46 ZAPE units sealed in illegal accommodation crackdown

The Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) has sealed 46 of 134 units in ZAPE reported to authorities so far this year, following a resident’s complaint.

Authorities said it carried out 216 interdepartmental joint operations between January and August this year, conducting a cumulative 360 inspections of suspected premises and sealing 166 suspected illegal accommodation units, including 134 individual units reported in the ZAPE district, 46 of which were sealed.

The figures were disclosed after a resident told public broadcaster TDM’s radio program that although she had reported the matter to the tourism office twice, it had remained unresolved for months.

Legislator Nick Lei reportedly said that many unsuspecting property owners have had their units sealed after they were misused for illegal accommodation, and suggested that future legislative amendments explore a more flexible handling mechanism to reduce the impact on owners. He noted that similar cases had been received in the past, but that the time required for authorities to investigate and gather evidence varied by case, and urged the government to step up online patrols and public outreach targeting tourists to tackle community safety hazards at the source.

The tourism office said records showed a similar case had been handled before and that no evidence so far suggested the unit was an illegal guesthouse, adding that it would seal premises and cut off water and power to stop them from being used for illegal accommodation, TDM reported. YL