Triple-Key Units Explained: Renting Room by Room at The Celestz

Searches for triple key condo in Johor Bahru have grown as more investors look beyond the standard whole-unit tenancy. The idea is simple: instead of one tenant paying one rent, three tenants each pay for a private en-suite room. The Celestz @ Kebun Teh, EXSIM’s second tower next to The Asteriaz, is one of the few JB new launches built around this layout. This guide explains how a triple-key unit works, who rents the rooms, how to model the numbers and how to manage it well. For the full project overview, including the other layouts and facilities, see our Celestz @ Kebun Teh guide.

What is a triple-key condo?

A triple-key condo is a single strata unit designed so that three rooms can be used independently, each with its own lockable door and its own bathroom. You hold one title and pay one set of maintenance fees, but you can house three separate occupants.

It builds on the dual-key idea that has become familiar in JB, where one unit is split into two parts behind a shared entrance. A triple-key takes this one step further. The key difference from an ordinary 3-bedroom is privacy: in a typical 915 sq ft 3-bedroom with two bathrooms, at least two occupants share a bathroom, which makes it hard to let rooms to strangers. In a triple-key, nobody shares.

The Celestz Type B at a glance

The Celestz Type B is a 753 sq ft (70 sq m) unit with three rooms and three bathrooms, configured as a triple-key, and it comes with two car park bays. It is the only triple-key layout among EXSIM’s three JB projects.

• Size: 753 sq ft, about 10.65 m by 7.3 m internally.
• Rooms: three rooms, each with an attached bathroom.
• Parking: two bays, useful because two of the three occupants can each have a car.
• Furnishing: about 80% branded furnishing, according to the project microsite, which reduces the upfront fit-out for room rental.
• Building: 735 units over 44 storeys, leasehold commercial title, completion expected around 2029–2030.

Because the tower’s facilities include a reading lounge with co-working space, a two-level gym and karaoke and games rooms, room tenants get good shared spaces outside their bedroom, which helps the unit compete with whole-unit studios.

Who rents rooms near Kebun Teh?

Room tenants in this part of JB tend to be working singles who want privacy at a lower cost than a whole studio. Kebun Teh and Larkin sit between the city centre, KSL City, Larkin Sentral bus terminal and Mid Valley Southkey, so the tenant pool is broad.

Typical room tenants

• Singapore commuters who cross the Causeway daily and want to keep rent low. NST reported in March 2026 that a common room in public housing near the Singapore border typically rents for S$1,000–1,500 a month, which is why many workers choose to live in JB and commute.
• Young JB professionals working in the city centre, at KSL City or along the Tebrau corridor.
• Students and trainees attending colleges and hospitals within a short drive, including Hospital Sultanah Aminah about 3.5 km away.
• Contract and project staff on assignments of a few months who prefer a furnished room with its own bathroom.

The RTS Link, targeted to start passenger service in February 2027 according to the joint LTA–MOT statement of October 2026, may widen this pool further. The Celestz is not within walking distance of the RTS (Bukit Chagar is about 2.9 km in a straight line and the CIQ about 10 minutes’ drive), but the developer has proposed a shuttle to the CIQ and RTS area. For more on the commute, see our RTS Link opening date guide.

How to model room-by-room rental income

To evaluate a triple-key, compare its room-by-room income with what the same money would earn as a whole-unit rental, then subtract the extra costs that room letting brings. The formula is simple: gross annual rent minus annual costs, divided by your purchase price, gives net yield.

Market references for room rent are still forming because The Celestz is not completed yet. One JB cost-of-living guide citing iBilik listings put a room in a shared unit at about RM600–1,000 in suburban areas and RM900–1,500 near the city and CIQ, and EdgeProp noted in October 2026 that RM2,000 a month rents a modest room or studio in a central condo. En-suite rooms in a new building with facilities tend to sit towards the upper end of whatever range applies to their area.

Worked example (illustrative only)

The table below uses an assumed rent of RM900 per room per month purely to show the method. Replace it with real asking rents for comparable en-suite rooms when the building nears completion.

Divide the resulting net annual income by your SPA price to get the net yield, then compare it with a whole-unit scenario for the 915 sq ft Type C. For the full yield method, including loan interest and how to compare gross and net returns, read our rental yield guide. WhatsApp us for the latest SPA price list so you can plug in a real purchase price.

Advantages of letting room by room

The main appeal of a triple-key is income resilience: three smaller rents rather than one larger rent. Several practical advantages follow.

• Vacancy is spread out. If one tenant leaves, two rooms still pay, so your income does not drop to zero.
• Potentially higher gross rent. Three individual rents can add up to more than one household would pay for the whole unit, especially for en-suite rooms.
• A wider tenant pool. Singles who cannot afford a whole studio can still afford a private en-suite room.
• Flexibility over time. You can live in one room and rent two, rent all three, or later use the unit for a multi-generational family.
• Parking as a selling point. With two bays, you can offer parking to two tenants, which matters in a car-dependent area like Kebun Teh.

Costs and management: planning it well

Room-by-room letting earns its extra income through extra work, so plan the management side from the start. A well-run triple-key is usually one with clear rules and a reliable person on the ground.

1. Decide what the rent includes. Room tenants usually expect utilities, Wi-Fi and basic furnishing to be included. Set a fair usage cap for electricity and state it in each tenancy agreement.
2. Use one agreement per room. Separate tenancy agreements, deposits and stamp duty for each tenant keep responsibilities clear.
3. Furnish for durability. The developer’s 80% furnishing is a head start; add sturdy beds, wardrobes and individual air-conditioning maintenance to the budget.
4. Arrange management if you are overseas. Many owners in Singapore appoint a registered property manager to handle viewings, rent collection and repairs.
5. Check the house rules. Confirm with the developer and, later, the management body how room tenancies, access cards and visitor registration are handled.
6. Keep shared areas clean. Schedule regular cleaning of the corridor and kitchen space so tenants stay longer.

Triple-key vs whole-unit rental: which suits you?

Choose a triple-key if you want income spread across several tenants and are willing to manage more actively; choose a standard layout if you prefer one tenancy and minimal involvement.

If you are comparing The Celestz with its neighbour, The Asteriaz offers only whole-unit layouts (a 560 sq ft 1+1 and 915 sq ft 3-bedrooms), so the triple-key is a reason to pick The Celestz specifically. Our Asteriaz vs Celestz comparison sets out the full difference, and the JB condo price and rent guide gives whole-unit rent benchmarks.

Is a triple-key condo a good investment?

A triple-key can be a strong fit for investors who want resilient, diversified rental income and are prepared to manage it actively. Its value comes from privacy for each tenant, which ordinary shared rooms cannot offer.

At The Celestz, that layout sits in an established neighbourhood near KSL City, with generous parking, partial branded furnishing and social facilities that room tenants appreciate. Historically, layouts that let owners adapt to changing demand have tended to hold their appeal, because the unit can switch between room letting, family use and owner occupation. As with any off-plan purchase, base your decision on conservative rent assumptions and confirm the SPA terms before booking. When you are ready, WhatsApp us for the latest SPA price list and Type B floor plan.

Sources

• The Celestz @ Kebun Teh project microsite
• The Celestz @ Kebun Teh project fact sheet
• New Straits Times: RTS Link set to trigger rent shift (Mar 2026)
• EdgeProp: What can RM2,000 rent you in Johor Bahru (Oct 2026)
• Cost of living in Johor Bahru: room rental ranges citing iBilik
• LTA: RTS Link service targeted for February 2027 (Oct 2026)
• MyRumahBaru: The Asteriaz @ Kebun Teh (maintenance fee)

This guide is general information, not financial advice.