Before you rent a factory or warehouse in Selangor

CHECK 01Start with a one-page operating brief

Write down what you will make, store or distribute; your largest delivery vehicle; equipment dimensions; staffing; operating hours; and target move-in date. Add your required production or storage area separately from offices and yard space. Mark each requirement as essential or flexible. This makes a smaller shortlist more useful than a long list of similar-looking buildings.

Describe your proposed activity to the relevant local council and ask what needs checking for that address. Request the available approved plans and premises documents from the owner. Do not treat an advertisement's 'factory' or 'warehouse' label as confirmation that your particular activity is suitable. MBSJ, for example, publishes a dedicated industrial-premises application guide; use the authority responsible for your actual location.

Reference: MBSJ: Industrial Premises Licence Application Guide

CHECK 02Follow the delivery route all the way in

Share your vehicle length and turning requirements before the visit. Check the approach road, junctions, gate width, overhead clearance and the route through the yard to the shutter or dock. Look for parked vehicles, steep transitions and shared areas that could obstruct a delivery. Confirm which yard areas are included in the tenancy.

Walk through a real delivery sequence: arrival, waiting, reversing, unloading and departure. Ask where a second truck would wait without blocking the first. For Port Klang or Pulau Indah searches, test the route to the terminal, depot or customer you actually use, at relevant operating times. A location name alone does not establish journey time.

CHECK 03Match the layout to your equipment

Bring a simple layout showing racking, machinery, aisles, dispatch and staff areas. Measure usable clear height below the lowest relevant beam, service or obstruction. Note columns, shutter dimensions and level changes. Separate advertised built-up area from the floor area your operation can actually use.

Ask for documented floor-loading information, including units and the area it applies to. A listing that says only '2 ton' leaves an important question unanswered. Give rack loads, machine weights and installation details to a qualified engineer to check the proposed arrangement. Photos and a general listing figure cannot establish whether a slab will support a particular installation.

CHECK 04Check available power before planning the move

Prepare an equipment list with your electrical contractor or consultant. Ask the owner for available supply records, distribution drawings and information about the existing connection. Have your adviser distinguish the installed supply, your expected demand and any work needed inside the premises; an advertised amp figure alone does not answer all three.

If an upgrade is proposed, identify who will apply, who pays, what work is involved and what confirmation is still outstanding. TNB states that connection timing depends on the premises, required load, location and relevant approvals. Obtain a site-specific assessment before treating an upgrade or energisation date as part of your move-in plan.

Reference: TNB: Electricity Supply Application

CHECK 05Look for work hidden behind the asking rent

Inspect roof and wall staining, floor condition, doors, toilets, ventilation and visible drainage. Ask about past water ingress, repairs and available maintenance records. Where practical, revisit after rain and check the approach as well as the building. Record what you observe separately from what has been reported to you.

Ask how water, wastewater, waste collection and any special storage needs would be handled for your activity. Have the relevant specialists review the fire-safety arrangements and any proposed changes. Agree a written list of repairs, responsible parties and completion dates rather than relying on a general promise to 'make good'.

CHECK 06Compare the complete move, then resolve the gaps

Put monthly rent beside deposits, utility arrangements, any service charges, fit-out, repairs, relocation and reinstatement obligations. Mark amounts as quoted, estimated or unknown. Ask what is included, whether figures include applicable charges, and who is responsible for each item. Two properties with the same rent can require very different preparation.

Build a move-in sequence covering access for surveys, agreed works, any applications, equipment delivery and handover. Confirm the proposed tenancy terms with your adviser and owner before committing. Leave the viewing with a dated comparison sheet and a short list of unresolved essentials. A property should remain a candidate until the points that matter to your operation are confirmed.