Too small for comfort: One of the rooms for rent in Maluri, Kuala Lumpur.
PETALING JAYA: When Mia Zamarul successfully landed a job in Kota Damansara the first thing she did was to look for a place to call home.
With a budget of below RM1,000 for her monthly rental, the 25-year-old from Pahang searched high and low for something that was within her budget.
To her delight, she found a room for rent at a brand new apartment, costing only RM650.
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Satisfied with her virtual viewing of the room, she went ahead and paid the deposits, describing it as an extremely good deal when compared to her previous searches.
“I came to the Klang Valley for a job to support my family back home and was optimistic about the place I was going to rent.
“Upon entering the unit however, my happiness turned to utter sadness,” she said.
The “room” that Mia rented was actually a makeshift with thin walls. She could touch both walls with her extended arms.
“The living room was partitioned to make even more rooms in the house, and I was living in one of them.
“The walls were made of wood, with almost no space to move except for a bed and a single-tier zippered clothes closet,” she said.
To make matters worse, the “window” in her room opened up to the hall, where people would pass whenever they headed to the kitchen.
“The toilets were shared. There were close to eight people living in that house,” she said, adding that she lived there for a year in order to fulfil the signed contract and ensure her deposit did not go to waste.
“I always saw these rooms on social media but did not expect to be living in one. House owners shouldn’t be doing such things. It’s not only dangerous but gives a false sense of hope to people looking for a place to stay at affordable prices,” said Mia, who moved out earlier this year.
Such tiny rooms, which some even call “shoebox rooms”, which many of us associate with densely populated Hong Kong, are becoming quite common in the Klang Valley.
Lee, who is currently renting a partitioned room in Setapak, Kuala Lumpur, said there were at least 20 other tenants living in the same unit.
“The size of my room is about the third of a normal room. Living here can, however, be quite scary as there are so many people coming in and out and we don’t really know each other.
“We wouldn’t even know if someone brought a guest in, which further decreases our privacy,” said the 27-year-old from Perak.
Lee, who earns slightly above the minimum wage, said a third of his salary was used to pay the rent here.
The remainder of his salary goes towards daily expenses and money to be sent to his family in Perak.
He added that he planned to move out soon.
“The government should take a serious look at housing matters affecting youths. Some spend almost half their salary just to pay the rent.
“It’s good that there are living spaces in the city but at times, the cheaper ones come at the expense of comfort and proper living conditions,” he said.
Customer service executive Adi said he was always anxious of mishaps happening during his time renting a partitioned room.
“The walls were thin and made of wood. What would happen if a fire broke out?” he said.
The 29-year-old from Kedah said the room only fit a single bed, with barely any space for a cupboard or work desk.
“I paid close to RM500 for it excluding utility fees. The main reason I chose this (room) was due to the price.
“Where else can you get rooms at such prices, with its location also being so close to my workplace,” he said.
A tenant who wanted to be known only as Chia came to terms with living in such a room, saying it sufficed for the price and distance of it to his workplace.
“I’m out most of the day and return late in the evening.
“By then, I would be too tired to think of my room space, and just want to rest.
“Given the rental price and distance (of the home) to my workplace, it’s an okay deal at the expense of giving up some personal space,” said the 29-year-old who rents the room for about RM800 monthly.
Checks by The Star at an advertised unit in Kuala Lumpur also uncovered the distress of living in such claustrophobic conditions.
The rental property, located above a row of shops, had at least 20 rooms partitioned, leaving barely any room in the walkways.
The walls were thin and could only fit a single bed.
There were options for windowless rooms costing close to RM400 a month with tenants needing to pay more if they wanted a window.
Two shared toilets were present at the end of the walkway, with the washrooms too being extremely small.
Those interviewed by The Star also called on the government to better monitor properties to ensure owners did not take advantage of tenants, especially the youth who were looking for a place to live.
“House prices have been going up and not everyone, especially those who just started their careers, can afford paying high prices either for homes or rooms.
“More thought should be given to introduce affordable housing options, alongside better rent-to-own opportunities so they don’t have to pay too much nor suffer deplorable living conditions,” they said.
The Local Government Development Ministry and Kuala Lumpur City Hall have yet to respond on this issue at press time.
