Show unit and sales gallery checklist for Johor Bahru new launches (2026)

中文 · Bahasa Melayu · Bahasa Indonesia

By Jason Lim, REN 84424 · IQI Realty · Checked on 7 November 2026

This checklist is for buyers from Singapore, Indonesia, India, China, MM2H participants and Malaysians visiting a developer’s sales gallery or show unit in Johor Bahru. The short answer: a show unit is a marketing display, not a promise. What you will actually get is set by the sale and purchase agreement (SPA) and its schedules, so check the developer’s licence and advertising permit on KPKT’s TEDUH portal, compare the show unit with the SPA specifications and floor plan, and get every important point in writing before you pay anything.

Why a show unit is not the home you are buying

Show units are built to sell. Common differences I see in JB galleries:

• Furniture and built-ins such as wardrobes, cabinets and feature walls that are not in the specification list.
• Walls removed or moved to make the living area feel bigger.
• Ceilings that differ from the final building, or hide where beams and pipes will run.
• Mirrors and glass that make rooms look deeper and brighter.
• AC ledges and windows placed differently from your real stack, or not shown at all.
• Finishes and appliances of a higher grade than the standard specification.

Malaysia has no specific law on what a show unit must match. In February 2021 a lawyers’ association called for show-unit rules similar to Singapore’s, after a Federal Court ruling that the Tribunal for Homebuyer Claims (Tribunal Tuntutan Pembeli Rumah) can only decide claims based on the SPA, and a buyer’s showroom expectation was not a valid basis. The practical lesson: if it matters to you, it must be in the SPA.

Step 1: check the developer and the permits

Under the Housing Development (Control and Licensing) Act 1966 (Akta Pemajuan Perumahan (Kawalan dan Pelesenan) 1966, Act 118), a housing developer needs a licence, and carrying out housing development without one is an offence with a fine of RM50,000 to RM500,000, prison of up to five years, or both. The developer must also hold an advertising and sales permit (permit iklan dan jualan) and display copies at its offices. The regulations require advertisements to show the licence and permit numbers with their validity dates, the tenure (and expiry and encumbrances for leasehold land), the expected completion date and the selling price of each house type.

Take a photo of these details at the gallery and check them on TEDUH (teduh.kpkt.gov.my or the TEDUH app). On 7 September 2026 KPKT urged buyers to check TEDUH before buying. It shows the licence and APDL status, project progress, approved selling prices, whether a private project is classed as delayed, troubled or abandoned, and approved extensions of time. In April 2025 KPKT said it had blacklisted 109 developers for failing to submit required reports, so this check is worth five minutes. I explain how I do it in how I verify projects.

Since 1 July 2015, licensed developers’ advertisements may not offer to pay your legal fees, show projected profit or rental returns, make claims about scenic views, or quote travel times to well-known places, or include any detail the developer cannot prove. If you hear such claims at a gallery, check them yourself.

Step 2: compare the show unit with the SPA

New homes from a licensed developer are sold on statutory SPA forms that the developer cannot rewrite in its own favour. My SPA guide covers them in full; here is what matters at the gallery.

Point	Schedule G (landed with land)	Schedule H (strata: condos, serviced apartments)
Vacant possession	24 months from the SPA date	36 months from the SPA date
Late-delivery damages (LAD)	10% a year of the purchase price, calculated daily	10% a year of the purchase price, calculated daily
Defect liability period	24 months from vacant possession	24 months from vacant possession
First payment	10% on signing the SPA	10% on signing the SPA
Specifications	In a schedule to the SPA	In a schedule to the SPA (the Fourth Schedule in the 2015 form), with common facilities in the Second Schedule

Example only: on a RM600,000 condo, LAD at 10% a year is about RM164 for each day of late delivery. See late vacant possession and LAD claims.

Ask for the specification list

Ask for the specification schedule that will be attached to your SPA, or a sample SPA. Walk the show unit with it and tick off flooring, doors, windows, sanitary fittings, kitchen, water heater, air-conditioner and power points, and whether grilles or cabinets are included. Anything not on the list is not included, however good it looks.

Built-up size: brochure vs SPA

Brochures may quote a “built-up” figure that includes balconies, planter boxes or air-conditioner ledges. The SPA states the parcel area from the approved plans. Under the 2015 Schedule H form, if the final strata title area is more than 2% smaller than the plan area, the price is adjusted at the rate stated in the SPA; if it is larger, there is no extra charge. Write down both figures and ask what each includes. For what strata titles are and when they come, see strata title explained.

Layout, windows and ledges

Get the floor plan for your exact unit type and stack. Check the air-conditioner ledges (noise and view), bedroom windows, wet areas and corridors that waste space. My floor plan red flags article lists what to look for.

Step 3: choose the unit, not just the layout

• Floor. Higher floors get more view and less street noise; lower floors mean shorter lift waits. See high floor vs low floor.
• Facing. West-facing units get the afternoon sun. Ask what faces the unit and what is zoned for the empty land next to it. See which way should your condo face.
• Facilities floor. Find out which floor the pool, gym, function rooms and playground are on. Units beside a facilities deck can be noisier.
• Lifts. Ask how many units share each lift lobby, and check the floor plate for refuse chutes next to your unit.

Step 4: running costs and parking

Maintenance charges and sinking fund. Under the Strata Management Act 2013 (Akta Pengurusan Strata 2013), the developer sets the charges during the developer management period, in proportion to each parcel’s share units, and the sinking fund contribution is 10% of the charges. The Schedule H form also asks the buyer to pay the first four months of charges and sinking fund in advance at handover. Ask for the estimated rate per square foot in writing and the share units for your parcel. See maintenance fees and sinking fund.

Car parks. Ask how many bays come with your unit and how they are held: as an accessory parcel shown in the strata plan for use with your unit, or as common property allocated by management. Ask whether they are tandem, and if you need an EV charger; see EV charging and parking.

Title and land use. Ask whether the project is on residential or commercial land. Serviced apartments and SOHOs are often on commercial land, which can change running costs and loan terms (see condo vs landed vs SOHO). Add quit rent and assessment tax to your budget.

Step 5: booking fees and the paperwork

Regulation 11(2) of the Housing Development (Control and Licensing) Regulations 1989, as amended in 2015, says no person, including parties acting as stakeholders, may collect any payment except as the SPA prescribes, and the statutory SPA makes the first 10% payable on signing. In practice, many galleries still ask for a “booking fee” or “registration fee”. In January 2021 the Federal Court held that the time for late-delivery damages runs from the date a booking fee was paid, not from the SPA date.

In May 2026 KPKT said it was studying an “Option to Purchase” clause in the proposed Real Property Development Bill, to let buyers and developers withdraw before the SPA. It was still a proposal when I checked in November 2026. If you pay anything at a gallery:

• Pay only to the developer’s company account, never to a salesperson’s personal account and never in cash.
• Get an official receipt showing the unit number, price, date and developer’s name.
• Get the refund terms in writing, for example if your loan is not approved or you do not sign the SPA. See booking fee refunds.
• Ask for the SPA draft before you sign and find out which lawyer acts for you; see legal fees.
• After the SPA, your progress payments go into the project’s Housing Development Account, which Act 118 requires the developer to open for each project or phase. See progressive payment schedule.

Printable gallery checklist

Screenshot or print this table and tick it off during your visit.

✓	Check	What to ask or do
☐	Developer licence and APDL	Photograph the numbers and validity dates; check them on TEDUH
☐	Project status	On TEDUH: progress, any delayed or troubled status, approved extensions of time
☐	Tenure and land use	Freehold or leasehold (expiry year); residential or commercial land
☐	Expected completion	Date on the permit details; 24 months (landed) or 36 months (strata) from SPA under the statutory forms
☐	Specification list	Ask for the SPA schedule; tick off each show-unit item, and ask which items are not included
☐	Area	Brochure built-up vs SPA parcel area; what is included (balcony, ledges)
☐	Floor plan	Your exact unit type and stack; windows, AC ledges, wet areas
☐	Floor and facing	View, sun direction, what could be built next door
☐	Facilities	Which floor; distance from your unit; listed in the SPA schedule
☐	Car parks	Number of bays, accessory parcel or allocated, tandem or not
☐	Maintenance charges	Estimated rate per sq ft in writing; sinking fund 10% of charges; share units
☐	Price and payment	Price on the booking form matches the price list; progressive payment schedule
☐	Booking fee	Paid to the company account; official receipt; refund terms in writing
☐	SPA and lawyer	Draft SPA before signing; who acts for you; legal fees and stamp duty
☐	Loan	Loan eligibility checked before booking; valuation risk
☐	Foreign buyer rules	Johor minimum price, state consent, timing

What to bring

Bring: your IC or passport, a phone with a camera, a measuring tape, a notebook, your budget and loan figures (see home loans in JB), and, if you are a foreign buyer, your pass details. If you plan to book, find out beforehand how payment is taken.

Red flags at a sales gallery

• No licence or APDL number on the materials, or numbers that do not match TEDUH.
• A request to pay into a personal account or in cash.
• Pressure to book on the spot without seeing the specification list or the SPA draft.
• Verbal promises of rental income, resale profit or “sea views” that nobody will put in writing.
• Plans that differ between the brochure, the show unit and the SPA, with no explanation.
• A project shown as delayed or troubled on TEDUH, or a developer with no completed projects you can visit.

See also property scams in JB and new launch vs subsale.

Foreign buyers and MM2H

• Minimum price. Johor generally allows foreigners to buy homes priced at RM1 million or more, with some exceptions in designated zones. See Johor’s minimum price and foreign quota.
• State consent. A foreign buyer needs Johor state consent, which adds time; ask how the consent application is handled and how long it usually takes, and make sure your SPA timeline allows for it.
• Costs and distance. Stamp duty differs for foreigners (stamp duty guide). If you cannot attend, ask me for a live video walk-through of the show unit and site.

For MM2H, I coordinate with a MOTAC-licensed MM2H agent and handle the property side; approval is decided by the authorities. See MM2H property support.

After you sign: handover

Keep your gallery photos, brochure and specification list for vacant possession, when you compare the unit with the SPA and have 24 months to report defects. Use my vacant possession defect checklist, and for problems that show up later see latent defects after the DLP.

Where to buy if this matters to you

• New launch property in JB: current projects I follow.
• New landed launches: terraces and semi-Ds.
• JB Sentral and Bukit Chagar: near the CIQ and the RTS Link station.
• Iskandar Puteri: Medini, EduCity and the Second Link.
• Mount Austin: condos near schools and malls.
• Permas Jaya and Senibong: waterfront projects on the east side.

Compare them on my JB property map.

More Johor living guides: Floor plan red flags · High floor vs low floor · Checking condo management · Bank valuation lower than price

Frequently asked questions

Is a show unit the same as the unit I will get?

Not necessarily. Show units often include furniture, built-ins and finishes that are not part of the sale, and some move walls or ceilings. What you get is set by the SPA and its specification schedule, so compare the two.

How do I check a developer’s licence and advertising permit in Malaysia?

Use KPKT’s TEDUH portal (teduh.kpkt.gov.my) or app. It shows the developer licence and APDL status, project progress, approved selling prices and whether a project is delayed, troubled or abandoned.

Can I claim if my unit does not match the show unit?

Claims generally depend on the SPA. In 2021 the Federal Court held that the homebuyer tribunal could only decide claims based on the SPA’s terms, and a showroom expectation was not enough. Get important items written into the SPA.

Is a booking fee at a sales gallery allowed?

The housing regulations bar collecting any payment except as the SPA prescribes, though many galleries still ask for one. If you pay, pay the developer’s company account, get an official receipt and the refund terms in writing.

How long does a developer have to complete a new condo in Malaysia?

Under the statutory Schedule H form, 36 months from the SPA date for strata units, and 24 months under Schedule G for landed homes, with late-delivery damages of 10% a year of the price. Approved extensions of time can change this.

Can foreigners buy at a Johor Bahru sales gallery?

Yes, subject to Johor’s rules: generally a RM1 million minimum price for most homes and state consent. Check both before you book a unit.

Book a sales gallery visit with me

Tell me the project or area, your budget and when you can visit. I will check the developer and project on TEDUH, arrange the gallery and show unit visit, and go through this checklist with you on the day before any money moves. You can also book an appointment, or a Zoom consultation if you are abroad.

Sources: Bernama, KPKT urges homebuyers to check developer and project information on TEDUH, 7 September 2026; Bernama, KPKT blacklists 109 developers; check licence status on TEDUH, 7 April 2025; Housing Development (Control and Licensing) Act 1966 (Act 118), sections 5, 7, 7A and 18, copy hosted by Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, checked November 2026; Housing Development (Control and Licensing) Regulations 1989, P.U.(A) 58/1989, regulations 6 and 11, via the National House Buyers Association, checked November 2026; Housing Development (Control and Licensing) (Amendment) Regulations 2015, P.U.(A) 106/2015, in force 1 July 2015 (regulation 8(1A), regulation 11(2), Schedules G and H), checked November 2026; Sunday Star, defect liability period extended to 24 months from 1 December 2007, 16 December 2007, via the National House Buyers Association; Strata Management Act 2013 (Act 757), sections 9, 12 and 25, copy hosted by DBKL, checked November 2026; Free Malaysia Today, call for show-unit rules after a Federal Court ruling on homebuyer tribunal claims, 20 February 2021; Focus Malaysia, Federal Court ruling (19 January 2021) on booking fees and the start of LAD, August 2021; Malay Mail (Bernama), Housing Ministry studying an Option to Purchase clause in the proposed Real Property Development Bill, 8 May 2026; Sinar Harian, Johor’s RM1 million minimum for foreign buyers (state housing exco), 13 June 2023

Jason Lim, REN 84424, IQI Realty Sdn. Bhd. E (1) 1584/6. General information checked on 7 November 2026, not legal or financial advice. Rules and practice change; confirm with your lawyer, your bank, KPKT and the Johor land office before you commit.