This is for Malaysians and Singaporeans thinking of buying a shop lot in Johor Bahru to rent out or use. The short answer: in established JB shopping streets a whole shop sells for roughly RM1 million to RM2.3 million, the ground floor earns most of the rent, banks lend more selectively than on a house, and the tenancy and title you inherit matter as much as the price.
For listings, new projects and the taxes on commercial property, see my commercial property guide for Johor Bahru.
What shop lots sell for in the main JB areas
Recorded subsale prices beat asking prices. Property Genie publishes medians compiled from NAPIC records; the page does not state the period covered, so treat these as a rough level, not a valuation.
| Area | Median shop price | Median per sq ft | Recorded deals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taman Molek | RM2,301,500 | RM1,020 | 12 |
| Taman Mount Austin | RM2,190,000 | RM1,054 | 12 |
| Taman Ungku Tun Aminah (Skudai) | RM1,080,000 | RM702 | 17 |
| Taman Johor Jaya | RM910,000 | RM591 | 24 |
| All Johor Bahru commercial | RM700,000 | RM575 | n/a |
Twelve deals is a thin sample, and a main-road corner unit can sell well above the median. Ask for recorded prices in the same row, not just the taman.
Ground floor versus upper floors
A typical JB shop lot is two or three storeys on one title. The ground floor carries the rent because it has frontage and walk-in trade; upper floors suit offices, tuition centres and salons, and sit empty longest. October 2026 asking rents:
| Area | Unit | Asking rent per month |
|---|---|---|
| Mount Austin (Austin Crest) | Ground floor, 1,650 sq ft, 3-storey end lot | RM6,000 |
| Mount Austin (Austin Perdana) | Ground floor, 1,320 sq ft | RM2,600 |
| Mount Austin | First floor, 1,680 sq ft, main road | RM3,500 |
| Mount Austin (Austin Heights) | Whole 3-storey shop | RM10,000 |
| Skudai (Taman Universiti) | Ground floor, 1,540 sq ft, main road | RM4,500 |
| Skudai (Nusa Jaya Mas) | Ground floor, 1,540 sq ft | RM3,500 |
| Skudai (Taman Ungku Tun Aminah) | First floor, 1,400 sq ft | RM1,200 |
| Taman Setia Indah | Shop, floor not stated | RM2,100 |
| Kulai (Vervocity) | Whole 3-storey corner lot, 2,660 sq ft | RM20,000 |
In Skudai the listed ground floors ask roughly three times the first-floor rent; in Mount Austin the street matters as much as the floor. I found too few dated listings in Bukit Indah and Taman Molek to quote single-floor rents, so I have left them out.
Looking at a shop lot in JB?
Tell me the area, floor and budget. I'll send shop lots with recorded prices and current rents.
WhatsApp JasonA worked gross yield
Gross yield is the year’s rent divided by the price. Using the Mount Austin median price and asking rents from the table above:
| Scenario | Annual rent | Gross yield |
|---|---|---|
| Whole shop let at RM10,000 a month | RM120,000 | 5.5% |
| Whole shop let 10% below asking, RM9,000 | RM108,000 | 4.9% |
| Only the ground floor let, RM6,000 | RM72,000 | 3.3% |
The same sum for Skudai: a RM1,080,000 shop with a ground floor at RM3,500 and a first floor at RM1,200 gives RM56,400 a year, or 5.2% gross; with the first floor empty it falls to 3.9%. Quit rent, assessment, repairs and empty months come off that. Try your own figures in my rental yield calculator and compare with home yields by area.
How banks finance a shop lot
- Margin. Commercial loans have no Bank Negara loan-to-value cap of the kind that limits a third home loan to 70%, so each bank sets its own. Alliance Bank, for example, lists up to 85% for shop and office lots, plus up to 5% more to cover credit insurance or entry costs, and accepts foreign applicants.
- Tenure. Usually 25 to 30 years. Alliance lists up to 30 years or age 70, whichever comes first.
- Which shops qualify. Loanstreet notes banks are much stricter on commercial property: location, floor level and the number of storeys can all affect whether they lend at all.
- Rates. Bank Negara held the OPR at 2.75% on 3 September 2026. Commercial loans are priced case by case on top of each bank’s base rate, so get written offers from two or three banks.
On the Mount Austin example, an 85% loan is RM1,861,500, leaving RM328,500 plus costs to pay yourself, if the valuation matches the price.
The tenancy you inherit
Generally the new owner steps into the seller’s place: the fixed term, rent and deposit clauses carry on, and you cannot raise the rent mid-term without a review clause. Before you sign, ask for:
- The stamped tenancy agreement and any renewal letters. Check the expiry date, the renewal option and who pays for repairs.
- The deposits held. Residential norms are two months’ security plus half a month for utilities; shop and F&B landlords often take three to six months’ security. The seller should hand these to you at completion, in writing.
- Six to twelve months of rent receipts.
- Any side promises. A verbal rent cut from the seller does not bind you, but ask.
An empty shop is not automatically worse: you set the rent, but carry the vacancy risk from day one.
Bumiputera-reserved shop lots in Johor
Johor reserves a share of new units for Bumiputera buyers: 40% across residential, commercial and industrial units for projects whose land conversion was approved before 11 December 2004. Later rules tier residential quotas by price; I found no published separate figure for commercial. Points to know:
- Developers can apply to release a Bumi unit unsold for a year, paying the state 7.5% to 10% of the price. Releases in 2022 included commercial buildings.
- In April 2026 the state housing exco said only about 20% of Bumi lots priced above RM300,000 in Johor Bahru had sold, and that controls would stay.
- A released Bumi lot does not lose its status. Selling it later to a non-Bumi buyer needs fresh state consent.
- Bumi status is often not shown in the SPA, so have your lawyer check the title first.
What drives tenant demand in JB
Knight Frank described the suburban shoplot market as active in early 2026, supported by small and medium business demand. Its 1H2026 review counted about 6.1 million visitors to Johor in the first quarter, 77.4% of them from Singapore, which helps food, beauty and service tenants near the Causeway and the established Mount Austin and Molek strips. Consultants polled by The Edge in January 2026 expect stronger rental demand within 1 to 2 km of the RTS Link station at Bukit Chagar. In my experience, shops that stay let have parking, homes within walking distance and a row already mostly occupied.
Browse current shop lots and shop offices for sale in Johor Bahru.
Questions about your situation?
Send me the shop, the asking price and the tenancy details, and I will help you check the rent, the title and the numbers.
Sources: Property Genie (NAPIC subsale data), “Johor Bahru commercial transaction prices”, October 2026; Mudah.my, “Shop lot for rent in Johor”, October 2026; PropertyGuru, “Retail Shops for Rent in Johor Bahru, Johor, Oct 2026”, October 2026; Alliance Bank, “Alliance Commercial Property Loan”, October 2026; Loanstreet, “Basics of Commercial Property Loans in Malaysia”, September 2025; Bernama, “BNM's Decision To Hold OPR At 2.75 Pct Reflects Confidence In Growth Outlook — Economists”, September 2026; SPEEDHOME, “Property is being sold: does the new owner have to honour my tenancy?”, June 2026; New Straits Times (from Recommend.my), “Guide to tenancy agreements in Malaysia”, June 2018; Thirst Magazine, “Property rental for F&B outlets in Malaysia”, October 2023; iProperty, “Bumi Lot: How to check its status and the reasoning behind different Bumi quota in each state”, May 2024; The Iskandarian, “Johor is Releasing Unsold Bumi Lots – Exco”, August 2022; RTM Berita, “Hanya 20% unit hartanah, lot bumiputera RM300,000 ke atas terjual di Johor Bahru”, April 2026; Loanstreet, “4 Bumi Attributes You Should Know About Malaysian Properties”, May 2023; The Edge Malaysia, “Cover Story: Local Consultants' Poll – Stronger momentum in real estate sector”, January 2026; The Edge Malaysia, “Knight Frank: Selective demand drives narrowing market in 1H2026”, August 2026
Jason Lim, REN 84424, IQI Realty Sdn. Bhd. E (1) 1584/6. General information checked on 17 October 2026, not legal, tax or financial advice.