section 2 of the Tourism Industry Act 1992 [Act 482]. Linked from motac.gov.my/premis-penginapan-pelancong. Read 29 Sep 2026.
- MOTAC, Garis Panduan Program Pengalaman Homestay Malaysia, in force November 2021. It sets who may join, the rural test, cluster sizes and room limits. It also lists who applies elsewhere. Linked from motac.gov.my/program-pengalaman-homestay-malaysia. Read 29 Sep 2026.
- MOTAC notice, Pemberhentian Pendaftaran Penginapan Kediaman Jangka Masa Pendek (STRA) Mulai 15 Februari 2020, on motac.gov.my. Read 29 Sep 2026.
- KPKT, the Ministry of Local Government, at kpkt.gov.my. We looked there for a national short-term rental guideline on 29 Sep 2026. We will add it here once KPKT publishes one.
- Penang by-laws: see the sources on our Penang guide, read 22 Sep 2026.
- DBKL, MBJB, MBMB, MBSA and DBKK websites, checked 29 Sep 2026 for a published short-stay licence rule.
Licensed already? Put it where guests look.
A council licence number is proof a guest can check. Engines weigh proof like that when they choose which stay to name. Our Position Check reads whether your site and profiles show yours.
Orientation, not legal advice. Confirm your position with your council before any money decision.
- Penang's licence in full: fees, no-go areas and the 1 November deadline
- Lesen homestay Pulau Pinang, dalam Bahasa Melayu
- Licensed? Then the tax: income tax, tourism tax and SST for hosts
- Airbnb's 15.5% host fee in Malaysia, in ringgit
- How much Booking.com and Agoda charge a licensed homestay in Malaysia
The founder replies on both buttons, usually the same day.