Kebun Teh rental demand comes mainly from local professionals, staff at KSL City and the wider Larkin area, healthcare workers, families who want space near schools and malls, younger tenants on a budget, and cross-border workers who drive to Singapore. Today’s asking rents in our Q4 2026 index: Zennith Suites studios and 1-bedrooms have a median of about RM1,500 a month, and SKS Habitat 3-bedrooms about RM2,600. These older buildings set the local benchmark for The Asteriaz and The Celestz when they complete around 2029–2030.
“If I buy in Kebun Teh, who will actually rent my unit, and for how much?” That is the question every investor looking at The Asteriaz or The Celestz should ask before signing. This guide answers it with data rather than sales talk. We look at Kebun Teh rental demand: who rents in the Kebun Teh, Larkin and KSL City area, what they pay today, what drives that demand, and what it means for the layouts at EXSIM’s two Kebun Teh towers. All rents quoted are asking rents from our own index, not promises of future income.
Who rents in Kebun Teh? Six tenant groups
Kebun Teh’s tenants are mostly people who live and work in Johor Bahru, plus a growing group who drive across the border. That mix makes the area less dependent on any single source of demand.
| Tenant group | Why they choose Kebun Teh / Larkin | Typical unit they look for |
|---|---|---|
| Local professionals and couples | Lower rents than the city centre, a mall nearby, easy drive to offices | 1-bedroom or 1+1 |
| KSL City and Larkin-area workers | Short commute to retail, hospitality and office jobs around KSL City and Larkin | Studio, 1-bedroom or a room |
| Healthcare staff | Columbia Asia Tebrau (about 1.8 km), KPJ Johor Specialist (about 2.0 km) and Hospital Sultanah Aminah (about 3.5 km) nearby | 1-bedroom or shared 3-bedroom |
| Families | Space, parking, schools and malls within a short drive | 3-bedroom with two parking bays |
| Younger tenants and students | Budget-friendly rents and bus links from Larkin Sentral | Room or compact studio |
| Cross-border workers who drive | About 10 minutes to the CIQ by car, at lower rent than CIQ-side condos | 1-bedroom, 1+1 or 3-bedroom for families |
Distances are straight-line figures from our JB amenities map; road distances are longer.
Current asking rents in Kebun Teh and Larkin
Studios and 1-bedrooms in Kebun Teh have a median asking rent of about RM1,500, 2-bedrooms about RM2,150 and 3-bedrooms about RM2,600, according to our Q4 2026 rent index.
| Project (completed) | Unit type | Listings | Median asking rent | Asking range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zennith Suites (Kebun Teh, 2013) | Studio / 1-bed | 23 | RM1,500 | RM1,300–1,800 |
| SKS Habitat (Larkin, 2021) | 2-bed | 6 | RM2,150 | RM2,000–2,600 |
| SKS Habitat (Larkin, 2021) | 3-bed+ | 29 | RM2,600 | RM2,200–2,600 |
Source: our JB RTS and CIQ rent index, built from Mudah.my listings posted between 10 September and 9 November 2026. These are asking rents, not signed tenancies; medians are shown only where at least three listings exist. On a per-square-foot basis, the Kebun Teh/Larkin medians work out to about RM3.07 psf for studios and 1-bedrooms, RM3.01 for 2-bedrooms and RM2.60 for 3-bedrooms.
What this means for you: rents here are set by working residents of Johor Bahru, not by holidaymakers. That tends to produce longer, whole-unit tenancies and steadier occupancy, which suits landlords who prefer low-maintenance letting.
What drives rental demand in Kebun Teh?
Four anchors support demand around Kebun Teh: KSL City, Larkin Sentral, nearby hospitals and schools, and the cross-border workforce.
KSL City and the Larkin commercial belt
KSL City Mall is about 630–750 m from The Asteriaz and The Celestz in a straight line. A large mall complex brings retail, food and service jobs as well as daily convenience, and tenants who work there value a short trip home. Holiday Plaza and the shops along the Larkin corridor add more local employment.
Larkin Sentral
Larkin Sentral, about 1.7 km away, is one of Johor Bahru’s main bus terminals for routes within Johor and to other states. For tenants without a car, being close to a major bus hub widens where they can work and study.
Hospitals and schools
Three hospitals sit within about 3.5 km: Columbia Asia Tebrau, KPJ Johor Specialist Hospital and Hospital Sultanah Aminah, the state’s main public hospital. Healthcare staff often work shifts and prefer to live close by. For families, Foon Yew High School and English College Johore Bahru are each about 3.3 km away in a straight line.
Cross-border workers
About 400,000 Malaysians commute daily across the Causeway to work in Singapore, Bernama reported in April 2026. Not all of them can, or want to, pay CIQ-side rents. Kebun Teh offers a lower-rent base about 10 minutes from the CIQ by car, which appeals to commuters who drive or ride. The RTS Link, targeted to start passenger service in February 2027 according to Singapore’s LTA and Ministry of Transport, plus planned bus links from residential areas to Bukit Chagar, should improve access further. Fares have not been announced.
How Kebun Teh rents compare with the CIQ core
Kebun Teh rents are lower than the RTS and CIQ core, and the gap is widest for small units and narrowest for 3-bedrooms.
| Unit type | Kebun Teh / Larkin median | RTS / CIQ core median | Gap (psf) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio / 1-bed | RM1,500 (RM3.07 psf) | RM2,100 (RM4.31 psf) | About 29% lower |
| 2-bed | RM2,150 (RM3.01 psf) | RM2,800 (RM3.53 psf) | About 15% lower |
| 3-bed+ | RM2,600 (RM2.60 psf) | RM3,500 (RM2.92 psf) | About 11% lower |
The pattern tells a clear story. Walkability to the border commands its biggest premium on studios, which single cross-border commuters rent. Families care more about space, parking and schools, so for 3-bedrooms Kebun Teh competes closely. If you want to compare the two EXSIM locations directly, read The Asteriaz vs Causewayz Square.
What this means for The Asteriaz and The Celestz layouts
Each layout at the two towers lines up with a clear tenant group. The figures below apply today’s Kebun Teh per-square-foot medians to each layout; they are illustrations of the current benchmark, not forecasts of what these units will rent for at handover.
| Layout | Size | Likely tenant | Illustration at today’s Kebun Teh median psf |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Asteriaz Type A, 1 bed + study | 560 sq ft | Professionals, couples, healthcare staff | About RM1,720 (at RM3.07 psf) |
| The Celestz Type A, 1 bed + study + WC | 581 sq ft | Couples, hybrid workers | About RM1,780 (at RM3.07 psf) |
| The Celestz Type B, triple-key | 753 sq ft | Three individual room tenants or a multi-generational household | Room-by-room; see our triple-key guide |
| The Asteriaz B1/B2 and The Celestz C types, 3 bed | 915 sq ft | Families, cross-border households that drive | About RM2,380 (at RM2.60 psf) |
Three points stand out. First, the 560–581 sq ft 1+1 units are larger than a typical studio, and the separate study suits tenants who work from home some days, which helps them stand out against older studio stock. Second, the 915 sq ft 3-bedrooms come with two parking bays, a real advantage for family tenants in a car-dependent area. Third, The Celestz’s triple-key layout targets a different market altogether: individual tenants, such as healthcare staff and young workers, who each want their own en-suite room. The mechanics are explained in renting room by room at The Celestz.
New towers with full facility decks typically sit toward the upper part of their local rent range, but actual rents will depend on the market, the unit’s condition and furnishing when the buildings complete. To turn a rent assumption into a yield, use the JB property calculator together with the SPA price list.
Three landlord approaches in Kebun Teh
Buyers in the same neighbourhood can let in very different ways. The easy-going long-term landlord buys The Asteriaz 1+1, furnishes it for a working single or couple and signs 12-month leases. The family-tenant landlord buys a 915 sq ft 3-bedroom and markets its two parking bays and storage to JB families and cross-border households that drive. The room-rental landlord buys The Celestz triple-key and lets three en-suite rooms to individual tenants such as healthcare staff, which takes more management effort but reaches a different tenant pool. Whichever you choose, decide the tenant first, then the layout, furnishing and rent.
But what about 1,583 new units arriving at once?
It is a fair question. The Asteriaz (848 units) and The Celestz (735 units) are both expected around 2029–2030, so a wave of new units will reach the local rental market around the same time. Here is how landlords usually handle it.
- Not every unit becomes a rental. Many buyers in Kebun Teh are own-stay families and JB residents, which reduces the number of units competing for tenants.
- The towers compete with older stock, not just each other. Kebun Teh’s existing condos are mostly a decade or more old. A new unit with modern facilities has a clear story to tell tenants moving up from older buildings.
- Layout choice spreads demand. 1+1s, triple-keys and 3-bedrooms target different tenant groups, so units do not all chase the same tenant.
- Being ready early helps. Landlords who furnish quickly and list well at handover usually secure tenants first. Our guide to furnishing a rental unit in JB covers the practical steps.
Long-term lets or short stays in Kebun Teh?
In Kebun Teh, long-term whole-unit tenancies are the core of the market. The tenant groups above, from families to healthcare staff, sign 12-month leases rather than booking by the night.
Short-stay letting is more closely tied to tourists and visitors near the CIQ and the city centre. It also depends on each building’s house rules and local regulations, which can change, so treat it as an option to check rather than a plan to rely on. For most Kebun Teh investors, a well-furnished unit let to a stable long-term tenant is the simpler, lower-effort route: fewer turnovers, lower cleaning and management costs, and more predictable monthly income.
How to make a Kebun Teh unit easy to let
Match the unit to the tenant you want, then remove friction for that tenant.
- Pick the tenant first. A family tenant wants storage, two parking bays and a quiet floor; a working single wants a desk, fast internet and a short drive to work.
- Furnish to the local standard, plus one step. In a market of older units, a clean, well-lit, fully furnished home stands out quickly.
- Price with the data. Start from the area medians above and adjust for size, floor, view and furnishing, rather than copying the highest listing you can find.
- Keep the tenancy simple. Clear house rules, a proper tenancy agreement and quick repairs keep good tenants for longer.
Ready to match a layout to your rental plan? WhatsApp us for the latest SPA price list and floor plans for The Asteriaz and The Celestz. For the towers themselves, see The Asteriaz, The Celestz and our Asteriaz review.
Sources
- Mudah.my: Johor Bahru rental listings (Sep–Nov 2026)
- Bernama: RTS Link and Johor’s skilled labour outflows (Apr 2026)
- LTA: RTS Link service targeted for February 2027
- The Edge Malaysia: Bukit Chagar bridge and bus plan (Aug 2026)
- The Star: Binastra bags RM458.5mil Johor Baru apartment contracts (Kebun Teh)
- The Asteriaz Kebun Teh project fact sheet
- The Celestz @ Kebun Teh project site
This guide is general information, not financial advice.