A Malaysian tenancy agreement covers more than rent and the tenancy period. It details practical living conditions, including maintenance, early termination, move-out procedures and responsibility for repairs.
To clarify contractual roles, this article uses “landlord” for the party letting the property and “tenant” for the party renting it.
Drawing on KL Fudousan’s local rental experience, this guide focuses on five points especially likely to cause problems after moving in.
Air conditioning
Prohibited activities
Expatriate clause
Move-out conditions
Repair responsibilities
Air-conditioner servicing frequency
Malaysian tenancies commonly require tenants to pay for regular air-conditioner cleaning and maintenance. At move-out, complete the services specified in the agreement and submit receipts or other proof.
Air-conditioner leaks can result from insufficient or inadequate servicing. We recommend first arranging a service and checking the situation.
Generally every six months
Gas top-up
For air-conditioner cleaning and repair contractors, see our useful service-provider list.
Prohibited activities in the property
Restrictions vary by property. Before signing, check these points in particular.
- Keeping pets
- Smoking indoors
- Unauthorised renovations, drilling or equipment changes
- Subletting or use for short-stay accommodation
- Use that breaches condominium management rules
For pets, check both the condominium’s rules and the landlord’s consent. Tell KL Fudousan at the start of your search if you need a pet-friendly property.
Expatriate clause
An expatriate clause permits early termination when specified conditions are met, such as an employer’s repatriation order.
Expatriate clauses generally apply from the second year, and often do not permit early termination within the first year of the tenancy.
Always check the agreement for the effective date, notice period and required employer documents proving repatriation.
Expatriate tenants should check before signing whether an expatriate clause is included. Understand the terms at the start, rather than checking for the first time after repatriation is announced.
Move-out and early-termination conditions
Particularly important are early-termination penalties and the deadline for giving notice.
Early-termination provisions may require forfeiture of the two-month security deposit or payment of rent until the tenancy expires. This difference greatly affects your liability, so always check before signing.
Many agreements also require notice two to three months in advance. After notice, you may be asked to cooperate with viewings for replacement tenants. If requested in advance and you expect to be home, help where reasonably possible.
For the actual move-out process, see Moving out and ending a tenancy in Malaysia for details.
Who pays expenses and repair costs?
Check the agreement to see whether the landlord or tenant pays for defects and repairs during the tenancy. It may set a tenant contribution limit for minor repairs.
- Management charges
- Sinking fund contributions
- Property-related taxes
- Structural defects, such as water leaking from the ceiling
- Appliance failure through normal use
- Contract-related costs
- Minor repairs costing RM300 or less
- Replacing light bulbs
- Blocked drains and similar issues
- Damage or staining caused by the tenant’s use
The landlord often pays to repair supplied refrigerators or washing machines that fail during normal use. Damage from tenant use—such as wall markings, scratched flooring or discolouration of floors or kitchen surfaces—may lead to reinstatement charges at move-out.
In new or relatively new properties, scratches and stains at move-out may more readily be attributed to the tenant, leading to substantial reinstatement costs. KL Fudousan has handled a case where floor scratches and damage to walls and kitchen surfaces resulted in RM7,000 being deducted from the security deposit.
KL Fudousan photographs and records the unit’s condition at move-in. If you later notice damage or defects and inform us, we notify the landlord and record the details.
KL Fudousan checks key terms when arranging a tenancy and coordinates to avoid misunderstandings between landlord and tenant.
If you would like to check the agreement in Japanese
KL Fudousan does not charge tenants a brokerage fee for rental searches handled by our English- and Chinese-speaking local staff. For Japanese-language assistance, including checking contract terms, our separate Japanese-language support service is available.
Tell us your preferred area, budget and moving date for your Kuala Lumpur rental search.