This comes after the Penang state assembly heard yesterday that plans were being drawn up to allow condominiums to ban short-term rentals and homestays through their house rules.

In a statement, the company said research conducted by Oxford Economics found that Airbnb guests spent a total of RM4.4 billion in Malaysia last year and supported more than 52,000 local jobs.

Airbnb said it had previously welcomed the Malaysia Productivity Corporation’s new guidelines for short-term accommodation, which provided an opportunity for the government to grow tourism while ensuring compliance through regulation.

Michelle Goh, Airbnb’s head of public policy, Southeast Asia, said the company “believes all Malaysians should have the choice to responsibly and safely share their own home. We are strongly opposed to any unfair and heavy-handed blanket ban on short-term rentals in strata buildings”.

She added that blanket bans would have a “devastating impact on the already weakened tourism industry,” and that they would “threaten thousands of local jobs and the supplemental income that many Malaysians rely on during these crucial times”.

The company reaffirmed its commitment to working with the government and Malaysian communities to ensure clear and considered regulations are put in place, to allow people the option to lease their homes while also ensuring management bodies have appropriate oversight over these agreements.