RENTING a home is becoming increasingly difficult for many Malaysians, particularly in high-demand states like Johor.
A recent Threads post by a concerned woman has sparked heated discussions online after she highlighted a steep rental rate for a basic housing unit in the state.
“Living in Johor is getting harder with rental rates that do not make any sense,” she wrote in her post.
A screenshot of a Facebook post attached to her post showed a bare, unfurnished single-storey unit allegedly being rented out for a staggering RM1,000.
She claimed that the unit was located in the city centre, hence the exorbitant rental rate.
In the comments section of the screenshot, one user suggested that the landlord could be targeting Malaysians working in Singapore — perhaps those not earning high salaries — but pointed out that even for that demographic, the rent was not considered affordable.
The situation has ignited broader concerns over affordability, especially for locals earning in Malaysian Ringgit, as rental prices appear to be inflated by demand from Singaporean workers and landlords aiming at tenants with stronger currencies.
“I don’t think people who work in Singapore would choose such run-down houses, right? If they’re already paying a high price, they might as well get a bigger, nicer house. Even if it’s a bit further from Johor Bahru, it’s fine — many of them are used to commuting anyway,” one commenter pointed out.
Another user noted that the cost of living in the state is even higher than in Kuala Lumpur, with the most expensive water tariffs in Malaysia — largely due to Singaporeans and Malaysians earning in Singapore dollars (SGD), who are willing to pay as long as it is still cheaper than prices on the island.
“There are landlords dreaming of renting out flats — yes, flats with no lift and not even on the ground floor — asking for RM1,000 or even RM1,100 in rent. I don’t know... it just feels like a scam, because other similar units aren’t even close to RM1,000,” one user shared.
“I saw on Facebook — the house looks like it’s about to collapse, yet they’re asking RM1,300 for it. A flat on the fourth floor. Then I read the location — it’s in Stulang,” another user claimed.
