Completed homes still unsold: serviced apartments lead, not small units
In Kuala Lumpur and Selangor projects first sold from 2018 and now completed, about 17 in every 100 serviced apartment units are still unsold, the highest of any home type; condominiums about 9, SOHOs about 10 and suites about 8. The small units people assume are hard to sell are left over at about the same rate as condos. The biggest pile is serviced apartments, about 17,700 units.
The figures come from unit-by-unit records in KPKT's TEDUH register. If you buy a completed unsold unit, know that it is usually not covered by the Housing Development Act and has no statutory 24-month defect period.
Walk into a completed building: how many of 100 are left
Picture a building first sold in 2018 or later and now completed. How many units does the developer still hold? We counted every such project in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor. Bumiputera-quota units follow separate release rules, so they are left out.
| Home type | Still unsold after completion, out of 100 |
|---|---|
| Serviced apartment (Pangsapuri Servis) | 17 |
| Terrace | 14 |
| SOHO | 10 |
| Condominium (Kondo) | 9 |
| Suite (Pangsapuri Suite) | 8 |
SOHOs and suites are often seen as the units that do not sell, yet after completion they are left over at about the same rate as condos. Serviced apartments have the most left: about 17,700 units, nearly double condos (about 9,100).
Looking at buildings with a lot left (30% or more unsold after completion): 35 of 172 serviced apartment projects, about one in five; 27 of 221 condo projects, about one in eight.
A civil group asks NAPIC to separate studios from family homes
Social Democracy Malaysia urged NAPIC (the National Property Information Centre) to break unsold housing data down further, separating studios from family homes, and to publish downloadable, machine-readable data. Their concern: the official unsold figure mixes two very different kinds of home, so you cannot see which one really does not sell.
The request is right. Our numbers add one point: splitting by size is not enough; serviced apartments need to be looked at as a category of their own.
Why more serviced apartments are left
Most serviced apartments sit on commercial land. The upside is a central location and a lower price than condos nearby. The cost: water, electricity and assessment may be charged at commercial rates, the first-home stamp duty exemption is disputed, and some banks lend less. Many towers launch in the same area and compete for the same buyers and tenants. The difference in full: serviced apartment vs condo.
What buyers and sellers should watch
- Buyers: a completed unsold unit lets you see the real home and get the keys quickly. But a unit sold after completion is usually on an ordinary sale agreement, not protected by the Housing Development Act (HDA), with no statutory 24-month defect period. Ask before you sign, and ask the bank for its valuation. See are completed unsold developer units worth buying.
- Serviced apartment buyers: check how many are left in the same building. A lot left means you will compete with the developer's stock when you resell or rent.
- Serviced apartment sellers: your rival is not only the owner next door but also the developer's new units. Check how many are unsold in the building and nearby before setting a price.
Which completed units do not sell, by price: unsold completed condos by price.
FAQ
Are studios and SOHOs the hardest to sell?
Not by our count. In KL and Selangor projects first sold from 2018 and now completed, about 10 in 100 SOHO units and 8 in 100 suites are unsold, close to condos at 9. Serviced apartments are highest at about 17.
Do completed unsold units have a defect period?
Usually not the statutory 24 months, because units sold after completion are normally on an ordinary sale agreement rather than the statutory HDA contract. Your protection depends on the contract wording.
Why not split by floor area?
Only a small share of TEDUH unit records include floor area, and they mix square metres and square feet, so they cannot be compared. We used the home type KPKT registers instead.
Why are Bumiputera-quota units excluded?
They need state approval before release to other buyers, so selling slowly does not always mean no demand. Including them would skew the figures.
How often are these figures updated?
Sales status in TEDUH is declared by developers. Records for completed projects were last updated between July and October 2026, and we recount regularly.
Source TEDUH (KPKT), Sumber: TEDUH, KPKT. Scope: Kuala Lumpur and Selangor projects whose first sale and purchase agreement was signed in 2018 or later and now completed (CCC/CFO), non-Bumiputera units only: 104,695 serviced apartment, 101,058 condo, 66,077 terrace, 14,096 SOHO and 16,955 suite units. "A lot left" counts projects with 50 or more units of that type. "Unsold" may include units the developer keeps to rent out. Under-construction projects are excluded because newly launched projects naturally have unsold units. Social Democracy Malaysia's call is as reported by EdgeProp on 20 October 2026.
Send us the project. We check how many units are unsold in the same building, which contract it uses and whether there is a defect period, then tell you if it is worth it.