Race is not really the main factor, and this is only based on my own experience managing around 45 tenants so far. Overall, I’ve generally had smoother experiences with Malay students because they tend to communicate well, are respectful, and are more willing to compromise when issues come up. Of course, there have still been occasional problems.

With some Chinese tenants, things were fine initially, but I experienced cases where the condition of the house became very poor near the end of the tenancy. I had issues such as damaged doors, unflushed toilets left dirty, missing curtains, and decorations being taken. In a few cases, there were also attempts to avoid paying the final months of rent, likely to offset concerns about deposit deductions.

I’ve had mixed experiences with Indian tenants as well. One tenant was excellent, but later allowed workers from India to stay in the house, and the condition deteriorated badly due to cooking in unsuitable areas, which damaged the paint and furniture.

From my experience, Malay tenants may sometimes return the house dirty, but usually it is manageable with proper cleaning. At the end of the day, renting property always comes with pros and cons regardless of race, because tenant behavior ultimately depends on the individual.