Woman protests double agent fee for JB apartment rental renewal

New Straits Times

4 days ago

JOHOR BARU: A Malaysian woman working in Singapore has raised concerns over being charged a second agent commission despite only renewing her rental for a property near the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) Complex here.
In a Facebook thread that has since gone viral, the tenant questioned why she was asked to pay another RM1,431 in agent fees — the same amount she paid when she first rented the property a year ago.
"I'm not moving. I'm staying in the same house. Why should I be charged again? What service justifies this?" she wrote in a post shared under the username miarania96, which included a full breakdown of her initial rental costs totalling RM11,331.
According to her, the agent responded by calculating that the fee equated to "RM4 a day" and said it was for "our service for the upcoming one year".
The woman, who works in Singapore and depends on accommodation at rental units near CIQ due to transport constraints, said she felt pressured to comply.
"They told me it's standard practice in Johor. But when I rented in Selangor, agents didn't charge again for renewals — some even let me deal directly with the owner," she said.
The Valuers, Appraisers and Estate Agents Act 1981 (amended 1997) regulates property professionals in Malaysia, requiring agents to operate ethically and transparently.
The woman's post has sparked debate on whether such repeat charges are legally permissible or simply an industry practice.
The 'New Straits Times' is contacting the Board of Valuers, Appraisers, Estate Agents and Property Managers (the regulatory body overseeing real estate agents in Malaysia) and state-based authorities and associations, to clarify whether repeat commission fees on rental renewals are allowed under current regulations.