{"id":33557,"date":"2018-03-06T14:52:04","date_gmt":"2018-03-06T06:52:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.imoney.my\/articles\/?p=33557"},"modified":"2021-08-19T14:48:22","modified_gmt":"2021-08-19T06:48:22","slug":"renter-rights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.imoney.my\/articles\/renter-rights","title":{"rendered":"Renters\u2019 Rights: If You Are A Tenant, Arm Yourself With These!"},"content":{"rendered":"
Bank Negara Malaysia revealed that the country faces a shortage of affordable housing. After reviewing its data, the bank said homes in the country were seriously unaffordable<\/a> in 2016 by international standards.<\/p>\n According to its quarterly bulletin, the maximum affordable house price in the country had to be RM282,000, based on the housing cost-burden approach. But the actual median is RM313,000, which is way beyond the reach of many where the median national household income is only RM5,228.<\/p>\n This is not the first time the central bank has flagged the unaffordability of homes in the country. Last year, during the launch of its property market monitor Housing Watch<\/em>, BNM found the problem with homeownership was not the lack of access to credit, but not having enough income and houses generally being too expensive<\/a>.<\/p>\n While there are certain hacks and tips to work around these issues, a positive is that even if you are averse to a long-term relationship with your bank or genuinely struggling with living costs, independence is not a pipe dream. Renting is the way to go.<\/p>\n Now, that may be a practical choice, the question looming on everyone\u2019s mind is, \u201cAre you protected as a tenant?\u201d<\/p>\n At writing time, Parliament has yet to pass any comprehensive law covering landlord and tenant. Surprised?<\/p>\n The only property-related act that was discussed and even abolished was the Control of Rent Act 1966 which applied to rent-controlled premises or \u201cpre-war\u201d buildings: those colonial buildings built before World War 2.<\/p>\n As constructing some form of landlord-tenant legislation will be in bits, here\u2019s a list of laws to familiarise yourself with: Contracts Act 1950; Civil Law Act 1956; Distress Act 1951; Specific Relief Act 1950; and Common Law\/Case Law.<\/p>\n Also we do have a definition of a tenancy, according to Act 56 of the National Land Code 1965, which is a short-term agreement usually not more than three years.<\/p>\n There is an unfavourable condition to being a tenant. For example, you sign on for a three-year agreement. This means as you pay your monthly rentals, you are fulfilling the tenancy agreement for a full period of three years.<\/p>\n But two years in, you decide to terminate your tenancy. You may have to still pay the rentals for the remaining one year.<\/p>\n Source: <\/em>Malaysian Bar<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n <\/div><\/div>\n But a written agreement is not a must in law, for a tenancy to kick in; it can even be oral. But to be on the safe side, it is always advisable to have your tenancy in written agreement.<\/p>\n A tenancy agreement is simply a contract which spells out clearly all the terms and conditions regarding the rental of a certain property. This is signed by landlord and client after a round of negotiations.<\/p>\n But once this paper is signed, both are bound by what is stipulated in the agreement and are expected to honour those terms.<\/p>\n Some landlords may write their own tenancy agreements but best practice necessitates that a lawyer is the best person to do so, or in the case you are dealing with a moonshine version of it, ensure it is revised or reviewed by a professional. The goal is to ensure both parties are protected during the tenancy period.<\/p>\n On hiring lawyers<\/p>\n The legal fees involved for drafting the tenancy agreement is usually absorbed by the landlord and it is more of common practice as there are no provisions for this. That means if tenants want to vet the tenancy agreement, the onus is on them to hire their own lawyer.<\/p>\n <\/div><\/div>\n Although the legal fees to draft the agreement are typically paid by the landlord, the stamp duty is borne by the tenant. And here\u2019s how to calculate the stamp duty fee:<\/p>\n Legal fees for tenancy agreement period for three years and below. These refer to annual rent. <\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n First RM10,000 \u2013 25% of monthly rent<\/p>\n Next RM90,000 \u2013 20% of monthly rent<\/p>\n More than RM100,000 \u2013 negotiable<\/p>\n Stamp duty:<\/strong><\/p>\n Rental for every RM250 in excess of RM2,400 rental<\/p>\n Less than 1 year: RM1<\/p>\n Between 1-3 years: RM2<\/p>\n More than 3 years: RM3<\/p>\n Annual rental below RM2,400 \u2013 no stamp duty<\/p>\n<\/span>Laying down the law?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
<\/span>That stamping fee<\/span><\/h2>\n