This calculator puts the two Malaysian renting paths side by side in ringgit: the traditional 2 + 0.5 + 1 deposit stack versus the Zero Deposit path's advance rental plus its platform fees. It uses only registry-governed figures, keeps refundable deposits separate from non-refundable fees, and never claims a saving — the two paths lock and spend different kinds of money.
Zero Deposit vs Deposit: Move-in Cash and Fee Comparison
Enter your figures. Every fixed number comes from SPEEDHOME's dated fact registry; SST is shown as +SST and is not added to the totals below.
Enter the monthly rent to compare the two paths.
Deposit structure: 2 months security + 0.5–1 month utility + 1 month advance rent (market practice, not law). Deposits are refundable at move-out subject to lawful deductions; SPEEDHOME platform fees are not refundable. Zero Deposit is a managed rental-risk system, not insurance, and not all listings qualify — eligibility is set per listing. Membership does not attach to every cohort (RM0 exemptions exist). This is an illustration, not a quote.
What each path asks for at move-in
Market practice in Malaysia is a 2 + 1 + 0.5 shape: 2 months' rent as security deposit, 1 month paid in advance, and around 0.5 month as utility deposit — a market convention, not a statutory rule. The utility deposit runs 0.5 to 1 month in practice and never more than 1.
That stack is why move-in month hurts. On the traditional path you hand over security, utility and advance together before keys change hands. On the Zero Deposit path — where the listing qualifies — the security and utility deposits are replaced by a managed rental-risk system, so the move-in cash is the advance rental alone.
The three-deposit explainer unpacks each component, and the move-in cash decision guide walks the five common tenant situations. This page is the calculator those pages point to.
What the Zero Deposit path costs instead
Zero Deposit is not free; it moves the cost from locked cash to platform fees. Two rails apply: the SPEEDSIGN signing fee and the tenant membership.
- SPEEDSIGN is priced at RM449 + SST for a new signing. Eligible renewals — agreement type HOUSE with a prior completed agreement by the same landlord-tenant pair — pay RM249 + SST. It is not a general renewal discount.
- Zero Deposit membership is RM59 + SST per month for a whole-unit rental, or RM79 + SST per month for coliving or a room, added to the monthly rent invoice. It attaches to zero-deposit tenants on the original plan variants and, on v2 variants, to tenants whose deposit is under 1.5 months' rent — it does not attach to every tenancy, and some cohorts carry RM0 exemptions. That is why the calculator lets you set the membership months yourself instead of assuming the full term.
How to read the result honestly
The two summary lines answer different questions. "Cash not locked at move-in" is money that stays in your bank account on day one. "Non-refundable platform fees over tenancy" is money you will not see again. Deposits are not the second kind: they are refunded at move-out subject to lawful deductions.
Three load-bearing caveats travel with every run of this tool:
- Zero Deposit is a managed rental-risk system, not insurance. Nothing here is a coverage amount or a payout promise.
- Not all listings qualify. Zero Deposit is a per-listing feature set by the landlord; the listing page is the only place to verify eligibility.
- The deposits column is refundable; the fees column is not. A landlord who proves a loss beyond fair wear and tear can lawfully retain deposit money — the Zero Deposit rental guide explains how recovery works on the platform path.
Which inputs should you change?
Change the utility deposit to 1 month if your landlord holds a full month. Set the SPEEDSIGN variant to renewal only when the HOUSE-type eligibility actually applies. Leave membership months equal to your tenancy unless you already know your cohort's terms.
The defaults are the customer-copy convention: 2 months security, 0.5 month utility, 1 month advance, whole-unit membership. If your figures differ, the agreement in front of you wins over any calculator — including this one.
Frequently asked questions
Does Zero Deposit save money?
It frees cash at move-in, and it spends fees over the tenancy. Whether that trade is worth it depends on your cash position, your tenancy length and whether the listing qualifies — the calculator shows both sides so you can decide with numbers instead of slogans.
Is the RM59 or RM79 membership charged forever?
The membership runs with the tenancy on the plans where it applies, billed monthly on the rent invoice. It does not attach to every tenancy, and platform cohorts can show RM0 exemptions — model the months that match your situation, and confirm the live terms on the membership page before signing.
Why doesn't the calculator add SST to the totals?
Every fee line is displayed with its + SST label at the registry-governed base rate, and totals are shown before SST so the arithmetic stays checkable. Stamp duty, where it appears in the tenancy cost calculator, carries no SST.
What if my landlord asks 1 month utility deposit?
That is within the market range — select 1 month in the utility field. What is not supported by market practice is a utility deposit above 1 month; if you are asked for more, treat it as a negotiation point, not a convention.
Can I use this for a room rental?
Yes — select the room or coliving unit type so the membership rail uses the RM79 + SST rate. The deposit structure is the same; rooms just sit at lower rent levels.
Related guides
- Zero Deposit Rental Malaysia
- Move-in Cash vs Zero Deposit: The Actual RM Difference
- The 3 Deposits Your Landlord Can Ask For
- Tenancy Cost Calculator Malaysia
Accuracy note. Every fee, deposit and rate figure on this page is bound to a dated fact registry and re-verified on each update. Spotted an error? Email [email protected] with this page's link.