TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taipei announced Monday (Sept. 7) a punitive measure targeting daily rental apartments that illegally provide lodging for individuals who require quarantine upon arrival in Taiwan.

Starting Sept. 22, owners of daily rental apartments who lack a permit but are found to be accommodating visitors with isolation needs will be fined between NT$3,000 (US$102) and NT$15,000 in compliance with the Communicable Disease Control Act. The name and address of the business will also be published, according to the Taipei City Government.

Deputy Mayor Huang Shan-shan (黃珊珊) reiterated that only designated hotels and facilities are allowed to provide quarantine service. As of Sept. 1, a total of 81 premises were found to have violated the law, mostly located in transportation hubs or tourist hotspots, reported CNA.

The capital of Taiwan warned that short-term lodgings are often mixed with residential apartments and could pose transmission risks if disinfection is not duly practiced and human movement not controlled.

Last month Taipei published a list of hotels found to have broken the rules by taking in guests who were supposed to have been under quarantine, which included the luxury hotel Regent Taipei. The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) also scrapped plans to allow ordinary hotels to offer these quarantine services.

International students have cried out for financial assistance for the considerable fees they have to shoulder for hotel quarantine, which can cost over NT$50,000 in metropolitan areas.

The Tourism Bureau has promised to secure funding for the extended subsidy program, which grants certified quarantine hotels a payment of NT$1,000 or NT$1,200 a night. Taiwan currently has 15,000 rooms for providing isolation services.