You were offered a new job but have no idea where to rent? Struggling to find rooms without deposits in Malaysia?
Well, this is your lucky day then. You're on the right page.
Hunting for rental rooms in Malaysia can be puzzling, time-consuming, and never-ending if you don't know the right place.
The truth is: there are a few room rental websites that serve as the best alternative to Airbnb in Malaysia.
Here are a few reasons why people look for the best website to find rooms to rent in Malaysia:
But beware - in the advent of digital technologies in 2021, a lot of frauds have been trying to develop their own websites too. It has become their online modus operandi today.
Having that said, you can't just trust any websites or room rental apps that you found in Malaysia. Especially if this is your first time renting. Don't just blindly trust the Internet.
Clicking on unreliable links may draw you into the persistent cycle of cyberattacks such as phishing, ransomware, and malware. We don't want that.
So, let's protect our data and digital identity by visiting only legitimate websites. This is why you need a valid source on what are the solid platforms for room renting in the country.
In this case, let's look at the 5 best websites and platforms for room rental in Malaysia:
1. iBilik
2. Roomz.asia
3. Instahome
4. Mudah.my
5. Facebook
1) iBilik, One of the Famous Websites for Room Rental
If "room rental Malaysia" has been your search query, you must have already visited iBilik. For your information, iBilik is absolutely one of the best room rental websites in Malaysia. It's everyone's go-to website whenever they are in need of finding a place to rent.
Let's get into a little back story of iBilik.
This room rental portal was initially founded by Ng Say Joe, the former CEO of Ocision. For the record, Ocision is an Internet company that runs iBilik, along with some other popular Internet portals in the real estate and travel accommodation markets such as Propwall and Carsifu.
Around 2012, iBilik actually beat Airbnb in Malaysia and Singapore in a short period of time...
Later in 2013, Ocision was acquired by Star Media Group (SMG).
In 2021, the Malaysian media giant, SMG, decided to let iBilik go, to the largest accommodation provider in Malaysia, GFG Group.
Having that said, if you go to your App Store or Google Play Store and search iBilik, you'll find the mobile app by GFG Home Realty Sdn. Bhd.
The mobile app, apart from room and property listings, also has its own blog. By scrolling the app through your phone, you can read some of the latest news and blogs.
Undoubtedly, iBilik is the perfect platform for you to find room rentals as well as short-term rentals in Malaysia.
The website has a clear, simple interface that makes your online experience smooth and seamless. Also, for non-Malaysians and non-Malay speakers, this website caters specifically to rooms (based on its name, iBilik).
In Malay language, the word bilik translates to a room. So, if you're looking for a whole condo unit, you will not find any on this platform.
The listings provided on iBilik are of a variety; you can find rooms in condo/apartment units all over Malaysia.
There's also a checklist of preferences you can choose from:
Prefer Muslim-friendly ✅
Move-in immediately ✅
Zero deposit ✅
Pet-allowed ✅
Plus, since many of the listed rooms are located in condominium and apartment units, you'll find various types of rooms available including:
Single room
Middle room
Large room
Master room
Suite
Studio
SoHo (Small Office, Home Office)
There is also a set of other filters that'll make your search results even more precise and refined (gender, nationality, race, occupation, lease terms, facilities, and amenities).
Both the iBilik website and mobile app have a great loading time, straightforward interface, and good user experience. Overall, iBilik is a great room rental website for you to start your room hunting journey.
2) Roomz; Rent Rooms, Properties & Offices Here
Another platform for you to get some of the best rental rooms in Malaysia is Roomz.asia.
Popularly known as Roomz, this or Roomz Asia, this website prepares a complete set of rental rooms and rental properties all over Malaysia on their site.
This website, Roomz.asia is founded by Trey Chong, Ping He, as well as Liau Kok Hour. These personalities established Roomz Asia with the intention to produce a comprehensive property rental website in Malaysia (they also have a site for Singapore).
Like mentioned before, Roomz only caters to the rental needs of any individuals or businesses.
In their listings, you can find any rental rooms, properties (like a whole condominium, apartment, or terrace), event spaces (such as meeting rooms, private offices, as well as training and co-working spaces), and rental parking spaces.
Yes, a complete set of all of these, can be found on Roomz website. So, if you're coming to Malaysia on a short-term basis, don't worry about not having any parking lots to park your vehicle - just browse through Roomz website. There are many parking spots that are available for you to rent.
This rental portal also dedicates a section for those who are specifically looking for short-term homestays or rental units. Yup, this is a bonus since not many landlords or rental agencies welcome or entertain short-term tenants.
So, if you're in need of a room to stay in short-term, or you're a group of students who want a hostel-like accommodation, feel free to check out Roomz website. They have many choices in-store just for you.
On top of that, I love how Roomz has this one special feature that a lot of many other good room rental websites do not offer - a section to look for roommates!
You can post your ads here for free - let others know you're looking for a roommate or a housemate anywhere in Malaysia.
It's truly convenient for anyone who wants to split the cost of living in an entire apartment or any large rental room.
3) Instahome: Another Choice Besides Airbnb
Enjoy RM500 off - this is the first thing you'll see when you visit Instahome's website. Yes, if you're a sucker for promos, redeeming rewards, and collecting points, you would certainly love Instahome.
Before diving into what else this digital home rental platform provides, let's see who is the genius behind Instahome first.
Officially launched in October 2020, Instahome was ingeniously assembled by Patrick Grove, the CEO of Catcha Group, and Eric Tan, the former chief of staff with Catcha.
Also, I think the founders are ingenious because Instahome has the answer to "how do I do physical room viewing during the COVID-19 situation?"
So, in a way, instead of just launching a new rental platform, Instahome caters to the current problem everyone is facing during the pandemic - how to view the room I'm interested in without stepping out of my house?
"...it is something that will benefit people too as they have to stay home and would be more reluctant to have physical viewings"
- Founders of Instahome
These figures launched the online home rental platform with one intention in mind - to make the renting experience in Malaysia an absolute delight (which is admittedly hard to come by).
Looking for rooms and houses to rent online can be quite an ordeal. Like humans, sometimes the Internet is also full of deceptions and lies. A lot of room and house listings seem too good to be true and Malaysia is no exception.
This is where Instahome sneaks in - their main focus is to reduce unreliable room listings and replace them with a much more valid, precise list of rental properties.
How is that guaranteed? Well, unlike any other place, Instahome conducts pre-inspections.
Yes, all the rooms listed on this local rental platform will be initially visited and examined before it is made public to the Internet users. The team behind Instahome will go on foot and discover the true colours behind each listed rental property.
"All our listings are personally checked and verified by our staff, which means what you see on our platform is what you get." - Eric Tan, CEO of Instahome
Apart from putting promising rental rooms and homes on display, Instahome also gives rewards to tenants who pay rent on time.
Who would've thought you'd have fun when paying rent? No one, that's for sure.
Yup, your punctuality is finally appreciated, how cool is that?
By paying your rental fees on time, you can collect points (like credit cards/GrabRewards).
And tenants who are punctual in paying rents may have the chances of getting their security deposits reduced.
Yup, absolutely one-of-a-kind feature.
So, if you're looking for room rental sites that look like Airbnb, Instahome is the one. It is undoubtedly one of the most reliable room rental websites in Malaysia. The website has a clean, smooth interface, and a great user experience.
You can easily find what you're looking for on Instahome. Not to mention the ongoing promotions they offer and the virtual tours of rental units.
This rental website will help you find your instant homes, with an undeniably instant process. To recap, Instahome is one of the best websites to look for rental rooms and houses because:
Their rental listings have good quality, HD photos
You can experience 3D virtual tours of the rooms you like
Every single room/house is pre-inspected by the team before making it onto the website
They process documents instantly (without the hassle of paperwork)
They are generous with promos & discounts
So, if you're looking for that Airbnb-like website to rent rooms in Malaysia, give Instahome a peek!
4) Mudah, Online Ads Website with Room Rental Included
An alternative to room rental websites mentioned above is Mudah.my. Mudah is a trusted local site where everything can be founded. In this case, Mudah is a good website to find rental rooms all over Malaysia.
Typically, Malaysians use Mudah to sell their belongings. So, yes, usually we go to Mudah to look for second-hand items. But that was around 10 years ago. Today, you can find almost everything on Mudah, even a job.
On Mudah, you can find a variety of landed houses or highrise units to rent as well as a wide price range on rooms to rent in Malaysia.
If you don't favour staying in apartment or condo rooms (which are listed on a lot of rental websites), Mudah is the place to go.
You can find rooms to rent from any type of house.
From bungalows, terraces, to semi-Ds, everything is searchable on this platform.
Also, since Mudah goes way back (people used Mudah first before Facebook), this website in particular is still deemed prominence by the locals.
Though some Malaysians don't use Mudah that much compared to social media platforms, if a landlord advertised his rental room on this platform, it's likely that more people will PM.
However, a reminder for you, especially if you're a non-Malaysian - BEWARE.
Sneaky people with ill intentions exist everywhere, including on Mudah.
Yup, the tenancy scam can happen here, if you're not being careful enough.
So, what do you do in this situation? Here are a few tips:
Call the agent/agency to verify the details of their businesses/companies
Search for their info online - any ads or profiles on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.
Schedule for a video call for room viewing (if you can't go on foot)
Abort mission if you think something smells fishy. Better safe than sorry.
On the bright side, the option to choose what kind of room you want is my favourite part about the renting section on Mudah.
Do you want a cheap room? A room that's near your college? A high-end place? Or you're just looking for a huge space? Just click the icons and the listings will be sorted!
Try exploring Mudah.my on your own and see if there's any room that attracts your heart. If you're on a tight budget, this is a perfect platform for you to find cheap and affordable rooms around Malaysia.
5) Facebook - Find Rooms in Local Facebook Groups
If you're an avid social media user and social media platforms speak louder to you than any room renting website, feel free to be on Facebook.
Yes, Malaysians are a big part of the Facebook community too. In Malaysia, you can pretty much find everything on Facebook - new connections, cooking tutorials, car spare parts, gaming community, language classes, and also rental rooms.
Facebook is home especially to a lot of landlords and homeowners in Malaysia. Why is that so?
Simple. Today, if a business has a brand name or is associated with a recognized name, we will google that particular name and hit the search button.
In this hi-tech digital world, people expect all businesses to have their own websites. If that isn't found on the result pages, then we expect them to must have at least, a Facebook account or page. Right?
The same case in this country. A business is deemed to be legit it owns, at the very least, a Facebook account. Another ingenious way for you to find local rental rooms that are valid is by joining the locals' Facebook groups.
Join the local rental community groups or just type in the phrase "room rental" or "bilik sewa" on Facebook. You'll find a great deal of public Facebook groups that provide endless listings of rental rooms and houses all over Malaysia.
Using local keywords like "bilik sewa" (which is Malay for rental room) is even better.
From this long list, you can join which one you like, according to your location of preference of course.
If you're staying in the Klang Valley locations such as Petaling Jaya and Shah Alam, you might want to join the groups that focus on Kuala Lumpur and Selangor.
In these groups, you'll see how there are many listings of rooms, highrise units, landed houses like bungalows or semi-d are all ready to be rented out posted by landlords and real estate agents.
By joining these Facebok groups, you have the liberty to scroll through and choose whatever you're looking for. From a fully-furnished rental room, a partially furnished condo unit, to an empty house; anything can be found here.
And the best thing yet about hunting your ideal rental place on this social media platform is the chance of negotiation! Yup, the message button on Facebook does come in very handy in this delicate situation.
It's a great way for you to directly contact landlords and strike a bargain. Sometimes, they include a side note in their posts - they are open to negotiations. And this kind of dialogue is extremely scarce on rental room websites.
So there you go.
You've known the secret why Facebook is effective in hunting for your ideal rental room in Malaysia.
You'll also see a few tenants seeking out for housemates or roommates through their posting in these groups.
And normally, these rental rates shared by these people are lower than the ones posted by landlords or agents.
This is also a good way to navigate your way through the vicinity of your rental location.
At least you can ask your housemates or roommates about the essential stuff - public transport, where to buy groceries and many others.
It's also convenient if you don't fancy renting alone in a 5-bedroom condo/house.
Apart from that, you can also make your own post in these groups - yes, advertise yourself.
Say what you are looking for and put your price.
This is the common practice you'll see among those who are looking for rooms.
And it works like wonders! Don't be surprised to see a lot of people comment on your post.
This can really save your time if you don't have that much time to scroll until the end of the page.
So, you can just state what you need and let people come to you.
What else can you do on Facebook to look for rental rooms in Malaysia?
Besides joining Facebook groups, you can easily navigate yourself to Facebook Marketplace. It's a good place to find what you want as well.
What's the difference between the Facebook groups and Marketplace? If you're casually browsing and have the liberty to take your sweet time looking for your ideal room, I'd say go for Facebook groups.
If you're in a rush, you can quickly search for rental rooms in the Marketplace. It is also more practical compared to the groups as you can sort the results based on the distance of location as well as pricing.
If you see the one you like, you can instantly contact the seller by sending a message.
So, overall, if you don't like the 'formal' feeling of a home rental website, you can just hit Facebook as it has one of the biggest room/house rental communities here in Malaysia.
The perk of going on this social media platform is certainly the flexibility you have in negotiating the rental price, which is absolutely amazing.
Other than that, you can also initiate conversations with others in the group - ask their opinions and suggestions as locals. You can also keep tabs on people's room renting experience on Facebook and learn what's best to do and what's not.
Rent Your Ideal, Affordable Rental Room Today
Having mentioned the 5 best places for room rentals in Malaysia, I'm sure you know your way now.
Still, before securing any place for the next 6 months or a year, be extra sure that you are not dealing with a scammer. Make sure:
You have been to the rental room/unit before moving in (physical viewing).
You have met the person in charge (not just through Whatsapp or DM).
If not, you have been talking with the agent on the phone (and discuss about the rental property).
The room rental agency you contacted has its own website, Facebook, and Instagram profile.
On your moving-in day, the person in charge will assist you to your doorstep.
It's best to avoid those agencies/agents/landlords who NEVER pick up a phone call - this is an obvious red flag behaviour. Scammers are bold keyboard warriors but they are usually cowards when it comes to real-time conversation.
Anyway, you can always check out Utopia Co-Living if you're looking for affordable rooms to rent in Kuala Lumpur area. Good luck in finding your ideal room!