Is it illegal to stay at an Airbnb place in Myanmar as a non-Burmese citizen, and if so, who gets punished (lessor or lessee) and what's the penalty?
I have read some unsupported claims regarding whether it is illegal to stay at an Airbnb place in Myanmar as a non-Burmese citizen, and what happens to the lessor and lessee if the police catches them renting an Airbnb place in Myanmar.
For example:
https://www.myanmore.com/2017/09/unusual-laws-myanmar/ (mirror):
That’s a bit of a gray area, but it’s definitely illegal to host a foreigner in ones local home. If you’re on a tourist visa, make sure to stay away from homestays; you could be deported back to your country! Opt for hotels or resorts instead – not in your budget? Let me tell you about guesthouses…
https://www.mmtimes.com/business/22780-yangon-government-to-clamp-down-on-renting-apartments-to-foreign-tourists.html (mirror):
He said the onus was on homeowners to check what kind of visa a foreign visitor holds before renting out a room. He could not be reached, however, for further comment on what the penalties for lax landlords will be or how grey areas, such as visiting foriegn friends or rooms let on the increasingly popular online rental marketplace Airbnb, will be treated.
Is it illegal to stay at an Airbnb place in Myanmar as a non-Burmese citizen, and if so, who gets punished (lessor or lessee) and what's the penalty?
Best Answer
From: consult-myanmar.com
"By-laws written for Myanmar’s 1947 Immigration Act stipulate that foreign visitors on a tourist visa must stay in hotels, he said.
Only permanent residents and foreigners holding business visas are allowed to rent apartments or houses within wards – an administrative sub-division of cities – said U Zaw Aye Maung."
As to the penalty, it appears they are serious:
"tourists could face deportation"
and
"owners who rent rooms to foreign guests without a licence can be jailed for three years"
Pictures about "Is it illegal to stay at an Airbnb place in Myanmar as a non-Burmese citizen, and if so, who gets punished (lessor or lessee) and what's the penalty?"
Did Your City Ban Airbnb? Do This...
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Nicole Michalou, Nicole Michalou, Nicole Michalou, Nicole Michalou