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By Jason Lim, REN 84424 · IQI Realty · Checked on 12 November 2026
This checklist is for buyers collecting the keys to a subsale (resale) home in Johor Bahru, including buyers living in Singapore, Indonesia, India, China and elsewhere. The short answer: in a subsale, the seller hands over vacant possession once the balance price has been paid as the sale and purchase agreement (SPA) requires. On the day, walk through the home against the SPA and its fixtures list, collect every key, card and remote, photograph the electricity and water meters, and note any problem in writing. Then switch the utility accounts and register with the management office and the council.
Quick answer
- When: the SPA usually provides for vacant possession on full payment of the balance price; subsale completion is commonly about three months after the SPA, often with a one-month extension.
- Before you collect: get your lawyer’s confirmation that completion has happened and the keys can be released.
- Walk-through: compare the condition and every fixture with the SPA and your viewing photos.
- Collect: door and letterbox keys, access cards, gate and car park remotes, parking stickers, manuals, warranties and recent bills.
- Meters: photograph the electricity and water readings with the date; bills are usually split at the handover date.
- Afterwards: open your own TNB and water accounts, register with management, and file Form I with the council within three months (MBJB charges RM50).
When vacant possession happens in a subsale
A Malaysian Bar conveyancing column describes the usual subsale arrangement: the seller delivers vacant possession on full payment of the balance price, and outgoings such as quit rent, assessment and utilities are apportioned as at the date possession is delivered. Where the buyer takes a loan, the bank’s lawyers release the loan sum after the transfer is presented and searches are done, and any outstanding seller’s loan is redeemed first.
| Stage | Typical timing | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Letter of offer | Day 0 | Earnest deposit, commonly 2 to 3% |
| SPA signed | About 2 to 3 weeks later | Deposit topped up to 10% |
| Consents, if needed | Varies | State consent for foreign buyers or restricted titles |
| Completion | Commonly about 3 months from the SPA or the last consent, often with a 1-month extension at interest | Balance paid, mostly by the buyer’s bank; the seller’s loan is redeemed |
| Vacant possession | On completion, as the SPA sets | Keys handed over and a joint inspection |
For the full sequence, see the SPA explained, legal steps for buying in Johor and, if the seller still has a loan, buying when the seller has a loan.
Before the day: prepare
- Get the fixtures list. Your SPA or letter of offer should list what stays: air-conditioners, water heaters, kitchen cabinets, lights, fans, curtains and any appliances or furniture agreed.
- Find your viewing photos. They show the condition you agreed to buy.
- Ask for the latest bills. Quit rent, assessment, the maintenance statement, and the last electricity and water bills.
- Book a time in daylight. Problems such as stains and cracks are easier to see.
- Bring: the SPA, a phone with plenty of storage, a torch, a phone charger to test sockets, and a notebook or handover form.
Buying a subsale home in JB from abroad?
Tell me the project and your expected completion date. If you can’t be here, I can attend the handover, video the walk-through and photograph the meters for you.
WhatsApp JasonHandover day checklist
Print this table or save it on your phone and tick as you go.
| Area | What to check or collect | Done |
|---|---|---|
| Keys | Main door, grille, bedroom and cabinet keys; letterbox key; count against the seller’s list | ☐ |
| Access | Access cards or tags, lift cards, gate and car park remotes; test each one on the spot | ☐ |
| Parking | Car park stickers or tags, and the bay numbers if parking is an accessory parcel | ☐ |
| Codes | Digital lock, alarm and gate codes, plus the Wi-Fi router if it stays | ☐ |
| Electricity meter | Meter number and reading, photographed with the date | ☐ |
| Water meter | Meter number and reading, photographed with the date; check it does not move with all taps closed | ☐ |
| Bills and receipts | Latest paid quit rent, assessment and maintenance receipts; final utility bill arrangements | ☐ |
| Manuals and warranties | For air-conditioners, water heaters, hob and hood, and any appliances that stay | ☐ |
| Approvals (landed) | Approved plans and permits for any extension or renovation, if the seller has them | ☐ |
| Water and plumbing | Run every tap and shower, flush toilets, check under sinks, floor traps and ceilings for stains | ☐ |
| Electrical | Switches, sockets, lights, fans and the distribution board; test the earth leakage trip button if you know how | ☐ |
| Air-conditioners | Each unit cools and drains; remotes present | ☐ |
| Doors and windows | Open, close and lock every one; check grilles and sliding doors | ☐ |
| Walls and floors | Cracks, damp patches, hollow or cracked tiles, compared with your viewing photos | ☐ |
| Fixtures | Every item on the SPA list is present and working | ☐ |
| Left behind | Items the seller should have removed, and rubbish | ☐ |
| Landed extras | Roof and ceiling for leaks, gutters and drains, gate motor, porch and any extension | ☐ |
If you want a more detailed inspection before you sign, see my subsale house inspection guide.
Bills: who pays up to handover
Most subsale SPAs say the seller pays outgoings up to an agreed date, commonly the day vacant possession is delivered, and you pay from then on. Quit rent and assessment are paid in advance, so the buyer usually refunds the seller for the period after handover. Maintenance arrears go the other way, out of the seller’s money. Your meter photos fix the split for electricity and water. My guide to subsale arrears and apportionment has a worked example.
Utilities: switch the accounts
- Electricity (TNB). Apply for a change of tenancy with your ID and SPA. myTNB lists a security deposit of two months’ estimated usage, RM10 stamp duty and a RM3 processing fee when you take over an existing account. TNB has said a new owner who opens an account with proof of ownership is not responsible for a previous occupier’s unpaid bill.
- Water (Ranhill SAJ). A change of account name is treated as a new account, applied for with ID, the SPA and the title, plus a deposit. Sewerage is billed on the same bill in Johor.
- The seller’s side. Ask the seller to close the old accounts and settle the final bills; their own utility deposits are refunded to them.
- Internet. Check coverage for your unit and book installation early.
See electricity and water bills in JB and moving in: utilities and internet.
Management, council and land office records
- Management office. For condos and gated strata homes, register as the new owner with the developer, joint management body (JMB) or management corporation (MC), using your SPA or transfer documents. Ask for the by-laws, the renovation rules and new access cards if needed. Under the strata regulations, management can deactivate access devices of owners in arrears 14 days after notice, so check the seller left the account clear.
- Arrears certificate. Before completion, your lawyer can obtain a certificate of charges and arrears from the MC (section 73 of the Strata Management Act 2013) or, before strata titles, from the developer or JMB; the fee is capped at RM50.
- Council. The sale must be notified on Form I within three months. MBJB charges RM50 and says outstanding assessment must be settled before it records a new owner.
- Quit rent. Once the transfer is registered, check that the next quit rent bill comes in your name.
See quit rent and assessment tax and maintenance fees and sinking funds.
Defects and illegal extensions
A subsale home is generally bought in the condition you viewed it, and there is no new-launch defect period that starts with your purchase. What you can claim for depends on your SPA, so the time to find problems is before you sign. On handover day, the question is narrower: is the home in the condition agreed, with everything on the list?
For landed homes, compare any extension with the approved plans. An unapproved rear kitchen or extra room becomes your problem once you own it. See illegal extensions in subsale houses.
If something is missing or damaged
- Do not sign that all is in order. Write the problems on the handover form or in a message to the seller or agent, with photos.
- Tell your lawyer the same day. Ask what the SPA allows before any remaining sums are released, and let your lawyer raise it with the seller’s lawyer.
- Keep it proportionate. A missing remote is usually settled by agreement; damage to the structure or a missing appliance on the list may need formal steps.
- Don’t act alone. Withholding money or refusing the keys without advice can put you in breach of the SPA yourself.
Locks and security
You cannot know how many copies of the keys exist, so change the main door lock cylinders or reset digital locks on the first day. Change alarm and gate codes, and ask management to deactivate any access cards you did not receive. Landed owners can read gated and guarded homes in JB.
Insurance from day one
For condos, the developer, JMB or MC must insure the building for at least its reinstatement value under sections 93 and 94 of the Strata Management Act 2013; ask management for the certificate. Your contents and renovations are your own responsibility, through householder cover. For landed homes, arrange fire or houseowner cover to start on the completion date; a lender will normally require it. See my home insurance guide.
If the home comes with a tenant
If you bought subject to a tenancy, there is no empty-home handover. Make sure the tenant’s security and utility deposits are passed to you or credited at completion, that rent is apportioned, and that the tenant gets a written notice of the new landlord and the account for rent. Inspect by appointment with the tenant. See buying a tenanted property in JB.
Buying from abroad
You do not have to fly in for the keys. Many overseas buyers authorise someone to collect them, and some use a power of attorney for the wider purchase. Agree in advance who holds the keys and cards until you arrive, and ask for a full video of the walk-through and the meter photos. See buying a JB property without flying in and managing a JB property from overseas.
Where to buy if this matters to you
- Mount Austin: many subsale condos and terraces.
- Tebrau, Setia Indah and Molek: established landed neighbourhoods.
- Skudai, Tampoi and Kempas: older terraces and apartments near universities.
- Permas Jaya and Senibong: east-side condos and landed homes.
- Bukit Indah and Gelang Patah: townships near the Second Link.
- Danga Bay: completed waterfront condos.
Compare them on my JB property map.
More Johor living guides: Making an offer on a JB subsale · Subsale property risks · New-launch vacant possession checklist · Renovation and furnishing costs in JB
Frequently asked questions
When do I get the keys in a subsale purchase?
Usually when the balance price has been paid under the SPA, which is commonly about three months after signing, or after the last consent, often with a one-month extension. Your lawyer confirms when the keys can be released.
What should I collect at a subsale handover?
All door, grille and letterbox keys, access cards and remotes, car park stickers, digital lock and alarm codes, appliance manuals and warranties, recent paid bills, and any approved plans for extensions.
Why photograph the meters at handover?
Electricity and water bills are usually split at the handover date. Dated photos of both meter readings show which usage belongs to the seller and which to you.
Am I responsible for the seller’s unpaid electricity bill?
TNB has said a new owner who opens a new account with proof of ownership is not responsible for a previous occupier’s unpaid bill. Ask the seller to close the account and settle the final bill anyway.
What if something on the fixtures list is missing?
Do not sign that all is in order. Record it in writing with photos and tell your lawyer the same day, so it can be raised with the seller’s lawyer under the SPA.
Do I need to tell the council I bought the property?
Yes. The transfer must be notified to the council on Form I within three months. In MBJB’s area the charge is RM50, and outstanding assessment must be settled first.
Collecting the keys to a JB subsale home?
Tell me the project and your expected completion date. If you live overseas, I can attend the handover with your consent, video the walk-through, photograph the meters, count the keys and cards, and list anything your lawyer needs to know. You can also book an appointment, or a Zoom consultation to go through the checklist.
Sources: Malaysian Bar, Conveyancing Practice Committee column “Understanding an SPA, Part 3”, 5 January 2007; myTNB, change of tenancy, checked November 2026; TNB news clip of The Sun, new homeowner and a previous occupier’s electricity bill, 19 January 2024; Ranhill SAJ, change of account name, checked November 2026; The Star, “Johor folk to receive single water services bill next year”, 9 November 2018; Malay Mail, on strata by-laws and access cards, 29 September 2026; Strata Management Act 2013, section 73, checked November 2026; Strata Management Act 2013, section 31, checked November 2026; MBJB, property tax (assessment) service page, last updated 6 November 2026; Local Government Act 1976 (Act 171), Part XV including section 160, checked November 2026; Strata Management Act 2013, sections 93 and 94 (building insurance), checked November 2026
Jason Lim, REN 84424, IQI Realty Sdn. Bhd. E (1) 1584/6. General information checked on 12 November 2026, not legal advice. Your SPA decides the completion date, what is included and what happens if something is wrong; ask your lawyer before you sign any handover form or withhold any payment.