Living in a Malaysian Condo

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Some really high end condos like the E & O Quaside are budgeting higher, 35 RM per square foot, in that light Scott's figure isn't as far of as it seems at first sight.

Ummm, 35 cents/sq ft Stuurman is more like it 
Cheers,
BB

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 ^^ oops, you are right BB.

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Wow! isn't that huge especially if you can rent one for $3000 a month? 

Exactly what I was thinking

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hi,

Not really so. Here in Perak I was offered a 3-bed penthouse apartment with views over the river, part furnished at RM600 per month. The owner said that the maintenance was RM200 per month. I said that the RM600 must include all charges, except gas/water/electricity/phone, and he thought about it for a while then agreed. So that's 33% of the rental being maintenance fees etc. payable by the owner.

It's really quite amazing the rental deals that you can get if you're prepared to ask around. I didn't take the penthouse as I needed a garden space for boat stuff.

Wow! isn't that huge especially if you can rent one for $3000 a month?

The quoted post didn't say rent one what? Big unit, small unit, new unit, old unit, run-down unit, classy unit, near beach unit, back of industrial estate unit, penthouse private lift unit, 10th floor walk-up unit, Andaman sea view, cemetery & sewage plant view.

But I'll re-state what I think and change it to avoid any confusion. If it were me I'd budget for between RM350 and RM750 depending on the size, location and facilities of what is bought, and if the common parts have been decorated from Woolworths or Harrods.

I guess the sensible thing is to phone up/email some property agents and give them some developments and ask for the maintenance fees.

I'm gonna get some aspirin.     I've just paid my motorbike insurance and it's gone up by 50% ++ and I've been effectively blackmailed by Kurnia into taking out personal accident cover.

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hi,

There haven't been any more articles in The Star about condo living in Malaysia. I can't think that it's much different
than living in a condo in Singapore.

However, I've done the Singapore bit but not the Malaysian bit so I don't know. Maybe some members who are living in condos could post experiences.

Is there something unique to condo life in Malaysia?      (the sad) or      (the glad) or    (the blurr) or something else?

Or is it all just pretty much the same pros & cons that you'd find anywhere else?

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We lived in a condo in Tg Tokong, Pg the first few years we came here and we've also lived in a condo in Mid-Levels,HK. So I can only compare the few obvious between these two places.

1. Both are not low costs housing and both have management, only difference is the one in Pg's managed by the developer while the one in HK was by a professional management company - one eg. I asked the Pg condo manager how often would they wash the water tanks that store water for all the residents, he looked surprised and said not heard of; in HK it's a regular scheduled maintenance. Thus in Pg condo I had to wash out my ceramic water filter average every 2 wks as it got clogged up by a yellow film of dirt.

2. Many rules and by-laws are not observed by residents in the Pg condo whereas the residents of the HK condo stick to them. eg. a rule that says no washing of windows with a hose as dirty water flows down the neighbors balconies and windows.

3. Management of the Pg condo keep an eye closed to people who break the rules, but the one in HK adhere to and issue strict warnings and take actions for those who break the rules.

4. Reliability of security in Pg condo depends who are the ones at the gate for that shift as any one can walk in without being questioned many times. Wheras the HK condo the security guards know most family members and any unfamiliar faces/visitors are recognized and questioned and required to sign the 'book'.
5. Residents in our HK condo are happy about such strict practices, but here in the Pg condo some residents got angry at the security guards for causing their visitors inconvenience!!
I still don't quite get it why people here want good security and yet flaunt the rules.
Some don't even pay the management fees and nothing much the management can do about it ...this blows my mind 

I think my brain needs a rest in this heat  going to have a cold iced tea in the garden

Cheers,
BB

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Scott, I suspect Singaporean condo and Malaysian condo is fairly similar.  When we lived in a Singapore condo, there were always rules n regs - Singapore is a Fine city  but not always adhered to.  And doesn't it always boil down to if there's good management (in either country)?

One problem we had in our condo.  During the Hungry Ghost month (and other times) an old guy on the floor below us used to light up his incinerator on the fire escape (the Fire Escape!!  ) .  We were getting smoked out from time to time.  The condo provided incinerators in the condo grounds but this guy didn't want to use them.  Management weren't very forthcoming about the situation so we used to just call out the equivalent of the Fire Brigade.  That used to be fun.

Condo security was pretty good except for when the Security guy went off to get his roti and just left the barrier open unguarded for 10 minutes 

The Management eventually got changed and things were a lot better after that.

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Very incisive post BB ! I previously lived in Stubbs Road, HK.

One question, do developers always manage the complexes in Penang ? Surely, condo owners should have the major say. I can envisage all kinds of issues if developers have exclusive control !

Thanks,

James

We lived in a condo in Tg Tokong, Pg the first few years we came here and we've also lived in a condo in Mid-Levels,HK. So I can only compare the few obvious between these two places.

1. Both are not low costs housing and both have management, only difference is the one in Pg's managed by the developer while the one in HK was by a professional management company - one eg. I asked the Pg condo manager how often would they wash the water tanks that store water for all the residents, he looked surprised and said not heard of; in HK it's a regular scheduled maintenance. Thus in Pg condo I had to wash out my ceramic water filter average every 2 wks as it got clogged up by a yellow film of dirt.

2. Many rules and by-laws are not observed by residents in the Pg condo whereas the residents of the HK condo stick to them. eg. a rule that says no washing of windows with a hose as dirty water flows down the neighbors balconies and windows.

3. Management of the Pg condo keep an eye closed to people who break the rules, but the one in HK adhere to and issue strict warnings and take actions for those who break the rules.

4. Reliability of security in Pg condo depends who are the ones at the gate for that shift as any one can walk in without being questioned many times. Wheras the HK condo the security guards know most family members and any unfamiliar faces/visitors are recognized and questioned and required to sign the 'book'.
5. Residents in our HK condo are happy about such strict practices, but here in the Pg condo some residents got angry at the security guards for causing their visitors inconvenience!!
I still don't quite get it why people here want good security and yet flaunt the rules.
Some don't even pay the management fees and nothing much the management can do about it ...this blows my mind 

I think my brain needs a rest in this heat  going to have a cold iced tea in the garden

Cheers,
BB

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In a newly build condo the developer will manage the property initially.
After some time the owners will take over the management, (I think this
happens after the warranty period expires) they then can choose their
own property managing company.

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Lots of walking to get to your area, James!! ...we're over at MidLevels Central 

I lived in the Pg condo for four years. After the initial two years, the developer encouraged owners to apply for their individual Strata Titles. In the meantime residents were to form an interim joint management committee and managed with the developer until such a time when a percentage of residents who received their S.Titles then the developer passes the full management to the residents who then can form their own independent management committee and hire an outside Co to manage it.
We never got the percentage as required after four years there! I asked some residents if they applied for their own S.Titles - surprisingly some who are well educated and who had studied abroad still have the mentality that they would not pay the 'Stamp Duty' for obtaining the S.Title incase they need to sell!! They didn't mind if their properties are not registered under their names!! And some even advised me not to get it and if I needed to sell the condo I could add that amount into the Sale Price, then the buyer pays for the owner's and later pay his own!! I still don't understand how it works, but we paid and got the property under our names and when we sold we let the buyer know we have paid the S.Title Stamp Duty and the property was under our names.
Right on the 24th mth from S&P the developer called a meeting of owners and arranged to start the S.T. process and at the appointed date 3 law firms were at the condo meeting hall. We applied right on that day, paid the Application fees on the spot and the Stamp Duty at the law firm we picked and it took almost 2 yrs for us to receive the S.T. Sadly, after 4 yrs the numbers who applied were still not sufficient to form a fully independent mngment committee.
Wheras in HK when we bought our condo new from the developer we did not encounter such rules and right from the start the management was done by a professonal management Co.

Here's an interesting read on transfe of S.Title:
http://blog.intproperties.com/category/penang-apartments-condominiums/
"*KNOW the progress phase of strata titles registration of your housing scheme whether it is still at first or second or third phase of post-development ;

The first Phase refers to the period whereby in accordance with Strata Title Act(ACT 318), developers are required to submit application for strata title. JMB to be formed within 12 months of vacant possession or 12 months of act in force ie 11 April 2008.

The Second Phase refers to Initial period whereby strata titles are issued and in the process of being transferred to unit owners from the developer. At least one quarter of the aggregate share units of the strata unit owners have to be registered first to form Management Corporation (MC).

The Third Phase refers to the formation of MC where parcel owners takes over responsibility of MC and termination of JMB within 3 three months after formation of MC.

For guide on the phases in relation to ACT 663 & ACT 318, go to impacts of ACT 663 on management and maintenance of stratified properties in Malaysia

*FIND OUT whether your housing scheme is one of those schemes that has been issued with JMB certificate by COB or otherwise. What is the name of JMB and when is the date of issuance and who are the committee members (JMC) if JMB has been set up ?."

Another one that's very long: I'll just post the link:
http://homefinder.com.my/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=523&Itemid=71
Procedure for transfer of S.T. and forming of M.C.
http://www.hba.org.my/articles/iprop/transfer.htm

BB

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BB,
I live in the Penang Condo you were referring to. In December a management committe was formed to take over the managment of the condo. After months of stalling and dirty tricks the committee took over on April 1. At the same time a private management company and security company took over from the developer. I was amazed at the behavior of the multimillion dollar developer before and during the take over. They stole everything that wasn't nailed down, including the security clockpoints. As of this moment legal action had to be taken to receive our funds, of which some are mysteriously missing.  At the AGM I was surprised by the number of people who did not have their strata titles and still don't want to pay for them. When the new security took over they received a lot of flack from residents who did not want to abide by the rules or did not want their children reprimanded by "foreigners". So things haven't changed much here in Penang.

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hi, steveso,

I was glad to read your post and see that the MC had taken over the management.

In Singapore I was the only foreigner on the MC. I received quite a few comments along the lines of, "what are you doing here.' My response was always. "I own a unit."

I was keen to stay on the MC to protect my own investment and keep tracks of what was going on. Getting enough votes at the AGM was always a problem but I was there for 5 years. Being cold-shouldered was the best I could hope for, except when it came to vote and then I'd be a friend, and someone who would understand the need for . . . whatever pet project was being put forward.

Good luck.

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Thanks Scott.
I am one of two foreigners on the committee and also the treasurer. I have no problem so far. So far, so good I guess.

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Steveso,

That's good news forming the MC. Hope it'd not be a long drawn out legal process to claim back the missing funds. When we sold the unit we were told we could get back part of the rainy day fund, but we just left it with the new owner to carry it forward.
Yes, a multimillion dollar Developer/Mngment they are, claiming to be different from others by being "inhouse" and no outside contractors, but were dishonest and even cheated us on the skimmed coats on the walls - we were not in the country and we hired them to do most of the heavy renovations.

Good luck in your claim for the funds.

BB

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Thank you BB. I hope things will get better without them.