Guides

Practical, no-spin guides to buying property in Malaysia — written for foreign buyers and verified against official 2026 rules.
foreign buyers3–6monthsBuying Property in Malaysia as a Foreigner (2026): The Full Cost & ProcessThe full 2026 cost stack and process — state price floors, 8% stamp duty, RPGT, loan limits, and the state-consent step that adds time.Read the guide residency4tiersMM2H 2026: Read This Before You ApplyWhat MM2H actually gets you in 2026 — the four tiers, the now-compulsory purchase, and the foreigner tax bill agents skip.Read the guide tax & fees8%Stamp Duty in Malaysia (2026): What You Actually PayWhat foreign buyers pay: the flat 8% transfer duty, 0.5% loan duty, reliefs and legal fees — with the timing trap that decides the rate.Read the guide tax & fees30%RPGT in Malaysia (2026): The Tax When You SellThe exit tax: 30% in the first five years, 10% from year six, and the 7% your buyer holds back. How to time your sale.Read the guide foreign buyersRM1mMinimum Property Price for Foreigners in Malaysia (2026): By StateWhat foreigners must spend, state by state — KL RM1m, plus Selangor, Penang and Johor floors, strata vs landed, and what’s off-limits.Read the guide residency5routesHow Foreigners Get PR in Malaysia (2026)The five routes to permanent residence, the ~5-year residence-plus-sponsor rule, and why MM2H and PVIP don’t convert into it.Read the guide residency10yrWhen Is Your Property Tied to MM2H? The 10-Year LockBuy to qualify for MM2H and that unit is locked for ten years — but a property bought outside the requirement isn’t. Know which is which.Read the guide selling7%Selling Property as a Foreigner: RPGT & Getting Paid OutRPGT, the 7% withholding, state consent and repatriating your proceeds — the four things to plan before you list.Read the guide process7stepsHow to Buy Property in Malaysia: Step-by-Step (2026)The seven steps from shortlist to keys, the two timelines, and why state consent is the step that decides when you complete.Read the guide ownership99yrFreehold vs Leasehold in Malaysia: What Buyers Should KnowWhy leasehold isn’t the problem — a short lease is. What the title type does to resale, financing and price.Read the guide foreign buyers0–3%State Consent Explained (Section 433B)The state approval every foreign purchase needs — how long it takes, the levy by state, and why it sets your timeline.Read the guide foreign buyersRM1–3mCan Foreigners Buy Landed Property in Malaysia? By StateKL yes, Selangor effectively no, Penang Island RM3m, Johor zones RM2m — the landed rules that change sharply by state.Read the guide foreign buyers~20%SG ABSDBuying Property in Malaysia as a Singaporean (2026)Johor for proximity and the RTS Link, KL for yield — and why the 8% entry cost looks tiny next to ABSD back home.Read the guide process2waysNew Launch vs Subsale: Which Should You Buy? (2026)Off-plan from the developer vs a completed unit from an owner — the risk-and-timing trade, and which fits income now vs a longer horizon.Read the guide tax & fees1.25%Legal Fees When Buying Property in Malaysia (2026)The fixed SRO 2023 scale — 1.25% then 1.0%, with an up-to-25% discount — plus why financing means two sets of fees. Not the same as stamp duty.Read the guide process10%The SPA (Sale & Purchase Agreement), ExplainedThe binding contract that sets price, deposit and timeline — the clauses to read before you sign, and the state-consent layer for foreign buyers.Read the guide ownership2typesThe Bumi Lot Trap: Check the Title Before You SignBumi lots and Malay Reserved land can block a foreign purchase. How to tell them apart, how release works, and what to verify before any deposit.Read the guide process0tripsBuying From Abroad: Power of Attorney, ExplainedYou don’t need to fly in to buy. How remote signing works, and how to set up a valid Power of Attorney — notarised, consularised, registered.Read the guide tax & fees2/yrQuit Rent & Assessment: Malaysia’s Annual Property TaxesThe two small yearly charges — quit rent (cukai tanah) to the state, assessment (cukai pintu) to the council — what they cost and where to pay online.Read the guide
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