Illegal accommodation law effective from April 1

The new legal regime on the banning of illegal accommodation came into force last Friday, April 1.

The new law aims to stop the provision of illegal accommodation to tourists in residential buildings, as well as strengthen the power of inspection and enforcement of penalties by the local authorities, namely the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO).

The new law stipulates that all non-residents entering Macau, except workers and those holding special authorization to stay for over 90 days, are only allowed to stay in legally operated hotel establishments, including hotels, apartment hotels, and economical accommodation establishments.

Any person or entity accommodating visitors in premises or individual apartments that are not classified to function as hotel establishments, such as residential and commercial properties as well as industrial buildings, are regarded as illegal accommodation providers.

Exceptions are only considered in cases where visitors are visiting family and friends who would provide them short stay lodging free of charge.

The new law also imposes stricter regulations on accommodation booking agents as well as real estate intermediaries and agents.

The law stipulates that accommodation booking agents such as online platforms for hotel reservations, for example, must provide documentation and remove all online posts about accommodation at residential premises or flats. 

Other amendments include a new penalty for real estate intermediaries and agents who are found to be facilitating the renting of units to provide illegal accommodation. These penalties include fines ranging from 20,000 patacas to 100,000 patacas.