Condo Rubbish and Recycling in Johor: Separation Rules, Chutes and Fines (2026)

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By Jason Lim, REN 84424 · IQI Realty · Checked on 15 November 2026

Yes, separating rubbish is compulsory in Johor condos. Johor applies the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act 2007 (Act 672), so households must keep recyclables apart from general waste. Wrapped rubbish goes down the chute, recyclables go to the recycling bins, and the JMB or MC can be compounded if the building does not comply.

This guide is for condo owners, tenants, landlords and buyers in Johor Bahru, including buyers from abroad.

Is separating rubbish compulsory in Johor?

Yes. Johor adopted Act 672, so household waste is managed by the Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Corporation (SWCorp, Perbadanan Pengurusan Sisa Pepejal dan Pembersihan Awam) rather than the local council. Mandatory separation at source (pengasingan sisa pepejal di punca) took effect on 1 September 2015 in Johor, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perlis, Kedah, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya (The Star, 8 December 2025).

When the scheme started, SWCorp asked Johor households to put recyclables such as paper, plastic and aluminium in separate clear plastic bags, and food and other organic waste in bags inside the wheeled bin (The Star, 20 April 2015). Compounds for households and building managements that did not comply began in June 2016 (The Star, 16 May 2016).

Collection is run by SWCorp through an appointed collection contractor across 15 local authority areas in Johor (Bernama, 7 February 2026). Your council (MBJB, MBIP, MBPG or MPKu) still handles drains, roads and public areas. Johor produces roughly 4,300 tonnes of waste a day, with up to 10% more around Hari Raya (The Star, 16 March 2026).

What goes where in a Johor condo?

Bins vary by building, but the logic is the same: clean recyclables stay out of the chute, and bulky things stay out of the refuse chamber.

Type of waste	Examples	In a condo	In a landed home
General waste	Food scraps, soiled packaging, nappies, tissues	Tie the bag and drop it in the chute or refuse chamber	Bagged, inside the wheeled bin
Recyclables	Paper, cardboard, plastic bottles, cans, glass	Rinse, flatten and take to the recycling bins or cage at the bin centre	Clear bags beside the bin on the “+1” day
Bulky waste	Mattresses, sofas, old cupboards	Arrange with management; never leave at the chute	Beside the bin on the “+1” day
E-waste	Phones, small appliances, batteries	Keep out of the chute; use an e-waste drive or registered collection centre	Same
Renovation debris	Tiles, cement, plaster, old cabinets	Contractor removes it from the building	Contractor removes it to a proper disposal site

How do refuse chutes and bin centres work in a condo?

Every strata scheme in Peninsular Malaysia follows the standard by-laws in the Third Schedule of the Strata Management (Maintenance and Management) Regulations 2015, made under the Strata Management Act 2013 (Act 757). Paragraph 26 deals with rubbish. In substance it says:

• Rubbish must be securely wrapped and put only into the refuse chute, refuse chamber or another place the management designates.
• Large, bulky or heavy items must not be left at a chute or refuse chamber unless the building has an approved facility for them.
• Nothing may be thrown from windows or balconies, or left in corridors, staircases or lifts.

Paragraph 27 adds that renovation waste must not go into refuse chambers or common property and must be removed from the building. See my guide to bulky waste and renovation debris in JB for that side.

Chutes: what jams them and what it costs

Unwrapped food, loose bottles, pizza boxes and bulky bags are the usual causes of blocked chutes, smells and pests. Clearing them is paid from the maintenance fund, so careless use raises everyone’s costs. Leftover food in an open refuse room also attracts rats and cockroaches; see rats and cockroaches at home. Containers left with water inside can breed Aedes mosquitoes, so empty them; see mosquito and dengue prevention.

Recycling bins: why some buildings struggle

In Act 672 states, the collection contractor supplies the bins, but the JMB or MC has to find space for them. SWCorp has said that many older refuse rooms are too small for several bins, and some buildings set up separate recycling corners at their own cost (The Star, 8 December 2025). High-rises were always the hard part: in 2018 SWCorp said recycling cages given to some high-rises had been misused and enforcement there had been delayed (The Star, 29 January 2018).

Who gets fined if a condo does not separate its rubbish?

Under the compound rates announced when enforcement began, the building management is the party compounded for a condo, while a landed homeowner is compounded personally (The Star, 16 May 2016; The Star, 11 January 2024).

Offence	Condo or apartment (JMB or MC)	Landed home (owner)
First	RM100	RM50
Second	RM200	RM100
Third	RM500	RM500
Later offences	Prosecution in court	Prosecution in court

The same January 2024 report said a JMB or MC can also be fined up to RM1,000 for failing to provide enough disposal facilities or to maintain chutes and refuse rooms. By December 2025, SWCorp said JMBs and MCs were legally responsible for compliance and could be compounded, and that it planned to step up enforcement under Act 672 (The Star, 8 December 2025).

How a building passes the rule down to residents

A compound on the JMB or MC is paid from owners’ money. To put the duty where it belongs, owners can pass additional by-laws on refuse and behaviour by special resolution at a general meeting. Sections 32 and 70 of Act 757 allow fines of up to RM200 per breach, and the by-laws bind owners, tenants and other occupiers. My guides to proposing additional by-laws and condo by-laws, access cards and visitors explain the steps. If the management itself does nothing about an overflowing bin centre, complain to the Commissioner of Buildings (Pesuruhjaya Bangunan) at your council, and then the Strata Management Tribunal if needed.

What about bulky waste, e-waste and renovation debris?

• Bulky waste. Johor’s collection follows a “2+1” pattern: general waste twice a week plus a third weekly round for recyclables and bulky items. In a condo, ask the management where and when bulky items may be placed; never leave them at the chute.
• E-waste. Phones, batteries and small appliances should stay out of chutes. The Department of Environment (Jabatan Alam Sekitar) had 157 registered household e-waste collection centres nationwide as of 2025 (The Star, 26 March 2026), and community e-waste drives also run in JB.
• Renovation debris. This is the contractor’s job, not the chute’s. The building’s renovation rules usually set a debris area, removal times and a deposit; see condo move-in and move-out rules.
• Illegal dumping. Section 71 of Act 672 carries a fine of RM10,000 to RM100,000, jail, or both, as Johor SWCorp stated in November 2025.

How is it different in landed homes and gated estates?

In an open landed estate, there is no management office between you and the collection crew. You put bagged general waste in your wheeled bin, and recyclables in clear bags beside it on the “+1” day, and any compound is issued to you as the owner. Johor’s collection days were revised from 1 October 2024 (Kluang Municipal Council notice), so check the estate signboard or ask neighbours rather than relying on an old schedule.

Gated estates on strata titles run on the same by-laws as condos, with a JMB or MC and often a central bin area; see landed strata title and gated and guarded homes.

What should tenants, landlords and short-stay hosts know?

• Tenants are bound by the building’s by-laws and house rules, including rubbish rules, and a by-law fine can be issued to the occupier. Ask the management office for the bin centre location and collection times on move-in day.
• Landlords can attach the house rules to the tenancy agreement and make rubbish and recycling part of the handover briefing. Rubbish left in the unit at move-out can be deducted from the deposit if the agreement requires a clean, empty unit; see the tenancy agreement guide and rental deposit refunds.
• Room and student lets produce more rubbish; a sorting note in the kitchen helps; see renting out rooms and renting to students.
• Short-stay hosts should explain the chute and recycling rules in the welcome notes, because guests rarely know them; see short-stay rental rules in JB.

How can a buyer check a condo’s rubbish set-up before buying?

Rubbish handling is a quick test of how well a building is managed. On viewings, check:

Check	What a good sign looks like
Walk past the refuse room on the unit’s floor	Clean, closed door, no smell, chute hatch works
Visit the ground-floor bin centre	Bins not overflowing, recycling bins or cage present and labelled
Ask management about collection times	A clear answer, often posted on a notice board
Read the last two sets of AGM minutes	No repeated complaints about chutes, pests or compounds
Ask for the additional by-laws and house rules	Refuse and recycling rules written down, with a fine if needed
Note the unit’s position	Units right beside the refuse room or bin centre can get smells and noise

For more, see checking condo management before buying, reading a condo’s JMB accounts, choosing a unit by facing and noise and maintenance fees and the sinking fund. Foreign buyers should note that Johor generally sets a RM1 million minimum price for foreign buyers, with only limited exceptions (for example, some serviced apartments sold by developers with state approval); no area is exempt as a whole. See the Johor foreigner minimum price.

Where to buy if this matters to you

Newer buildings usually have planned bin centres; older ones may have smaller refuse rooms but years of AGM records to check.

• Mount Austin: many completed condos, with records you can compare.
• Iskandar Puteri: planned townships and newer high-rises (MBIP).
• Tebrau, Setia Indah and Molek: established areas with both condos and landed homes.
• Permas Jaya and Senibong: east-side condos, some of them low-density.
• JB Sentral and Bukit Chagar: city-centre high-rises where good bin management matters most.

Compare them on my JB property map.

More Johor living guides: Bulky waste and renovation debris · Condo by-laws, access cards and visitors · JMB vs management corporation · JB local councils explained · Condo running costs in JB

Frequently asked questions

Is it compulsory to separate rubbish in Johor?

Yes. Johor is one of the states under the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act 2007 (Act 672), and separation at source has applied there since 1 September 2015. Households must keep recyclables such as paper, plastic and cans apart from food and other general waste.

Who is fined if a Johor condo does not separate its rubbish?

For a condo, the compound for not separating rubbish is issued to the JMB or MC: RM100 for a first offence, RM200 for a second and RM500 for a third, as reported by The Star. Later offences go to court. Residents can in turn be fined up to RM200 per breach under the building’s additional by-laws.

What can I throw down a condo rubbish chute?

Only securely wrapped household rubbish should go down a condo rubbish chute, under the standard strata by-laws. Recyclables belong in the recycling bins, while bulky items, e-waste and renovation debris must never be left at the chute or refuse chamber.

What is the fine for not separating rubbish in a landed house in Johor?

A landed homeowner in Johor who does not separate rubbish can be compounded RM50 for a first offence, RM100 for a second and RM500 for a third, according to the rates reported when enforcement began in 2016. Repeat cases can be taken to court.

When are recyclables and bulky waste collected in Johor?

In Johor, recyclables and bulky waste are collected on the weekly “+1” round, on top of twice-weekly general waste collection. Days differ by area and were revised from 1 October 2024, so check your estate signboard or condo management office.

Do tenants have to follow condo rubbish and recycling rules?

Yes. Condo by-laws, including rubbish and recycling rules, bind tenants and other occupiers as well as owners. Landlords should attach the house rules to the tenancy agreement and explain the chute and bin centre at handover.

Looking for a well-managed condo in JB?

Tell me the area, your budget and whether you are buying or renting. I will shortlist well-run buildings and show you their bin centres on the viewing. You can also book an appointment for viewings, or a Zoom consultation if you are abroad.

Sources: The Star, “Waste separation enforcement starts in June”, compound rates for landed and high-rise premises, 16 May 2016; The Star, “Waste separation in six states”, 20 April 2015; The Star, “Separation at source still lagging”, 8 December 2025; The Star, “Separate waste or face fines”, compounds, court fines and JMB duties under Act 672, 11 January 2024; The Star, “SWCorp: Waste separation delayed at high-rises”, 29 January 2018; Bernama, on Johor solid waste collection across 15 local authority areas, 7 February 2026; The Star, “Public urged to keep neighbourhood streets clear for Raya rubbish pickup”, 16 March 2026; Majlis Perbandaran Kluang, notice on revised domestic and bulky waste collection from 1 October 2024, checked November 2026; The Star, “SWCorp detains lorry at illegal dumping ground in Sedenak”, 9 November 2025; The Star, “Move to simplify e-waste disposal”, 26 March 2026; Strata Management (Maintenance and Management) Regulations 2015, P.U.(A) 107 (copy published by DBKL), Third Schedule paragraphs 26 and 27, checked November 2026; Strata Management Act 2013 (Act 757), sections 32 and 70 (copy published by DBKL), checked November 2026; Attorney General’s Chambers, Laws of Malaysia Online: Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act 2007 (Act 672), checked November 2026

Jason Lim, REN 84424, IQI Realty Sdn. Bhd. E (1) 1584/6. General information checked on 15 November 2026 from the dated sources listed above; not legal advice. Compound rates, collection days and building by-laws change; confirm with SWCorp Johor, your local council or your management office before you act.