Where you live affects your safety, your budget and your friendships. This guide covers your options, what to check before you sign anything, and how to avoid the scams that target new students.
Your main options
On-campus halls and residential colleges
Most institutions offer some on-campus housing. EMGS points out the advantages:
- Convenience: you are close to classes and facilities.
- Community: it is easy to make friends.
- Security: campus housing has security and support on site.
- Simplicity: rooms are usually furnished, often with utilities included.
The main drawback is limited space, so apply early. Halls also have house rules, such as rules on visitors. Prices vary: UTM in Johor Bahru, for example, lists hostel rooms at RM300 to RM600 a month.
Off-campus rooms and apartments
Many students rent a room in a shared house or condominium, or share a whole apartment with friends. This gives you more independence and choice. You also take on more responsibility: a tenancy agreement, deposits, bills and dealing with the landlord.
Properties may be fully furnished, partly furnished or unfurnished.
Your first few nights
EMGS recommends booking somewhere temporary, such as a hostel, for your first few nights before you leave home. This gives you time to view rooms in person rather than committing to something you have only seen online.
Choosing a location
- Travel time to campus at the hours you will actually travel.
- Transport: EMGS recommends living near public transport if you are off campus.
- Safety: whether the walk home feels safe after dark, and whether the building has security.
- Everyday needs: shops, food and a clinic nearby.
- Local advice: ask your international office and current students which areas they recommend.
Before you sign a tenancy agreement
Always get a written agreement, and read it in full before you sign. Check that it covers:
- The basics: the names of both parties, the address and the exact room or unit.
- Rent: the monthly amount, the due date and how to pay.
- Deposits: each deposit, what it covers, and when and how it will be returned.
- What is included: utilities, internet, furniture, appliances, cleaning and parking.
- Length: the tenancy period, renewal terms, and how much notice either side must give.
- Leaving early: what happens if you leave before the end. This matters if your semester ends, you change course or you go home early.
- Repairs: who pays for them, and how to report problems.
- House rules: guests, cooking, noise and pets.
In Malaysia, tenancy agreements are usually stamped with the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN), and the tenant often pays the stamp duty. Ask the landlord or agent who will arrange this and how much it costs.
When you move in, list the furniture and its condition, take dated photos, and get a receipt for every payment.
Deposits: the “2+1” pattern
Many landlords in Malaysia ask for what is often called “2+1”:
- 2: a security deposit of two months’ rent, returned at the end of the tenancy minus any proper deductions.
- 1: one month’s rent paid in advance, which covers your first month.
Many landlords also ask for a utility deposit, often around half a month’s rent, and sometimes a small deposit for an access card or keys. These amounts are a common practice, not a legal requirement, and they vary. Room rentals can be more flexible, and some landlords ask for more. Universiti Malaya’s guidance mentions a deposit of three months’ rent.
An example, for illustration only: for a room at RM600 a month, “2+1” plus a half-month utility deposit would be RM1,200 + RM600 + RM300 = RM2,100 before you move in.
To get your deposit back:
- Give the notice your agreement requires.
- Pay all your bills and clean the room.
- Return the keys and access cards.
- Ask for an itemised list of any deductions.
Common scams and how to avoid them
Rental scams often target students who are still overseas. Warning signs include:
- Pressure to pay before viewing. EMGS notes that it is not usual to pay rent before you arrive or see the property.
- A price far below similar rooms nearby.
- A “landlord” who cannot meet you or show you the room, often because they claim to be abroad.
- A rush to pay a booking fee “before someone else takes it”.
- Payment to a personal account that does not match the owner’s or agency’s name.
- The same photos appearing in several different listings.
To protect yourself:
- View in person. View the room yourself, or ask someone you trust to view it for you on a live video call.
- Check agents. Ask for their registration number and check it with the Board of Valuers, Appraisers, Estate Agents and Property Managers (LPPEH).
- Check accounts and numbers. Look up the bank account or phone number on the police Semak Mule website, which shows whether it has been reported in fraud cases. No record does not guarantee it is safe.
If you think you have been scammed, call the National Scam Response Centre on 997 as quickly as possible, then contact your bank and make a police report.
Staying safe at home
- Lock up, and do not lend your access card to anyone.
- Share your address with a friend and your institution.
- Learn the fire exits in your building.
- Save 999, the number for police, ambulance and fire.
- Speak up. If something feels wrong, tell your international office or someone you trust.
How AntsEducare can help
A new room in a new city can feel lonely at first. Our events are an easy way to meet students from other campuses.