Home sharing has negative effects too

I REFER to the letter “Home sharing has much to offer” ( The Star, June 20) by Mich Goh.

Indeed, the home sharing concept, whereby information on accommodation can be sought online and reservations can be made around the clock without juristic boundaries, has contributed immensely to lowering the cost of travelling while enhancing the experience of tourists.

However, a host of side-effects have been created by home sharing. It is not unusual nowadays in Penang to see a banner hung at the entrance of a condominium that says “This is not a service apartment. Home Sharing not allowed”, which clearly shows the residents’ and owners’ frustration and resentment towards home sharing.

Seeing new faces on a weekly basis and strangers walking in the common corridor or using the pool/gym of one’s condo is simply a violation of one’s exclusive rights to enjoy these facilities peacefully. Even worse, a usually quiet neighbour would suddenly be hosting 12 rowdy youngsters (four to a room in a three-bedroom unit) for a few days, causing much unease to the other residents. There was even a chain-burglary case which was suspected to be the work of a short-term tenant.

Property supply/demand cycles are normal for as long as free market is being practised, but to legalise home sharing in the form it is today with the hope of allowing it to influence an unbalanced property market would be a big mistake.

As pointed out by Mich Goh in his letter, a typical Malaysian host earned only RM4,790 in the whole year of 2017. If we are not careful with our policy, it could even worsen the property market situation that is already bad enough, as I believe the current predicament is partly caused by unrealistic expectations of misinformed home buyers.