A Malaysian woman looking to rent a house had the shock of her life when she discovered that an ‘agent fee’ was being included in her payment breakdown.
Taking to her Threads profile, the woman, Sasha, questioned whether it is legal for a property agent to include a fee in a tenant’s rental payment breakdown.
She wrote, “I am shook. This is insane, no? I’m genuinely curious, is this even legal? I was just trying to find a place to rent and look at the agent fee! Why am I being asked to pay so much for the agent fee? Someone, please tell me what the law actually says about agent fees.”
The payment breakdown for the house, with a rental price of RM2,000 a month, included:
- 1 month advanced rental of RM2,000
- 2-month security deposit amounting to RM4,000
- Half a month’s utility deposit of RM1,000
- An agent’s fee (1 month rental price and 8% SST) amounting to RM2,160
- Tenancy agreement stamping and legal processes amounting to an estimated RM300 to RM500
She was ultimately given a figure of RM9,460 to RM9,660 to rent the property that costs RM2,000 a month.
Who pays the agent’s fee, the tenant or the property owner/landlord?
Many have since pointed out that the agent’s fee should be paid for by the property owner or landlord, as they are the ones who hired the agent to list their property for rent. Though, this agent may allegedly be trying to charge both sides.
“Please report this agent. They want to earn from both sides, and we cannot let this culture continue. It’s extreme! Because there are many agents like this, people no longer look for rental properties through agents and directly look for owners, and owners, too, do not like to deal with agents.”
However, some pointed out that this practice has become a regular thing in states like Johor and Penang.
“Johor Bahru and Penang indeed typically have this wrong practice.”
We hope that the Minister of Housing and Local Government, Nga Kor Ming, looks into this issue and clarifies things for all Malaysians.
What do you think about this? Do feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section.
