Lestari Fees in Negeri Sembilan: A practical guide for hotels

 If you operate a hotel in Negeri Sembilan, here's what you should know about Lestari Fees and how they may impact your hotel operations. 

Why do we need to collect?

Lestari/ Sustainability fees is an additional charge collected from guests staying at hotels or accommodation properties.

The fee is typically used to support tourism-related initiatives such as:

• Environmental conservation
• Public facility improvements
• Tourism infrastructure development
• Sustainable tourism programs

The implementation, collection method, and fee amount may vary depending on the local authority overseeing the area.

Which districts in Negeri Sembilan have already implemented? 

1. Port Dickson

For many hoteliers in Negeri Sembilan, Sustainability Fees are not entirely new.

Hotels in Port Dickson have been collecting the Sustainability Fee since 1 November 2025 at RM4.00 per room per night, under the Hotel (Port Dickson Municipal Council) By-Laws 2025. 

2. Seremban

As of 12th June, hotel operators under Majlis Bandaraya Seremban (MBS) have received notices regarding a proposed Lestari/Sustainability Fee implementation.

Based on the notices received, the fee is expected to take effect from 1 July 2026 at RM3 per room per night for hotels under MBS. At the time of writing, an official public announcement is still pending and implementation details remain subject to change.

What Should Hotels Prepare?

• Update PMS tax/fee settings
• Update Booking Engine fee display
• If you are selling on OTAs, update tax for channel mapping on your channel manager.
• Brief front office staff
• Review guest communication procedures
• Review existing reservations with stay dates after the implementation date

How Is the Sustainability Fee Collected?

Most hotels collect the Sustainability Fee during the guest's check-in process.

The general process typically works as follows:

Step 1: Guest Makes a Reservation

The guest books a room through an OTA, hotel website, booking engine, phone call, or walk-in reservation.

Step 2: Guest Arrives at the Hotel

During check-in, the front office staff informs the guest about the Sustainability Fee imposed by the local authority.

Step 3: Fee Is Collected

The hotel collects the Sustainability Fee based on the applicable rate and records the transaction accordingly.

Step 4: Record Keeping

Hotels maintain records of the fee collected for reporting and compliance purposes.

Summary

The Lestari Fee is a proactive step by the state government to support sustainable tourism and preserve the local environment. For hotels under Majlis Bandaraya Seremban, the fee is expected to take effect from 1 July 2026 at RM3.00 per room per night.

As a hotel operator, now is the time to ensure your systems and processes are ready to handle the collection correctly. If you need help configuring your PMS or Booking Engine, feel free to reach out to our team.