SELANGOR has launched a comprehensive tenancy cleanup at Lembah Subang 1 People’s Housing Project (PPR) in Petaling Jaya, following the state government’s official takeover of the ageing project.
State housing and culture committee chairman Datuk Borhan Aman Shah said Perumahan dan Hartanah Selangor Sdn Bhd (PHSSB) had begun auditing tenant records to address issues which included unauthorised occupation and illegal subletting.
He stressed that the clampdown was vital to ensure the subsidised units reached vulnerable groups they were originally built for.
“Some tenants are renting out their units to others and this is unfair to those who genuinely need these homes.
“We are calling in the tenants to identify them.
“If they no longer want to stay there, the units should be offered to others instead of being sublet,” Borhan said after witnessing a memorandum of understanding signing ceremony between Selangor government and Housing and Local Government Ministry (KPKT) at PPR Lembah Subang 1.
Also present at the signing were KPKT secretary-general Datuk M. Noor Azman Taib, Selangor State Secretary Datuk Ahmad Fadzli Ahmad Tajuddin and Seri Setia assemblyman Mohammad Fahmi Ngah.
Borhan estimated that illicit subletting accounted for 10% to 30% of total units at the 26-year-old development.
Built in 2000, the PPR comprises 3,004 units across eight blocks and is home to some 12,000 residents.
Management and maintenance responsibilities were officially transferred to PHSSB, a subsidiary of Selangor Housing and Property Board, on April 1.
As part of the transition, PHSSB is drafting new tenancy agreements, collecting rental deposits and briefing residents on compliance.
Between April 1 and May 14, the agency achieved a rental collection rate of nearly 60%, bringing in RM236,802.
However, Borhan noted that the current rental rate of RM124 a month fell short of actual upkeep requirements.
“KPKT has given RM2.3mil for one year to cover maintenance costs.
“The state government has to top this up because rental collection alone is not enough for maintenance,” he said.
Borhan said the state planned to review and increase the rental rate, “but this will be implemented in stages”.
“The proposed increase is also intended to help cover rising maintenance costs and fees,” he added.
In the meantime, PHSSB has already started immediate fixes including waste collection, repainting, lift servicing, and basic upkeep.
A further RM5mil allocation from Selangor government will fund extensive works starting in June targeting lift overhauls, unit repairs and road resurfacing as well as civil, mechanical and electrical upgrades.
To foster better community relations and explain the transition, the state plans to host a rewang (community gathering) with residents at the end of the year.
