Advice and recommendations: 3-bedroom rental in Kuching for family of four (2 kids)—max 25 min to Lodge International or Borneo

Budget: RM2,000–3,000, fully furnished.

Ideally closer to RM2,000.

I’ve been searching FB groups and rental sites for the past few weeks. There’s so much listing out there, honestly not sure where to start.

Found these options so far that seem decent:

Viva City Jazz Suites

Royal Oak Apartment

Milano Eight

The Podium

All of these are coming in at around RM3,000, and I’m willing to pay that if it’s the right place. Fully furnished is non-negotiable for me. I’m pretty flexible on property type though—open to apartments, link houses, or townhouses. Just want the best bang for buck.

Nice to haves (if condo):

Pool

Gym (I’ll join Turbo or Level Up anyway; condo gym is good for the rest of the family)

Function space in the building

Dryer

Walking distance to cafe or mall

Smaller square footage is fine as long as the condo itself has decent amenities and common areas.

What I’m noticing:

FB groups seem to have more affordable listings compared to apps

People keep warning about Batu Kawa and Samaharan—prices are definitely lower there but not sure if there’s a catch

Security deposits everywhere are quite high, which is throwing me off

Quick questions:

Any other areas or apartments I should be looking at? Tired of scrolling through listings.

Is it worth checking out Batu Kawa and Samaharan, or should I just skip them?

What’s the traffic like from Batu Kawa and Samaharan to Lodge International or Borneo? Can you actually make the 25 min commute?

Can I realistically land something at RM2,000 with my requirements, or should I just accept RM3,000 is the going rate?

Does committing to a longer lease (like 2 years instead of 1) give me actual room to negotiate the security deposit down, or is that pretty fixed?

Can you negotiate on the rental price itself, or is that also locked in?

Is it better to work with a rental agent or just do this myself? Any pros and cons?

Want to vet these options properly before I start requesting viewings. Any feedback on the four I’ve shortlisted? Are any of them no good, or is there something better I should be looking at instead?

Any red flags I should know about?

Would appreciate any recommendations or tips from people who’ve done this recently. Thanks.