** This is a review of the service. For my article about Haftarent on Forbes, click here.
Being married to a diplomat, I’ve been thrusted into a life that entails periodic moves for the next couple of decades. Not that I’m complaining but I have to be honest here: While moving to a different country may be a fun adventure, the moving process itself is stressful. Those who tell you otherwise, are lying.
All the farewell dinners you have to be in where you’ll feel sad knowing that it will be a while before you see your family and friends, the tedious packing, the journey, and finally arriving at your destination – these can really take their toll on your energy reserves. When we arrived in Malaysia, there was the flat hunting to consider, the furniture, how we would decorate our home, and settling in. Again, fun yet tiring.
We got lucky that our embassy has a go-to landlord and once my husband and I visited the units in his building, we fell in love with the location, the size of the unit, and the view. (A separate post on moving, flat hunting, and buying furniture in KL coming up!)
That part was easy for us, thank goodness. A lot of expats in Malaysia, however, are not as lucky. I’ve heard of flat hunting that took from several days to weeks and people who had to deal with inconsistent deposits.
I was recently introduced to a new service that a lot of expats and diplomats can use for convenience. Haftarent is a service that connects landlords to possible renters and all transactions are done online. I tried it out last month and here’s how the experience went:
Booking and checking in
Booking through the site was a breeze and so was check in during a sunny weekday. I was met by one of Haftarent’s people at the lobby of Vipod Residences where the unit I will be staying in was located. I chose this building among the properties listed on the site due to its location. It’s along Jalan Kia Peng, a street that’s a few minutes from Pavilion Mall, the KL Convention Centre, Suria KLCC, and the Petronas Towers.
Also, I was quite curious with this building. Alvin and I considered renting here but after seeing our current unit, we never looked back. Later on, a Singaporean diplomat told us that her unit in Vipod (which is a new building, only a few years old) has cockroaches. I still went for the Vipod property though since I heard they have a gorgeous pool. I was praying not to see roaches as we went up as I am deathly afraid of them.
Spoiler alert: No roaches. Whew! Thanks goodness for neat landlords.
When I arrived, this is what welcomed me:
The unit and the building
It was indeed a clean and spacious unit. With enough furniture to make it homey. Haftarent leases houses on weekly terms and their longest contract can be for up to two years and the unit has enough free space for personal items that the occupant may accumulate during their stay.
Utensils and cookware are also provided as well as appliances.
The unit also has two bedrooms. The master’s is bright and roomy with a closet that fit enough clothes for two people. The second bedroom has a bunkbed and a closet that can fit 2 guests or kids comfortably.
Vipod has impressive facilities. A gym with modern machines high up the building and with a view of the KL City Centre featuring the famed Petronas Towers. An infinity pool on the rooftop, a cafe, and a convenience store at the ground floor.
Checking out and some parting thoughts
Check out merely consists of the renter leaving the access cards to the unit in a small box provided by the unit owner.
I find the service really convenient especially for people who often find themselves on the move such as diplomats, expats, and international businessmen. Cleaning services as well as the utility bills (including high speed internet) is included in the rental price so payment is also a one-off every month.
Will definitely recommend this service to people who will be in KL for more than a week. 😉
More later.
Love,
Carol
