The Asteriaz vs SKS Habitat and Older Kebun Teh Condos

If you are looking at Kebun Teh and Larkin in Johor Bahru, three names come up again and again: the established SKS Habitat Larkin development, older strata condos such as Zennith Suites (Pangsapuri Kebun Teh), and the new The Asteriaz @ Kebun Teh by EXSIM. All three sit in the same 80350 postcode, near KSL City Mall and Holiday Plaza, and all three appeal to people who want to be close to the JB city centre without paying city-centre prices. This guide compares them side by side so you can decide which type of property fits your plan: buying a completed home today or buying into a new tower that completes later this decade.

We keep this comparison practical. We focus on what you actually get for your money: building age, tenure, layouts, facilities, asking prices per square foot, rental evidence and access to the CIQ and RTS Link. For a full introduction to the new project itself, read our complete guide to The Asteriaz; for the neighbourhood, see the Kebun Teh neighbourhood guide.

SKS Habitat Larkin, Zennith Suites and The Asteriaz at a glance

The short version: SKS Habitat and Zennith Suites are completed, leasehold serviced-apartment style developments with lower asking prices, while The Asteriaz is a single new leasehold tower with a newer facility concept and modern layouts.

Asking prices and rents are taken from portal listings (PropertyGuru and myrumahbaru, checked November 2026). They are what owners are asking, not confirmed transaction prices, and they move with each new listing.

Building age and what a new tower changes

The biggest difference is age: Zennith Suites is more than a decade old and SKS Habitat has been occupied for several years, while The Asteriaz will be brand new when keys are handed over around 2029 to 2030.

A new building matters in ways that go beyond appearance. It is designed around how people live and rent today: more efficient layouts, a study corner for remote work, EV-ready parking, and a facility mix that reads well in rental photos. Its lifts, pumps and common areas start their life cycle at handover, and buyers of a new unit are covered by a 24 month defect liability period under the standard Schedule H sale and purchase agreement, during which the developer must repair qualifying defects.

An older building has its own strengths. You can walk the corridors, test the lift waiting times, talk to the management office and see exactly how the facilities have been maintained. You know the neighbours, the parking situation and the actual rent that units achieve. For some buyers, that certainty is worth more than newness.

How to think about age

• Own-stay buyers who want a home that feels fresh for the next 10 to 20 years tend to lean towards a new tower.
• Yield-focused buyers who want income from day one often start with completed stock.
• Long-term investors often consider how a building will compare with its neighbours in 2035, when today’s new launches have become the established supply.

Layouts compared: 1+1, 2-bed and 3-bed options

The Asteriaz focuses on two layouts, a 560 sq ft 1-bedroom plus study and a 915 sq ft 3-bedroom, while SKS Habitat and Zennith Suites offer a wider spread of older layouts from studios to 4-bedroom units.

The Asteriaz Type A at 560 sq ft gives one bedroom, a study and one bathroom. That study is the key feature: it can work as a home office, a guest corner or a small nursery, and it gives the unit more flexibility than a classic studio. We look at it in detail in our Asteriaz 560 sq ft 1+1 guide. The 915 sq ft Types B1 and B2 are 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom family units; B1 comes with a balcony.

SKS Habitat’s layouts start at 603 sq ft for a 1-bedroom and include 2-bedroom units of 753 and 829 sq ft and 3-bedroom units of 958 and 969 sq ft. These sizes are slightly larger than the Asteriaz equivalents, which is common for projects designed in the previous cycle. Zennith Suites has compact studios from about 425 to 523 sq ft, 3-bedroom units of about 945 to 965 sq ft and large 4-bedroom units of up to about 1,632 sq ft.

Which layout fits which buyer?

1. Single professional or couple: The Asteriaz 1+1 or an older studio. The 1+1 adds a study; an older studio lowers the entry price.
2. Small family: a 915 sq ft Asteriaz 3-bedroom or an SKS Habitat 3-bedroom, depending on whether you want new or ready now.
3. Multi-generation household: older 4-bedroom units at Zennith Suites offer floor area that new launches rarely provide.

Facilities: a two-deck concept versus classic condo amenities

The Asteriaz has a more extensive, themed facility package spread over Level 10, Level 11 and a Level 43 rooftop, while older Kebun Teh condos generally offer the classic pool, gym, sauna and barbecue set.

At The Asteriaz, the Level 10 deck includes the Luna Pool, Luna Bay, Moon Bath, the Cosmic Kids Pool, Galaxy Pavilion, Orbit Fit, a reflexology path, a hoop court, the Galaxy Venue for pickleball and badminton, the Cosmic Library, a Galactic Playground and the Cosmic Playhouse. The Nova Gym sits on Level 11. Up on Level 43, the Moon Deck, Herbs Garden, Starlit Grill and Eclipse Dining give residents a sky-level social space with city views, and the ground floor opens into the Starlight Lobby. Our Asteriaz facilities guide walks through every zone.

SKS Habitat lists a swimming pool and children’s pool, gymnasium, sauna, multipurpose hall, playground and barbecue area, with 24-hour security, plus five levels of shopping space under the towers. Zennith Suites offers a swimming pool, jacuzzi, gym, sauna, barbecue area and children’s playground, with retail at ground level. These are solid, practical facility sets that many residents use every day.

The difference shows up mainly in lifestyle and rental marketing. A rooftop dining deck and a dedicated pickleball and badminton venue are features that younger tenants and families notice when they compare listings.

Prices: asking psf for older condos and the SPA approach for The Asteriaz

Older Kebun Teh and Larkin condos are priced well below new launches on a per square foot basis; for The Asteriaz, the reference point is the developer’s SPA price list, which you can request from us.

Portal data gives a useful picture of the resale market. SKS Habitat subsale listings on PropertyGuru span roughly RM328,000 to RM620,000, or about RM362 to RM663 psf. Zennith Suites listings run at about RM362 to RM489 psf. Wider data points in the same direction: NAPIC-based figures put the Kebun Teh median at around RM486 psf for older stock, and recorded transactions in Larkin over the past 24 months show a median of about RM453 psf across 15 sales, according to myrumahbaru.

New launches across Johor Bahru usually carry a premium over comparable resale units, because buyers are paying for a new building, new facilities, staged progressive payments and a defect warranty. That premium is normal and is the reason two buyers can look at the same street and reach different decisions. For The Asteriaz, WhatsApp us for the latest SPA price list for the 560 sq ft and 915 sq ft layouts.

Payment timing is part of the price

With a completed condo, you pay the full price at completion of the sale, usually 10% on signing and the balance within the SPA period. With a new launch under Schedule H, you pay progressively as construction milestones are reached, and loan interest is charged only on the amount drawn. That spreads cash flow over the build period, which many buyers find easier to plan around. See how buying a new launch in JB works for the step-by-step process.

Rental potential: ready income now or a fresh product later

Older Kebun Teh condos can produce rent immediately, while The Asteriaz will enter the rental market around 2029 to 2030 as one of the newest products in the area.

Current listings show Zennith Suites studios at about RM1,500 to RM1,600 a month and a whole 3-bedroom unit at about RM2,200. SKS Habitat rental listings range from about RM750 to RM3,200 a month depending on the unit and how it is offered. Across Larkin, 3-bedroom rental listings cluster around RM1,800 to RM2,200.

The Asteriaz has no rental track record yet because it is under construction. What it will bring to market is a new building with a full facility deck, which historically tends to help a unit stand out against older stock nearby. Its tenant pool is likely to draw on the same groups that rent in Kebun Teh today: KSL City and Holiday Plaza workers, local professionals, small families and Singapore-bound commuters who drive to the CIQ. To estimate returns on any of these options, use our rental yield calculation guide.

Location and access to KSL City, CIQ and the RTS Link

All three developments share the Kebun Teh and Larkin location, with The Asteriaz about 3.2 km by road from the JB CIQ, roughly a 10 minute drive outside peak hours.

The Asteriaz sits on Jalan Abad off Jalan Kebun Teh. KSL City Mall is about 630 m away in a straight line, or roughly 2.2 km by road; Holiday Plaza is about 546 m away; City Square is about 2.9 km and Mid Valley Southkey about 3.3 km. The RTS Link station at Bukit Chagar is about 2.9 km away in a straight line, so The Asteriaz is a drive-to location rather than a walk-to location for the RTS. The developer has proposed a shuttle to the CIQ and the RTS station. For routes and times, see The Asteriaz to CIQ and RTS.

SKS Habitat in Taman Larkin Perdana and Zennith Suites in Kebun Teh enjoy a similar position between Larkin, KSL City and the city centre. The RTS Link passenger service is targeted for February 2027, according to the joint LTA and MOT announcement in October 2026, and it is expected to benefit the wider JB catchment, including drive-in neighbourhoods like Kebun Teh.

Which should you choose?

Choose by timeline and purpose: ready-now older stock suits immediate use and a lower entry price, while The Asteriaz suits buyers who value a new building, modern layouts and staged payments.

• Choose an older Kebun Teh condo or SKS Habitat if you need to move in or rent out within months, want to inspect the actual unit before buying, or want the lowest possible entry price per square foot.
• Choose The Asteriaz if you prefer a new home with a full facility deck, want a 1+1 study layout or an efficient 3-bedroom, are comfortable waiting until around 2029 to 2030, and like paying progressively during construction.
• Consider The Celestz too if you like the Asteriaz location but want a triple-key option; read The Asteriaz vs The Celestz.

Whichever route you take, view at different times of day, check the sale and purchase agreement or the existing title carefully, and budget for furnishing. If you would like the latest SPA price list for The Asteriaz or a side-by-side shortlist of Kebun Teh options, WhatsApp us.

Sources

• PropertyGuru: SKS Habitat project page
• myrumahbaru: Zennith Suites (Pangsapuri Kebun Teh)
• myrumahbaru: Larkin area data
• The Asteriaz @ Kebun Teh project profile
• The Asteriaz project microsite
• LTA: RTS Link service targeted for February 2027

This guide is general information, not financial advice.