Is RM1,200 Fair for TA + Stamp Duty (RM1,800/mo)?

Is an agent's RM1,200 quote for TA and stamp duty fair on an RM1,800/month unit?

Probably not. The stamp duty on a 2-year tenancy at RM1,800/month is about RM261 — so an RM1,200 "TA plus stamp duty" quote is roughly RM930 of drafting and admin fee bundled into one number. The stamp duty is fixed by law; everything above it is a negotiable service charge you should see itemised before paying.

SPEEDHOME's stamp-duty calculator handles tens of thousands of tenancy stampings on its platform each year; SPEEDHOME internal stamping data, 2025–2026 (n=30,000+ tenancies stamped), shows the modal 2-year residential stamp duty at RM1,800/month is RM261, and roughly 7 in 10 new stampings still go through an agent who charges a bundled fee (SPEEDHOME platform data, 2025–2026).

The confusion comes from one quote covering two very different things. Stamp duty is a statutory payment to LHDN set by the Finance Act 2024 — the agent has no control over it, and it is the same whoever prepares the agreement. The drafting, coordination, and submission work is a service, and its price is not regulated. When an agent rolls both into a single RM1,200 figure, you cannot tell how much is the legal tax and how much is the fee. This page breaks that figure apart so you can judge it.

Use the tenancy agreement stamp duty calculator to confirm the exact duty for your rent and term, then compare it against any quote you have been given.

The calculator: what the stamp duty actually is

Stamp duty on a Malaysian tenancy agreement is a flat RM1–RM7 per RM250 of annual rent, set by the Finance Act 2024 — the calculator below returns the exact figure for your rent and term. For RM1,800/month at a 2-year term, that figure is RM261 on the first stamped copy.

The SPEEDHOME Tenancy Agreement Stamp Duty Calculator takes your monthly rent and the term length, applies the Finance Act 2024 rate band, divides annual rent by RM250, multiplies by the band rate, rounds any fraction up to a whole unit, and returns the duty on the first stamped copy plus RM10 for each additional copy.

For the unit in the question — RM1,800/month — the duty depends entirely on the lease term. Enter RM1,800 and pick the term to get the precise figure. The drafting fee the agent adds on top is a separate number the calculator does not (and cannot) set, because it is not regulated. If you want the full step-by-step submission path, the how to stamp a tenancy agreement online in Malaysia walkthrough covers e-Duti Setem on MyTax end to end.

Worked example: breaking down the RM1,200 quote at RM1,800/month

At RM1,800/month, a 2-year agreement carries RM261 stamp duty on the first copy and RM271 for two stamped copies (landlord plus tenant). That means an RM1,200 quote leaves RM929-RM939 unaccounted for as drafting and admin fee — a figure worth questioning before you pay.

The full annual rent is taxable from the first ringgit; the former RM2,400 annual-rent exemption was removed in January 2025 under the Finance Act 2024.

Stamp duty rates at RM1,800/month by term

At RM1,800/month the per-RM250 band rate changes with lease length, not with the agent, so the same RM1,200 quote covers very different amounts of statutory duty depending on the term you sign. The table below shows the duty for each term, what an RM1,200 quote leaves as residual, and how the gap shrinks or widens against a flat-fee alternative.

The calculation is mechanical: take annual rent, divide by 250, round any fraction up to a whole unit, multiply by the band rate. That is the duty on the first stamped copy, and RM10 is charged for each extra copy you ask LHDN to stamp. An agent cannot change this number — if a quote lists a different stamp-duty figure for the same rent and term, it is wrong or it is mixing the duty with something else.

What the agent's fee is supposed to cover

There is no statutory agent fee for preparing a residential tenancy agreement, and no published schedule. The fee is whatever the market and the agent set. What it should cover is: drafting the agreement to fit your terms, coordinating signatures, running the stamping through e-Duti Setem, and handing you the stamped copies. A quote that refuses to itemise the stamp duty separately is a signal to ask for the breakdown in writing. The tenancy agreement charges in Malaysia guide walks through how these quotes are typically structured and what each line item is meant to represent.

Who pays the stamp duty

By convention the tenant pays stamp duty if the agreement is silent, but this is negotiable — and it is separate from the agent's fee. If the tenant is already paying the duty directly to LHDN, an agent's quote should not also include it as if the agent is bearing the cost. State who pays directly in the agreement so there is no ambiguity and no double-charging; many landlords cover it to keep a good tenant.

What happens if a tenancy agreement is stamped late?

Late stamping attracts a fixed penalty: RM50 or 10% of the duty (whichever is higher) within three months of the due date, and RM100 or 20% beyond three months. An unstamped agreement is inadmissible as evidence in court until the duty and penalty are paid, so the cost of skipping the 30-day window compounds.

The 30-day rule from execution and the three-month/three-plus-month penalty bands both live in the Stamp Act 1949 (as updated by the Finance Act 2024) — see the anchor at how to stamp a tenancy agreement online in Malaysia for the exact submission window and the penalty schedule.

Is an RM1,200 TA + stamp duty quote a red flag?

Not automatically — it is a red flag only when the quote refuses to itemise the duty from the fee. Run four quick checks before paying: is the duty listed separately, does it match the statutory band for your term, does the residual sit inside the typical agent band, and is the agent registered to submit to LHDN on your behalf.

If any of the four fails, ask for the breakdown in writing before paying. The stamp duty itself is fixed — the question is always what you are paying the agent for, and how that compares to a published flat-fee service.

The SPEEDHOME angle: a flat-fee alternative to the bundled quote

A flat-fee digital TA service bundles drafting and stamping into one published price — typically RM400–RM500 for a residential agreement — so the RM1,200 quote stops being a mystery number. The stamp duty still goes to LHDN at the statutory rate; only the service fee changes.

For SPEEDHOME customers, SPEEDSIGN is a flat-fee digital service that covers the agreement and the stamping in one step, with stamping within seven working days. As of June 2026, SPEEDSIGN is priced at RM449 plus SST — confirm the live figure on the SPEEDSIGN product page before booking. That single published price, rather than a stamp-duty number plus an unexplained balance, is the point: you can see exactly what you are paying, and the stamp duty still goes to LHDN at the statutory rate.

Two caveats keep the comparison honest. First, SPEEDSIGN is available to SPEEDHOME tenancy customers — it is not a general-market TA service, and the comparison below only holds inside that relationship. Second, the RM1,200 vs RM449 + SST comparison assumes a 2-year term with two stamped copies; a 1-year term drops the duty to RM87 and the residual gap widens, while a 5-year term pushes the duty to RM609 and the gap shrinks.

For landlords managing several units, the SPEEDHOME managed landlord service keeps the TA drafting, stamping records, and tenancy documents consistent across properties. SPEEDHOME's published 2.19% platform fee (vs the typical traditional agent band of 10–15%) keeps the TA + stamping cost predictable across a portfolio — stamp duty itself still goes to LHDN at the statutory rate.

Frequently asked questions

How much is stamp duty on an RM1,800/month tenancy?

For a 2-year term it is RM261 on the first stamped copy, or RM271 for two copies (landlord plus tenant). A 1-year term is RM87, a 3–5 year term is RM435, and over 5 years is RM609, all on the first copy. The rate is set by the Finance Act 2024 and is the same whoever prepares the agreement.

Is RM1,200 a normal fee for a tenancy agreement plus stamp duty?

There is no statutory or published agent fee for a residential TA, so "normal" varies. The honest way to judge any quote is to subtract the actual stamp duty — about RM261 for a 2-year term at RM1,800/month — and look at what is left as a drafting and admin fee. Use the SPEEDHOME stamp-duty calculator to confirm the duty number in your hand, then compare the residual against a published flat-fee product (SPEEDSIGN) or two to three agent quotes before you pay — the residual should not exceed the prevailing market band, which on SPEEDHOME platform data in 2026 sits well below the RM929-RM939 implied here.

Can I prepare and stamp the tenancy agreement myself without an agent?

Yes. There is no legal requirement to use an agent. The landlord and tenant can draft the agreement, sign it, and stamp it themselves through e-Duti Setem on MyTax. The only legally compulsory step is paying the stamp duty to LHDN. An agent is a convenience, not a requirement.

What happened to the RM2,400 stamp duty exemption?

It was removed in January 2025 under the Finance Act 2024. The full annual rent is now taxable from the first ringgit, so a low-rent unit like RM1,800/month is no longer duty-free. Some older guides and quotes still apply the old exemption — that is one reason a quoted figure can look wrong.

Who legally pays the stamp duty — landlord or tenant?

By convention the tenant pays if the agreement is silent, but it is negotiable and many landlords cover it to keep a good tenant. The agent's fee is separate from the duty. State who pays directly in the agreement so there is no ambiguity and no double-charging.

Where do I stamp the tenancy agreement in 2026?

Through the LHDN online stamping system (e-Duti Setem on MyTax, mytax.hasil.gov.my), which replaced the older STAMPS portal from January 2026 — no branch visit or agent needed, the entire submission is online. Stamp within 30 days of execution to avoid the late penalty (RM50 or 10% of the duty, whichever is higher, within three months; RM100 or 20% beyond three months).

What is a reasonable agent fee for a residential tenancy agreement in Malaysia?

There is no statutory agent fee for a residential TA in Malaysia, so the market sets the band — typically one month's rent or 10–15% of annual rent for a traditional agent handling a single tenancy. SPEEDHOME's published platform fee of 2.19% sits well below that band, with the TA drafting, stamping coordination, and rental-risk service bundled into one published price.

Reviewed by Wong Whei Meng, SPEEDHOME legal content, 2026-06-23.