City Hall partition ban an opportunity towards purpose-built units - PropertyGuru

SHAH ALAM - The Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) Council of Buildings (COB) issuing a notice prohibiting landlords and homeowners from adding partitions (additional bedrooms) in commercial-titled apartments with strata status in Kuala Lumpur could prove to be a positive move forward.

Malaysia PropertyGuru and iProperty Country Manager Sheldon Fernandez said he agreed with the ban as the property was not built by design, but to overcome a challenge which could be done by developers.

“I think the ban is encouraging as the build of the property was for a purpose, the number of units and residents play a role and having more would lead to spillover issues like facilities, transportation, or parking issues.

“Developers can see this as an opportunity to develop purpose-built units, smaller units make a viable living especially in urban areas and those requiring larger spaces could look towards options further away,” he said at a media briefing on Consumer Sentiment Study (CSS) for H2 2023, earlier.

Sheldon said the most non-negotiable factor for property was mobility, as transportation was vital in urban areas with good public transport.

The City Hall’s prohibition meant to avoid issues such as the rise in traffic and density was effective from Aug 1.

The ban was provided to hinder landlords from converting living rooms and dining rooms into additional bedrooms in an apartment or SOHO unit.

CSS data showed that nearly half of respondents in their pursuit of affordable homes would choose to forgo amenities such as gyms, playgrounds, recreational spaces, and balconies to push for affordable housing.