The government is taking another look at the proposed 30-year building age threshold under the Urban Renewal Bill, aiming to make sure the benchmark truly reflects what happens to buildings in the real world — not just on paper. Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming said the review is meant to balance technical factors with economic and social realities on the ground.

According to the ministry, the 30-year mark was never meant to suggest that buildings are structurally “old” or unsafe. Instead, it’s a practical point where many buildings start showing signs of aging or becoming less suitable for modern living. This includes physical wear and tear, outdated layouts, older technology, rising maintenance costs and difficulty meeting newer safety standards.

In reality, a building’s condition varies widely depending on its material quality, soil conditions, and how well it’s been maintained. Some issues — especially in older flats without lifts or poorly managed strata schemes — can show up even earlier, sometimes within 20 to 30 years.

While engineering standards like JKR 20800:2020 state that a building should have a working structural life of at least 50 years, the ministry clarified that lifespan alone doesn’t tell the full story. By the time a building hits around 30 years old, internal systems such as lifts, water tanks, wiring, piping and sewerage often start to break down. If maintenance has been neglected, these problems can pile up quickly.

From an economic angle, buildings also become less viable to maintain once the cost of repairs exceeds their market value. This typically happens between 30 and 40 years, depending on location and market demand. Buildings aged 25 to 40 years often require major repairs, those between 40 and 60 years may be due for full renewal, and non-heritage buildings approaching 70 years old are usually considered outdated unless they’ve been exceptionally well taken care of.

Malaysia’s laws already require regular checks as buildings age. Under Section 85A of the Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974, high-rise buildings must undergo visual and structural inspections 10 years after getting their CCC, and then every 10 years after that. These inspections must be done by professional engineers and submitted to the local authority.

The minister stressed that any adjustment to the age threshold will be made carefully. The goal is not to create unnecessary financial pressure on residents, but to ensure buildings remain safe, functional and suitable for modern community needs.