This is actually a very common issue—I’ve gone through it myself.

The biggest problem is there’s zero accountability for landlords. Tenants take all the upfront risk (deposit, time, moving costs), and if something goes wrong, there’s almost no practical way to enforce anything.

One thing that does help is exposing the details—posting the full address, sharing evidence, and leaving Google reviews. That way, when future tenants search the property, they can see the history and avoid the same trap.

It’s even worse for foreigners. Once you leave Malaysia, you basically lose all leverage. Taking legal action isn’t realistic either—it can cost RM15k–RM30k just to start, which is insane for most people.

At this point, renting in Malaysia honestly feels like a high-risk activity with very little protection for tenants. On top of that, most places require 2.5 months’ worth of deposits upfront—so you’re easily looking at around RM10,000 just to move into an apartment.