Now you can turn your home into a hostel

Opening a small hostel that hosts up to 16 people in your own private home is now possible… without having to present a formal planning application, thanks to a legal notice issued on 28 February.

The legal notice stipulates that one can lodge up to 16 persons in any dwelling located in old village or town centres.

The legal notice specifies that dwellings in urban conservation areas can provide lodging facilities for up to 16 people without requiring any change of use.

But all such properties providing lodging facilities will still require a licence issued by the Malta Tourism Authority.

According to the Malta Environment and Planning Authority, the aim of this measure is to encourage the regeneration of urban conservation areas.

The legal notice also facilitates small-scale business activities like giving private lessons or opening a small message parlour from the comfort of your home.

A ‘change of use’ application is not required when part of a dwelling, capped at 50 square metres in area, is used for beauty and wellness related services, professional offices, medical services, or education, or any other activity which in the opinion of the MEPA is compatible with residential use.

But such activities must not be a “client intensive activity” and must not occupy more than 50% of a dwelling.

In fact, prior to the introduction of this legal notice, the operation of business activities from homes was not regulated.

But in all such cases, the residence cannot form part of a block of apartments and must not generate a disproportionate vehicular traffic or parking which is detrimental to the amenity of the area.