Guide · updated 2026-08-23
What it actually costs to furnish a KL condo for rent
Most numbers you will find for this are ranges from people who have never furnished a unit and then watched the rent. Here is what the work costs, what sits outside it, and the one case where we would tell you not to bother.
The short answer
Furnishing a condominium for rent in Kuala Lumpur splits into two very different jobs, and quotes get confusing because people mix them together.
Loose furnishing — furniture, curtains, lighting, ceiling fans, soft furnishing, delivery and installation — is what gets a bare unit rented out. With us that is RM14,000 for a studio, RM15,000 for a 2-bedroom and RM17,500 for a 3-bedroom, before any step up in furniture level.
Fitting out — kitchen cabinets, air-conditioning, appliances, built-in carpentry — is renovation. It costs more, it takes longer, it needs permits and deposits, and it stays with the building when you sell. We do not do it. Budget for it separately if your unit needs it.
When you see RM30,000-plus quoted to furnish a 2-bedroom, it is almost always both jobs added together.
What a package covers, and what it does not
| Included in the package | Not included |
|---|---|
| Sofa, coffee table, TV console | Kitchen cabinets — from RM8,000 as an add-on |
| Dining table and chairs | Air-conditioning — from RM1,500 per unit |
| Bed frame, mattress, wardrobe, bedside tables | Appliances (TV, fridge, washer-dryer) — from RM3,500 |
| Dim-out and sheer curtains throughout | Built-in carpentry and major rewiring |
| Lighting and ceiling fans throughout | Developer defect rectification |
| Soft furnishing, bedding, artwork, styling | Utilities and internet |
| Delivery, installation, clean and photography |
Two lines in that left column are the ones landlords most often forget to budget for: curtains and lighting. A bare handover unit has neither, and a tenant cannot move into a unit with no curtains.
What furnishing did to the rent on a real unit
We hold signed tenancies from both before and after the work on this one, so the figures are checkable rather than estimated. That is why we quote it.
| Rent, bare unit | RM1,900 / month |
|---|---|
| Rent, furnished | RM3,200 / month |
| Monthly uplift | +RM1,300 (+68%) |
| Extra rent, year one | RM15,600 |
| Our 3-bedroom package today | from RM17,500 |
| Payback at that price | about 13.5 months |
Read that honestly: in year one you are still slightly behind. Breakeven lands around month 14, and from there the RM1,300 a month is clear. Furnishing is not a quick win — it is a return that compounds for as long as you hold the unit, and the furniture leaves with you when you sell.
One unit is a data point, not an average. The uplift depends on the building, the floor, and what else is on the market there at the time. We will give you an honest estimate for your own unit before you spend anything.
The agent fee most people miss
There is a wrinkle that works in your favour, and almost nobody mentions it.
Property agents in Malaysia typically charge one month's rent as commission. So renting out that bare unit at RM1,900 costs you RM1,900. Renting it out furnished at RM3,200 would normally cost RM3,200 — the higher rent raises your agent fee too.
Under our exclusive rental agreement the fee is half a month, so renting out the furnished unit costs RM1,600. Furnishing the unit ends up lowering what you pay to rent it out, by RM300, instead of raising it by RM1,300.
What your building will ask for
Budget for a deposit with the management office. Most buildings still require one before delivery day even though this is loose furniture, and the amount — and whether you get it back — is set by your building rather than by us. It is the cost landlords most often forget when they compare quotes, so ask early.
You will also need a permit from the management office and a service lift booking for delivery day. We handle both with your building, but the permit has to be approved before our 30 working days begin — so the sooner it is submitted, the sooner the unit is earning.
Every building writes its own house rules. We check yours and deal with the management office on your behalf rather than leaving you to it.
When we would tell you not to furnish
Furnishing does not always pay. You can run your own numbers here in about a minute. Four cases where we would say don't:
- Your bare rent is already high. The higher the bare rent, the smaller the proportional uplift, and the longer the payback stretches.
- You are selling within about 18 months. You will not reach breakeven. Furnish to sell, not to rent out, and that is a different job.
- Your building is already full of furnished units. If you would be the ninth near-identical listing, furniture alone will not move your rent — something else has to.
- The unit has unresolved defects. Fix those first. Furniture sitting in a unit with a leaking bathroom helps nobody.
Furnishing for Airbnb and short stays
The furnishing job is the same whether the unit is rented out long-term or listed for short stays — the difference is in how hard the pieces get used and how the unit photographs. Every package includes professional photography at handover, which is what a short-stay listing needs on day one.
What we do not do is run the short-stay operation. Guest messaging, bookings, cleaning turnarounds and nightly pricing are a separate business, so you would either engage a short-stay management company or run it yourself. Our own rental service covers long-term tenancies only. Either way, we will furnish the unit for the use you actually have in mind — tell us it is going on Airbnb and we will pick for it.
When the 30 working days actually start
We furnish a unit in as fast as 30 working days, and we are careful about the word "start". The count begins only once all five of these are done:
- Defect works completed by the developer
- Keys received
- Agreement signed
- 50% deposit paid
- Management office permit approved
Most of that list is not in our hands or yours — defect rectification runs on the developer's schedule and permits run on the building's. We would rather tell you that up front than quote a date we cannot hold. Plan the 30 days from the day the last item clears, not from the day you say yes.
What to do next
Build your package on the main page and you will get a starting figure for your own unit in about a minute, with the exact pieces listed. Or send us the development name and unit type on WhatsApp and we will come back with an honest number and a rendering of your actual space.
Build your package Read the FAQ
Prices on this page are starting prices as at 2026-08-23 and apply to Kuala Lumpur and Selangor. Final pricing follows a free site inspection.