Authored by the expert who managed and guided the team behind the Malaysia Property Pack
Yes, the analysis of Johor's property market is included in our pack
You want to buy an apartment in Johor and rent it out, but you're not sure what kind of return you can actually expect.
This article breaks down rental yields, typical rents, costs, and neighborhood performance so you can make an informed decision.
We update this blog post regularly to keep the numbers fresh and relevant.
And if you're planning to buy a property in this place, you may want to download our pack covering the real estate market in Johor.
What rental yields can I realistically get from an apartment in Johor?
What's the average gross rental yield for apartments in Johor as of 2026?
As of early 2026, the average gross rental yield for apartments in Johor sits around 5.5%, which is solid by Malaysian standards and attractive for foreign investors looking at Southeast Asia.
Most apartment investments in Johor fall within a realistic gross yield range of 4.8% to 6.3%, depending on the specific location and property type you choose.
The main factor that causes Johor gross yields to vary is proximity to Singapore commuter routes, because tenants crossing the border for work will pay a premium for units near the CIQ checkpoint or the upcoming RTS Link station in Bukit Chagar.
Compared to Kuala Lumpur, where gross yields typically hover around 4% to 5%, Johor apartments offer slightly better returns because entry prices remain lower while rents are supported by the Singapore spillover effect.
What's the average net rental yield for apartments in Johor as of 2026?
As of early 2026, the average net rental yield for apartments in Johor is around 3.6%, once you account for all the recurring costs that come with owning a Malaysian condo.
Most Johor apartment investors can realistically expect net yields between 3.0% and 4.5%, with the exact figure depending on your building's service charges and whether you hire a property manager.
The single biggest expense that eats into your gross yield in Johor is the combination of maintenance fees and sinking fund contributions, which Malaysian strata buildings charge monthly and can run anywhere from RM250 to RM400 for a typical 900 sqft unit.
By the way, you will find much more detailed data in our property pack covering the real estate market in Johor.
What's the typical rent-to-price ratio for apartments in Johor in 2026?
As of early 2026, the typical rent-to-price ratio for apartments in Johor is around 0.46% per month, which translates to roughly 5.5% per year when annualized.
Most Johor apartment transactions fall within a rent-to-price ratio range of 0.40% to 0.53% per month, or about 4.8% to 6.3% annually.
In Johor, the neighborhoods with the highest rent-to-price ratios tend to be areas like Skudai and Tampoi, where purchase prices are more affordable due to distance from the waterfront, but rents stay supported by nearby universities and industrial employers.
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How much rent can I charge for an apartment in Johor?
What's the typical tenant budget range for apartments in Johor right now?
The typical tenant budget for renting an apartment in Johor ranges from RM1,200 to RM3,500 per month (around USD 295 to USD 860, or EUR 275 to EUR 800), covering everything from basic local workforce housing to comfortable Singapore commuter units.
Tenants targeting mid-range apartments in Johor usually budget between RM2,000 and RM2,800 per month (roughly USD 490 to USD 690, or EUR 455 to EUR 640), which gets them a decent 2-bed in a well-maintained building with parking.
For high-end or luxury apartments in Johor, especially in areas like Puteri Harbour or prime JB city towers, tenants typically budget RM4,000 per month and above (around USD 985+, or EUR 910+), expecting full furnishing, premium amenities, and often waterfront or skyline views.
We have a blog article where we update the latest data about rents in Johor here.
What's the average monthly rent for a 1-bed apartment in Johor as of 2026?
As of early 2026, the average monthly rent for a 1-bed apartment in Johor is around RM1,900 (approximately USD 470, or EUR 435).
Entry-level 1-bed apartments in Johor rent for around RM1,400 to RM1,700 per month (USD 345 to USD 420, or EUR 320 to EUR 390), and these are typically older buildings in areas like Tampoi or basic studios in secondary locations without much by way of facilities.
Mid-range 1-bed apartments in Johor go for RM1,800 to RM2,200 per month (USD 445 to USD 540, or EUR 410 to EUR 500), usually in decent condos around Mount Austin or Tebrau with swimming pool, gym, and covered parking.
High-end 1-bed apartments in Johor command RM2,500 to RM3,500 per month (USD 615 to USD 860, or EUR 570 to EUR 800), typically found in newer towers near JB city centre or waterfront developments in Puteri Harbour with hotel-style finishes.
What's the average monthly rent for a 2-bed apartment in Johor as of 2026?
As of early 2026, the average monthly rent for a 2-bed apartment in Johor is around RM2,300 (approximately USD 565, or EUR 525).
Entry-level 2-bed apartments in Johor rent for around RM1,800 to RM2,100 per month (USD 445 to USD 515, or EUR 410 to EUR 480), typically found in older walk-up flats or basic condos in areas like Skudai or Masai with minimal facilities.
Mid-range 2-bed apartments in Johor go for RM2,200 to RM2,800 per month (USD 540 to USD 690, or EUR 500 to EUR 640), usually in established condos around Taman Molek, Bukit Indah, or Permas Jaya with good security and family-friendly layouts.
High-end 2-bed apartments in Johor command RM3,200 to RM4,500 per month (USD 785 to USD 1,105, or EUR 730 to EUR 1,025), typically in premium towers near the CIQ or serviced residences in Medini and Puteri Harbour targeting expat tenants.
What's the average monthly rent for a 3-bed apartment in Johor as of 2026?
As of early 2026, the average monthly rent for a 3-bed apartment in Johor is around RM2,800 (approximately USD 690, or EUR 640).
Entry-level 3-bed apartments in Johor rent for around RM2,200 to RM2,500 per month (USD 540 to USD 615, or EUR 500 to EUR 570), usually in older developments or suburban condos in areas like Tampoi or Kulai without premium finishes.
Mid-range 3-bed apartments in Johor go for RM2,600 to RM3,300 per month (USD 640 to USD 810, or EUR 595 to EUR 755), typically in family-oriented condos around Mount Austin, Taman Molek, or Bukit Indah with good schools nearby.
High-end 3-bed apartments in Johor command RM4,000 to RM6,000 per month (USD 985 to USD 1,475, or EUR 910 to EUR 1,370), found in prime developments like those in Puteri Harbour or luxury towers in JB city centre with full servicing and waterfront access.
How fast do well-priced apartments get rented in Johor?
A well-priced apartment in Johor typically finds a tenant within 2 to 4 weeks if it's in a high-demand area near Singapore commuter routes, though less desirable buildings can sit vacant for 2 months or more.
The typical vacancy rate for apartments in Johor hovers around 4 to 6 weeks equivalent per year for correctly priced units, though this varies significantly between prime commuter corridors and oversupplied suburban areas.
The main factors that make some Johor apartments rent faster than others are proximity to the CIQ or upcoming RTS Link, availability of covered parking (essential for cross-border commuters), and whether the unit comes fully furnished and move-in ready.
And if you want to know what should be the right price, check our latest update on how much an apartment should cost in Johor.
We did some research and made this infographic to help you quickly compare rental yields of the major cities in Malaysia versus those in neighboring countries. It provides a clear view of how this country positions itself as a real estate investment destination, which might interest you if you’re planning to invest there.
Which apartment type gives the best yield in Johor?
Which is better for yield between studios, 1-bed, 2-bed and 3-bed apartments in Johor as of 2026?
As of early 2026, studios and 1-bed apartments typically offer the best rental yields in Johor, though 3-beds in Iskandar Puteri can also perform surprisingly well if you buy at the right price.
The typical gross yield range by apartment type in Johor is roughly 5.4% to 6.1% for studios, 5.2% to 5.6% for 1-beds, 5.1% to 5.7% for 2-beds, and 5.7% to 6.4% for 3-beds in certain Iskandar Puteri pockets.
The main reason studios and 1-beds tend to outperform in Johor is the Singapore commuter tenant segment, where single professionals or couples crossing the border daily prioritize low rent and easy commute over space, keeping demand strong for smaller units.
Which features are best if you want a good yield for your apartment in Johor?
The features that most positively impact rental yield for Johor apartments are proximity to Singapore border crossings (CIQ or the upcoming RTS Link), secure covered parking with at least one dedicated bay, and turnkey furnishing that lets tenants move in immediately without shopping for basics.
In Johor, mid-floor units (around floors 5 to 15) tend to rent out more easily than ground floors or very high floors, because tenants want to avoid street noise and flooding risk at lower levels without paying the premium that penthouses command.
Apartments with balconies in Johor do attract tenants slightly faster, especially for units targeting families or work-from-home professionals, though the rent premium is modest (usually RM100 to RM200 per month at most).
Building features like 24-hour security, swimming pools, and covered parking in Johor do justify their service charges for most tenants, but be cautious of developments with extensive country-club amenities that push maintenance fees above RM0.40 per sqft, as this eats into your net yield.
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Which neighborhoods give the best rental demand for apartments in Johor?
Which neighborhoods have the highest rental demand for apartments in Johor as of 2026?
As of early 2026, the neighborhoods with the highest rental demand for apartments in Johor are Johor Bahru City Centre (including Bukit Senyum, Tanjung Puteri, and Stulang Laut), the Tebrau corridor (Mount Austin and Permas Jaya), and Iskandar Puteri's Medini and Nusajaya areas.
The main demand driver making these Johor neighborhoods attractive is their accessibility to Singapore, whether through proximity to the CIQ checkpoint, the upcoming RTS Link station, or major highways that allow commuters to cross the border in under 30 minutes during off-peak hours.
In these high-demand Johor neighborhoods, well-priced apartments typically find tenants within 1 to 3 weeks, compared to 6 weeks or more in oversupplied suburban areas further from the commuter corridors.
One emerging neighborhood gaining rental demand momentum in Johor is Bukit Chagar, directly benefiting from the RTS Link construction, where investor interest and tenant inquiries have picked up noticeably ahead of the station's expected completion.
By the way, we've written a blog article detailing what are the current best areas to invest in property in Johor.
Which neighborhoods have the highest yields for apartments in Johor as of 2026?
As of early 2026, the neighborhoods with the highest rental yields for apartments in Johor are Skudai and Tampoi, where lower entry prices combine with steady rental demand from university students and industrial workers.
The typical gross rental yield range in these top-yielding Johor neighborhoods is around 5.5% to 6.5%, compared to 4.8% to 5.5% in the more expensive waterfront or city centre developments.
The main reason Skudai and Tampoi offer higher yields than prime JB areas is that purchase prices remain 30% to 40% lower than waterfront towers, while rents only drop by around 15% to 20%, creating a favorable ratio for yield-focused investors.
We created this infographic to give you a simple idea of how much it costs to buy property in different parts of Malaysia. As you can see, it breaks down price ranges and property types for popular cities in the country. We hope this makes it easier to explore your options and understand the market.
Should I do long-term rental or short-term rental in Johor?
Is short-term rental legal for apartments in Johor as of 2026?
As of early 2026, short-term rental is not outright illegal in Johor, but it is heavily restricted by individual building rules and strata by-laws, which means you cannot assume your condo will allow Airbnb-style rentals.
The main legal restriction for short-term rentals in Johor comes from Malaysia's Strata Management Act 2013, which gives each building's Management Corporation or JMB the power to set by-laws that can prohibit or restrict short stays, and many Johor condos have done exactly that.
There is no single registration or licensing system for Airbnb rentals across Johor, but hosts are expected to check their building's strata rules and any local authority guidance, and platforms like Airbnb explicitly remind Malaysian hosts to verify compliance before listing.
By the way, we also have a blog article detailing whether owning an Airbnb rental is profitable in Johor.
What's the gross yield difference short-term vs long-term in Johor in 2026?
As of early 2026, short-term rentals in Johor can potentially beat long-term rentals by 1.5 to 4 percentage points in gross yield, but only in buildings that actually permit STR and in locations with genuine tourist or business traveler demand.
Long-term rentals in Johor typically deliver gross yields of 5% to 6%, while a well-run short-term rental in a permissible building might push 7% to 10% gross, though this requires significantly more active management.
The main additional costs that reduce the net yield advantage of short-term rentals in Johor include Airbnb's platform fees (around 3%), frequent cleaning and turnover costs, higher utility bills paid by the owner, and furnishing replacement every 2 to 3 years.
To outperform a long-term rental in Johor, a short-term rental typically needs to maintain an occupancy rate of at least 65% to 70% annually, which is achievable in high-traffic areas but difficult in buildings far from Singapore crossings or tourist attractions.
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What costs will eat into my net yield for an apartment in Johor?
What are building service charges as a % of rent in Johor as of 2026?
As of early 2026, typical building service charges (maintenance fees plus sinking fund) for apartments in Johor run around 10% to 18% of monthly rent, or roughly RM250 to RM350 per month (USD 60 to USD 85, EUR 55 to EUR 80) for a standard 900 sqft unit.
The realistic range of service charges in Johor spans from about 8% of rent for basic older buildings up to 25% or more for luxury developments with extensive facilities, so checking the exact per-sqft rate before you buy is essential.
In Johor, the building features that justify higher-than-average service charges are resort-style amenities like tennis courts, clubhouses, and landscaped grounds, which are common in Iskandar Puteri developments targeting families and expats who expect these facilities.
What annual maintenance budget should I assume for an apartment in Johor right now?
The typical annual maintenance budget Johor apartment owners should assume for in-unit repairs and upkeep is around 0.5% of property value, which works out to roughly RM2,000 to RM3,000 per year (USD 490 to USD 735, EUR 455 to EUR 685) for a RM400,000 to RM600,000 unit.
The realistic range of annual maintenance costs in Johor is RM1,500 to RM5,000 (USD 370 to USD 1,230, EUR 340 to EUR 1,140), with newer buildings at the lower end and older condos requiring more frequent aircon servicing, plumbing repairs, and appliance replacements.
The most common maintenance expenses Johor apartment owners face are aircon servicing (tropical humidity means units run constantly), water heater replacements, and repainting or touch-ups between tenancies to keep the unit competitive in the rental market.
What property taxes should I expect for an apartment in Johor as of 2026?
As of early 2026, Johor apartment owners should expect to pay roughly RM800 to RM2,500 per year (USD 195 to USD 615, EUR 180 to EUR 570) in total property taxes, covering both assessment tax and quit rent.
The realistic range of property taxes in Johor varies from around RM600 for a basic suburban unit up to RM3,500 or more for a high-value city centre or waterfront apartment, depending on the council's valuation and the specific location.
In Johor, property taxes are calculated as assessment tax (cukai taksiran) paid to the local council based on an assessed annual value, plus quit rent (cukai tanah) paid to the state land office, with the assessment portion being the larger of the two.
There are no major exemptions or reductions routinely available to standard apartment owners in Johor, though first-time Malaysian homebuyers may qualify for stamp duty relief on purchases, which is separate from the recurring property taxes.
If you want to go into more details, we also have a blog article detailing all the property taxes and fees in Johor.
How much does landlord insurance cost for an apartment in Johor in 2026?
As of early 2026, typical landlord insurance for an apartment in Johor costs around RM100 to RM600 per year (USD 25 to USD 150, EUR 23 to EUR 135), depending on the coverage level and add-ons you select.
The realistic range of annual landlord insurance costs in Johor spans from basic fire coverage at the low end (around RM100 to RM200) to comprehensive packages including rental default protection and contents cover at the higher end (RM400 to RM600 or more).
What's the typical property management fee for apartments in Johor as of 2026?
As of early 2026, the typical property management fee for apartments in Johor is around 5% to 10% of monthly rent collected, which works out to roughly RM115 to RM230 per month (USD 28 to USD 55, EUR 26 to EUR 52) on a RM2,300 rent.
The realistic range of property management fees in Johor spans from 5% for basic rent collection and tenant coordination up to 12% to 15% for full-service packages that include regular inspections, maintenance coordination, and tenant sourcing.
Standard property management services in Johor typically include tenant sourcing, rent collection, basic maintenance coordination, and annual tenancy renewals, while extras like furnishing management or short-term rental operations usually cost more.
We made this infographic to show you how property prices in Malaysia compare to other big cities across the region. It breaks down the average price per square meter in city centers, so you can see how cities stack up. It’s an easy way to spot where you might get the best value for your money. We hope you like it.
What sources have we used to write this blog article?
Whether it's in our blog articles or the market analyses included in our property pack about Johor, we always rely on the strongest methodology we can, and we don't throw out numbers at random.
We also aim to be fully transparent, so below we've listed the authoritative sources we used, and explained how we used them and the methods behind our estimates.
| Source | Why it's authoritative | How we used it |
|---|---|---|
| Global Property Guide | Long-running international housing data publisher with clear methodology. | We used it for median asking rent and price data to calculate gross yields for Johor Bahru and Iskandar Puteri. We also used it to benchmark yields by apartment type. |
| PropertyGuru Malaysia | Malaysia's largest property portal with live listing data. | We used it to verify January 2026 asking rents across different Johor neighborhoods. We also used listing patterns to estimate time-to-rent and demand levels. |
| iProperty Malaysia | Major Malaysian property portal providing independent rent data. | We used it to triangulate rent levels and avoid relying on a single platform. We also used it to validate the rent bands we quoted for typical apartments. |
| Bank Negara Malaysia | Malaysia's central bank and the official source for exchange rates. | We used it to convert USD-denominated dataset figures into RM using January 2026 rates. We kept conversions consistent across rents and prices to avoid yield distortion. |
| EdgeProp (quoting JLL Malaysia) | Major property media outlet citing a top-tier global consultancy. | We used it to confirm Johor high-rise prices have been rising and to validate market momentum. We avoided building yield views from listings alone. |
| Majlis Bandaraya Johor Bahru | The city council that levies local property assessment charges. | We used it to explain how assessment tax works in Johor Bahru zones. We then translated that into a practical annual cost range for investors. |
| Majlis Bandaraya Iskandar Puteri | Local authority for key investment zones like Nusajaya and Medini. | We used it to confirm assessment tax applies in Iskandar Puteri too. We factored this into net yield calculations for that area. |
| Pejabat Tanah dan Galian Johor | Official Johor state land office and source for quit rent info. | We used it to confirm quit rent exists and is payable by owners. We included it as a smaller but real yearly drag on net yield. |
| LPPEH Malaysia | Statutory regulator for estate agents and property managers. | We used it to ground property management fee discussion in an official fee scale. We built a realistic management fee range as a percentage of rent. |
| Allianz Malaysia | Major regulated insurer with official product documentation. | We used it to show landlord insurance is a real product category. We used their brochure's premium examples to estimate annual insurance costs. |
| Attorney General's Chambers (Strata Management Act 2013) | Official publication of Malaysian legislation. | We used it to explain why condo by-laws matter for rentals, especially short-term stays. We also used it for service charge governance concepts. |
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