Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1546219
IT is pretty clear that the authorities have lost control of the situation in the short-let sector. The Malta Tourism Authority does have a list of licensed properties for short- let tourism purposes but there are hundreds more oper- ating in the market below the authority's radar. A simple exercise carried out by MaltaToday a couple of weeks ago showed that on one booking platform alone there were at least 100 unlicensed properties being advertised in Gozo, Swieqi, St Julian's, Pembroke, Gżira and Msida. The authority's ability to enforce its own standards across the licensed market is questionable, let alone its ability to clamp down on unlicensed properties. And to top it all, new rules introduced just before the general election are not applicable to existing short-let proper- ties but only new ones, leaving the vast majority of the market untouched. The result is mayhem and rampant abuse; the victims being residential communities that have to make do with unruly tourists, vandalism and garbage piling on the pavements on the wrong days. Swieqi is the epito- me of this state of affairs but it is not alone. The response by the authorities so far, has been to offer bandages to cover the wounds—putting soldiers on the street, carrying out reactive spot checks when- ever a video of mayhem is posted on social media, in- troducing spot fines for tourists, sending the Cleansing Department people to pick up the mounds of waste. While these solutions have helped mitigate the issues of concern for residents, they fall short of addressing the root cause of the problem—the exponential in- crease in short-let apartments with no equal increase in enforcement resources. This leader believes the tourism minister should in- troduce a two-year moratorium on the issuance of new short-let licences. This will allow the authorities to take stock of the situation, identify the gaps in enforce- ment and boost resources to ensure the sector can be properly regulated. We have to ask ourselves, is short- let tourism what this country needs to grow its econo- my? Has this form of tourism now grown so big that it has become a burden on residential communities? A moratorium will allow the authorities space to en- sure regulatory measures are introduced, compliance verified and action taken to clamp down on abuse. It is within this context that the new rules an- nounced before the election and introduced at the start of summer should immediately apply to all licensed short-let properties with a three-month window to comply with the standards. Is it fair for honest land- lords who adhere to regulations and ensure their pri- vate activity does not have a detrimental impact on the neighbourhood to compete with others who give two hoots about the community? By closing an eye to abuse, the government is simply sending the message that it is OK to ignore the law or twist it like chewing gum. It is a message of impunity that castigates the honest and condemns communities to unruliness. It is beyond ridiculous that hotels and guesthouses have to comply with all sorts of safety, environmental and sanitary standards, while apartments in the heart of communities are given a free pass. The authorities seem blind to the fact that the real impact short-let tourism is having on communities is creating frustra- tion and anger that is resulting in a wholesome rejec- tion of tourism as an economic niche. A second immediate action should be the creation of an MTA task force to identify unlicensed short-let operators and crack down on their activity. Anybody caught engaging in such activity without authorisation should be fined heftily. In parallel, unauthorised short- let operators should be subjected to a full tax investi- gation to determine what income has been flying below the radar. These measures may appear too draconian. They aren't. They are simply a call for rules to be introduced and respected—a key element for the free market to function fairly and in harmony with the communities it serves. What is draconian is the deployment of soldiers on the street because the police on their own cannot cope with the crisis that has been allowed to develop to the detriment of residents' quality of life. We expect that all the pre-election talk of measur- ing success through a wellbeing index is not just hot air. We hope the government wakes up from its sweet slumber and starts to act like it is in charge. Residents deserve nothing less. Why a moratorium on short- let licences makes sense maltatoday MaltaToday, MediaToday Co. Ltd, Vjal ir-Rihan, San Gwann SGN 9016 MANAGING EDITOR: SAVIOUR BALZAN EXECUTIVE EDITOR: KURT SANSONE DEPUTY PRINT EDITOR: LAURA CALLEJA Tel: (356) 21 382741-3, 21 382745-6 Website: www.maltatoday.com.mt E-mail: dailynews@mediatoday.com.mt 11 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 19 AUGUST 2026 EDITORIAL We hope the government wakes up from its sweet slumber and starts to act like it is in charge. Residents deserve nothing less