Malta Hotels and Restaurant Association (MHRA) President Tony Zahra said there was a “convergence of thought” between the MHRA and the Tourism Ministry in their most recent meeting about a bill to regulate short-term letting.
Mr Zahra tells WhosWho.mt that the MHRA had several meetings about the proposed regulations since Deputy Prime Minister Ian Borg took over the tourism portfolio towards the end of 2024.
“We discussed and made suggestions and finally it’s the decision of Government on how they wish to move forward,” he said.
“We are not as yet privy to what will actually be announced although given our very cordial discussions I am assuming that what will be announced would be the same as the final meeting/s we had where we had a convergence of thoughts.”
Deputy Prime Minister Ian Borg/ Photo: Facebook
More details on the regulations, which are part of a wider reform of the tourism accommodation sector, are set to be announced next week.
The initial bill tabled by Dr Borg in Parliament last November proposed limiting short-term rentals to six occupants per unit, regardless of size, and introducing a minimum three-month waiting period before a long-term rental can be converted into a short-term let.
All short-term rental units will also be required to have clearly visible exterior signage of their license number and the 24/7 contact details of a person who people can reach out to for complaints or emergencies.
The Malta Tourism Authority will also be empowered to designate specific zones where short-letting licences can be granted, potentially opening the door to a ban on short-term letting in certain towns, areas or streets.
It is part of a wider reform on accommodation that also includes hotels, guesthouses and hostels. As per the initial proposal, hotels will be capped at 200 rooms, guesthouses at 20 rooms or 40 beds and hostels at 40 beds.
A legal proviso that allowed hotels to exceed the height limits set out in the local plans by two storeys will also be scrapped.
According to the plan, pilot projects will be launched in Swieqi and Valletta, both very popular destinations for short-term letting.
The MHRA had welcomed the reform when it was announced last November, stating that short-term letting units must be regulated if Malta is to push for quality-driven tourism while minimising pressure on communities.
