The Malta Chamber of SMEs, representing a significant number of landlords, expressed its disappointment Wednesday over the recent procedure introduced by Identita', requiring a legal professional to witness the signatures of both landlords and tenants on the attestation form.

While the SME Chamber supports increased controls to curb abuse to protect national interests and security, the new procedure fails to address the practical needs of the industry, the chamber said. This change introduces unnecessary bureaucracy, especially when renting to third country nationals (TCNs), complicating the process for both landlords and tenants.

Instead of resolving long-standing inefficiencies and abuses that were allowed to occur in the past years, landlords and tenants are now being directly penalised for these systemic shortcomings. The Malta Chamber of SMEs is particularly concerned that the new procedure will not resolve the underlying problems it is meant to address, while also placing an undue burden on landlords. and tenants, penalising the whole sector.

The Malta Chamber of SMEs has put forward proposals that aim to ensure compliance while adopting a more efficient, streamlined approach. The SME Chamber remains committed to working with authorities to find solutions that promote regulatory compliance without disproportionate burdens for those impacted by this measure.