Combining Two Condo Units in Malaysia: Approvals, Titles and Costs

中文 · Bahasa Melayu · Bahasa Indonesia

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

Some owners buy the unit next door and join the two into one larger home. In Malaysia this is possible, but it is more than a renovation: you need the building management’s written approval, council approval for structural or plan changes, and a professional engineer to confirm which walls can go. Most owners then keep two strata titles. Merging them into one title, called amalgamation of parcels (penyatuan petak), is a separate land office application under the Strata Titles Act 1985. This is general information, not legal advice.

Two ways to combine units

	Joined, two titles kept	Amalgamated into one parcel
What changes	An opening in the dividing wall; used as one home	The same works, then one parcel on one strata title
Approvals	Management, plus council and engineer for structural work	All of those, plus the land office
Loans	Two titles, two loans possible	One title; each bank must consent first
Charges	Two charges notices	One, based on the combined share units
Selling later	Restore the wall and sell separately	Sell one large unit, or apply to divide it

Amalgamation needs issued strata titles. If your building has none yet, the units stay two parcels on paper even if you join them. See strata titles explained and buying without an individual strata title.

The approvals you need

1. The building’s management (JMB or MC)

The standard by-laws in the Third Schedule of the Strata Management (Maintenance and Management) Regulations 2015 set the baseline:

• Paragraph 27: no renovation without the management’s prior written approval and, where required, the authority’s. A deposit may be asked. Works must stay inside your parcel and must not weaken shear walls, load-bearing beams or columns.
• Paragraph 28: relocating an external door or window, changing a safety feature, moving plumbing or sewerage, or rewiring the whole unit needs both the authority’s and the management’s approval.
• Paragraph 29: no change to the facade without written approval. Closing one of two main doors changes the corridor’s look.

Buildings add house rules on hours, deposits and debris; see condo renovation rules and deposits and JMB vs management corporation.

2. The council and a professional engineer

In many high-rise buildings the wall between units is a load-bearing concrete shear wall, so never assume it can be removed. A registered professional engineer should check the as-built structural drawings, usually kept by the management, and decide what can be opened.

Under section 70 of the Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974, departing from approved plans or rebuilding party walls counts as erecting a building, which needs the council’s prior written permission. Your council (MBJB, MBIP, MBPG or MPKu) is named on your assessment bill. See my renovation permit guide and how to get a copy of the approved building plan.

The dividing wall may also be a fire separation, so ask your architect or engineer whether Bomba needs to be consulted (see condo fire safety).

3. The land office, if you want one title

Part V of the Strata Titles Act 1985 lets the proprietor of two or more contiguous parcels amalgamate them into one parcel, with the approval of the Director of Lands and Mines. Contiguous includes a shared floor or ceiling, so the unit directly above can qualify. Under section 27 the Director must be satisfied that:

• no restriction in interest on the title is breached, and the works comply with the law, including council approvals;
• no quit rent (land revenue) is outstanding on either parcel;
• every chargee, lessee and lien-holder has consented in writing, in practice the bank holding each loan;
• the management corporation has consented if new common property would be created; and
• the units connect inside, without passing through common property such as the corridor.

You apply to the Land Administrator on Form 7 with the fee, a licensed land surveyor’s plan in triplicate, a statement of share units, the consents and the title documents. Under section 26 the new parcel’s share units equal the old parcels’ total. Fees follow state rules, so ask your lawyer or surveyor for Johor’s current figures. These sections still appear in the Act’s reprint as at 1 April 2021; the detail above is from the 2007 text, so confirm the current wording with your lawyer.

Step by step

1. Check the titles. Are both titles issued and in the same name, with what charges or restrictions? Do a land title search.
2. Ask the management early what it needs and whether units have been combined in the building before.
3. Engage an engineer to review the structural drawings and approved plan.
4. Design the layout: which main door stays, and how two sets of plumbing and wiring are handled.
5. Get approvals: the council through your submitting person, then the management, with any deposit.
6. Build with a registered contractor and keep every approval and sign-off (see hiring a contractor).
7. For one title, your lawyer and surveyor file Form 7 after settling quit rent and bank consents.

Charges, bills and running costs

Item	What usually happens	Worth knowing
Maintenance charges	Shared by share units	Amalgamation adds the share units together, so charges stay about the same. See share units explained.
Sinking fund	10% of charges unless a general meeting sets more	Follows the charges. See maintenance fee and sinking fund.
Quit rent and assessment	Billed per title	Must be paid up before amalgamation; the council may then reassess. See quit rent and assessment.
Electricity and water	Each unit has its own meter and account	Ask TNB and Ranhill SAJ before closing one. See electricity and water bills.

Wet areas need care: paragraph 27 requires the damp proof membrane to be replaced, and carried 150 mm up the walls, when wet-area floors are redone. See water leaking from the unit above.

Buying the second unit: loans, stamp duty and foreigners

• Loans. Bank Negara Malaysia caps financing at 70% of value from a borrower’s third housing loan (3 November 2010). See margin of financing rules and second home loans. Ask early how the bank values a joined unit (see low valuations).
• Stamp duty. Each purchase has its own transfer and stamp duty. The first-home exemption (full up to RM500,000 for SPAs to 31 December 2027; Budget 2027 proposes extending it to 2030, subject to the Finance Act) cannot cover the second unit. See stamp duty in Malaysia.
• Foreign buyers. In Johor, foreigners can generally buy homes only from RM1 million, with only limited exceptions (for example, some serviced apartments sold by developers with state approval); no area is exempt as a whole. Don’t assume two lower-priced units can be added together to meet it; ask your lawyer. Each transfer carries 8% stamp duty (from 1 January 2026) and a Johor approval fee of 3%, minimum RM30,000, plus RM2,000 per title. See Johor’s foreigner minimum price.
• Ownership. Buy both units in the same name; amalgamation is for one proprietor holding both parcels.

Not financial advice; confirm loan terms with your bank.

Resale, and undoing it later

A combined unit suits the owner who planned it; fewer buyers look for a very large unit in one building, and some worry about hidden structural or plumbing changes. Keep every approval, the engineer’s certificate and stamped plans for the buyer’s lawyer and bank.

With two titles you can restore the wall, with approval, and sell separately. An amalgamated parcel can be divided again under Part V, but that is a fresh application. Unapproved works are harder to sell (see unapproved extensions).

Alternatives worth comparing first

• A bigger unit: see my penthouse and duplex guide.
• A dual-key unit: one title with a separate studio; see dual-key condos.
• Two neighbouring units, not joined: no structural work and simpler resale.
• Space for several generations: see multigenerational family homes.

Where to buy if this matters to you

Whether units can be combined depends on the building, not the area, so ask before you buy. Areas with many condos to compare:

• Mount Austin: many completed condos popular with families.
• Tebrau, Setia Indah and Molek: established areas with older condos.
• Danga Bay: waterfront towers near the city centre.
• JB Sentral and Bukit Chagar: towers near the RTS Link station.
• Iskandar Puteri: newer condos; check whether titles are issued.

Compare them on my JB property map.

More Johor living guides: Share units explained · Renovation permits in JB · Condo renovation rules and deposits · Checking condo management before buying

Frequently asked questions

Can I combine two condo units in Malaysia?

Yes, if the management approves, a registered engineer confirms the structure allows it and the council approves structural or plan changes. You can keep two strata titles or apply to the land office to amalgamate them.

Do I need approval to hack the wall between two condo units?

Yes. The standard strata by-laws require the JMB’s or MC’s prior written approval and bar works that weaken shear walls, beams or columns. Many dividing walls are structural, so an engineer must check first.

How do I merge two strata titles into one?

Apply to the Land Administrator on Form 7 under the Strata Titles Act 1985 with a land surveyor’s plan, share units statement, bank consents and title documents. The parcels must adjoin and quit rent must be paid.

Will my maintenance fee go down if I combine two units?

Not much. The new parcel’s share units equal the two old parcels’ share units added together, so charges and the sinking fund stay about the same.

Can I combine units before strata titles are issued?

You may get approval to join them physically, but amalgamation needs issued strata titles. Until then the units remain two parcels.

Can a foreigner buy the unit next door in Johor?

Yes, if each purchase meets Johor’s rules: generally a RM1 million minimum with limited exceptions, 8% stamp duty and a state approval fee per transfer. Ask your lawyer how each unit will be treated.

Planning to combine two units in JB?

Tell me the project and the two units. I will help you check the titles, ask the management what it needs and find the unit next door if you don’t own it yet. You can also book an appointment for a viewing, or a Zoom consultation if you are abroad.

Sources: Attorney General’s Chambers, Laws of Malaysia online: Strata Titles Act 1985 (Act 318) and Strata Management Act 2013 (Act 757), checked November 2026; Strata Titles Act 1985, Part V, sections 24 to 28 (text as amended to 12 April 2007, published by the National House Buyers Association), checked November 2026; Akta Hakmilik Strata 1985 (Akta 318), reprint as at 1 April 2021 (published by PTG Melaka), checked November 2026; Strata Management (Maintenance and Management) Regulations 2015, P.U. (A) 107/2015, including Parts XV and XVI (copy published by DBKL), checked November 2026; Strata Management (Maintenance and Management) Regulations 2015 (P.U.(A) 107/2015), Third Schedule, paragraphs 27 to 29, AGC Laws of Malaysia, checked November 2026; Strata Management Act 2013 (Act 757), sections 25, 60 and 61 (copy published by DBKL), checked November 2026; Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974, Part V, section 70 (published by the National House Buyers Association), checked November 2026; Bank Negara Malaysia, measures on property financing (70% LTV from the third housing loan), 3 November 2010; Ministry of Finance, Budget 2026 Tax Measures (first-home stamp duty exemption), October 2025; The Star, “Budget 2027: Govt proposes stamp duty exemptions for first-time homebuyers”, 9 October 2026; LHDN, Garis Panduan Pengenaan Duti Setem, First Schedule, Stamp Act 1949 (8% rate for foreign buyers), 30 June 2026; PTG Johor, Pekeliling Bil. 3 Tahun 2025 (foreign-interest approval fees), in force 1 July 2025; New Straits Times, “Foreigners hit Johor property resale wall”, 20 April 2026

Jason Lim, REN 84424, IQI Realty Sdn. Bhd. E (1) 1584/6. General information checked on 15 November 2026, not legal or financial advice. Strata by-laws, council requirements, land office procedures and bank policies change and vary by building; confirm with your management, your council (MBJB, MBIP, MBPG or MPKu), the land office, a registered engineer, your bank and your lawyer before you start.