Kensington Gardens @ George Town, Penang
68 freehold bungalow lots on a 26-acre guarded site, 266 m from the Penang Turf Club and 3.9 km from KOMTAR. What is sold here is land — 5,995 to 9,634 sq ft a lot — and the house is yours to build. The estate is not on the public housing register, so there is no permit price to quote; whether a foreigner can buy is decided lot by lot.
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Kensington Gardens @ George Town, Penang at a glance
Every figure below comes from the developer’s own project page or from a named newspaper report. Where neither has published something, it isn’t on this page.
- Development
- Kensington GardensPhase 1 of Berjaya Land’s Jesselton land · Berjaya Land Development Sdn. Bhd.
- Where it is
- Jesselton, George TownPersiaran Jesselton Selatan, 266 m from the Penang Turf Club
- Tenure
- FreeholdStated on the developer’s project page
- What is sold
- Bungalow lots — landYou build the house; the developer has design options, or you bring your own architect
- Lots
- 68The developer’s current figure · press reports in 2015 said 69
- Lot sizes
- 5,995 to 9,634 sq ftLand area of each lot, as reported by The Edge and The Star in July 2015
- Site
- 26 acres · guardedSite area from The Edge; the developer calls it a guarded community
- Launched
- May 2014Official launch date as reported by The Edge on 9 July 2015
- Government permit
- Not on the housing registerNo record under this name on 2 October 2026 — it is sold as land, not as houses under construction
- Foreign buyers
- Decided lot by lotPenang Island’s floor for landed property is RM3,000,000, plus state consent for the purchase
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Six things about Kensington Gardens worth knowing before you enquire
Four are reasons a Penang family would look at it. Two are things to settle first. All six rest on Berjaya’s own page, named newspaper reports, the housing register or my own straight-line measurements.
Freehold land in the middle of the island
The developer’s page describes 68 freehold bungalow lots at what it calls the epicentre of Penang Island. Measured in a straight line from the estate, KOMTAR is 3.9 km away and Gurney Plaza 2.8 km. Freehold landed plots this far inside George Town are rarely released in a batch, which is the whole case for looking here.
The arithmetic of space: 68 lots on 26 acres
The Edge reported the site as 26 acres with lots between 5,995 and 9,634 sq ft. Do the sum yourself: even if all 68 lots were the largest size, they would cover about 58% of the land. The rest is roads, slopes and planting. Both The Edge and The Star reported that more than 300 mature trees were to be transplanted within the site.
You decide what gets built
This is a land purchase. The Edge reported that the developer has several design options for purchasers, who may also design their own homes. The Star added that a lot takes a bungalow of about 5,000 sq ft built-up. If you already have an architect and a clear idea of the house, that freedom is the point.
Schools and hospitals inside a 2 km circle
Straight-line from the estate: SMJK Chung Ling 1.4 km, St Christopher’s International Primary School 1.5 km, Penang General Hospital 1.9 km, and both Penang Adventist Hospital and Penang Chinese Girls’ Private High School 2.0 km. For a multi-generation household, those five distances matter more than any clubhouse.
No permit, no public price, and the building cost is yours
I found no record of Kensington Gardens on the public housing register, which is what you would expect of an estate sold as lots. That means no advertising permit, no permit price band and no register progress report to lean on. Your total outlay is the land plus piling, construction, professional fees and the months it takes to get plans approved — budget and timeline are your own to manage.
Two neighbours that will change
Jesselton Courtyard, the same developer’s 239-unit second phase, is under construction 335 m away; its delivery date on the register runs to July 2028, so expect site traffic until then. And The Vibes has reported the end of racing at the Penang Turf Club after more than 160 years. What replaces a racecourse 266 m from your gate will shape the views and the roads. Ask the city council what has been submitted before you commit.
The whole development, decoded
Every number here is the developer’s own or the government register’s.
Pick how you want to build
The developer’s design
The Edge reported in July 2015 that the developer has several design options for purchasers. This is the route for a buyer who wants a house that sits comfortably with the rest of the estate and would rather not start from a blank sheet. Ask which designs are current, what they include and who builds them — none of that is published on the developer’s page.
Your own design
The same report says purchasers may design their own homes. You appoint the architect, engineer and contractor, submit plans to the city council and carry the programme yourself. The estate’s building guidelines — setbacks, height, external finishes — set the limits, and they are not on the developer’s page, so get them for your lot before you brief anyone.
Where the project is now
Inside Kensington Gardens @ George Town, Penang
Where Kensington Gardens @ George Town, Penang sits
Kensington Gardens sits on Persiaran Jesselton Selatan in the Jesselton neighbourhood of George Town, on the western side of the Penang Turf Club. In a straight line it is 266 m from the turf club, 2.8 km from Gurney Plaza and 3.9 km from KOMTAR.
Kensington Gardens has no record of its own on the housing register, so the pin uses the map position of the developer’s Kensington Gardens office on Persiaran Jesselton Selatan. Distances are straight-line from that point; individual lots lie up to a few hundred metres from it.
- Penang Turf Club266 mstraight-line
- Jesselton Courtyard (same developer, under construction)335 mstraight-line
- SMJK Chung Ling1.4 kmstraight-line
- St Christopher’s International Primary School1.5 kmstraight-line
- Penang General Hospital1.9 kmstraight-line
- Penang Chinese Girls’ Private High School2.0 kmstraight-line
- Penang Botanic Gardens2.3 kmstraight-line
- Gurney Plaza2.8 kmstraight-line
- KOMTAR, George Town3.9 kmstraight-line
About Berjaya Land
Berjaya Land Berhad is the property arm of the Berjaya group and sells under the Berjaya Properties name. Its website lists The Ritz-Carlton Residences Kuala Lumpur, Seputeh Heights, The Peak, Lanai Residences, The Tropika Bukit Jalil and Berjaya Hills among its developments, most of them in the Klang Valley.
In Penang its land is at Jesselton, beside the turf club. Press reports in July 2015 described a 58-acre freehold guarded development then called Jesselton Villas, with Kensington Gardens as the 26-acre first parcel. In its own statements since 2024 the group calls Kensington Gardens its Phase 1 — 68 bungalow lots — and Jesselton Courtyard at Jesselton Selatan the second phase: 239 homes on 11.908 acres, built and sold as finished houses and condominiums.
That second phase is on the housing register, and it is the only Penang record I found under Berjaya Land Development Sdn. Bhd.: project 2674-7, 207 townhouse units and 32 terrace units, Schedule H, shown as on track with the two components 45.42% and 35.94% built when I read it on 2 October 2026.
One honest caveat. The register shows Jesselton Courtyard’s delivery period was extended, with approval, from 36 to 48 months, moving the latest handover under the first agreement to 26 July 2028. For Kensington Gardens itself I could not find a published date for the completion of the roads and services, even though the launch was in 2014. Walk the estate, see which lots are built on, and ask the developer in writing what has been handed over and what the estate charges are.
Frequently asked questions
How many lots are there at Kensington Gardens?
68 freehold bungalow lots, according to the developer’s project page and Berjaya Land’s own statements in 2024 and 2026.
Newspaper reports at the time of the 2015 sales update — The Edge and The Star — gave the figure as 69. I use the developer’s current number and can check the lot count against the latest site plan for you.
Is Kensington Gardens freehold?
Yes. The developer’s project page describes the lots as freehold, and the 2015 press reports say the same of the wider Jesselton land.
Because you are buying land, the title details matter more than usual: ask for the title type, the category of land use and any express conditions, and have your solicitor run the search before you sign.
What are the lot sizes, and how big a house can I build?
The Edge and The Star reported lots of 5,995 to 9,634 sq ft. That is land area, not built-up area. The Star added that a lot accommodates a bungalow of about 5,000 sq ft built-up.
The actual envelope for your lot — setbacks, height and plinth area — comes from the estate’s building guidelines and the city council’s approval. The developer does not publish these on its page; I will ask for the guidelines for the specific lot you like.
Can foreigners buy at Kensington Gardens?
It is decided lot by lot. Penang Island’s minimum for a non-citizen buying landed property is RM3,000,000, the purchase needs state consent, a 3% state levy applies on approval and resale is only allowed after 3 years. Non-citizens also pay a flat 8% stamp duty on residential property.
Two things make this estate a special case: there is no permit price on record, so eligibility is tested against the agreement price of the lot itself, and what you are buying is land for a house, which the state authority looks at closely. Tell me your nationality and the lot, and I will get the consent position confirmed before you pay anything.
Is Kensington Gardens completed? When can I build?
The estate was officially launched in May 2014, and The Edge reported in July 2015 that infrastructure works would begin by the end of that year; The Star put those works at about 12 months. Berjaya Land now refers to it as its Phase 1 in Penang, and the Jesselton Courtyard sales gallery operates from No. 2, Persiaran Jesselton Selatan.
I have not found a published completion date for the estate’s roads and services, so I will not state one. The timing of your own house depends on your plans, the council’s approval and your contractor, not on a developer handover date.
Which lot should I choose?
Start with the developer’s site plan, which is shown on this page, and narrow by three things: size (5,995 to 9,634 sq ft is a wide range), level, and position. The Star reported that the layout follows the natural terrain with minimal change, so lots differ in elevation; a higher lot may mean a better outlook and more earthworks.
Then look at what faces each boundary: the turf club side, the internal green, or the side towards the Jesselton Courtyard site 335 m away, which is under construction until 2028. I can tell you which lots are still open and walk the shortlisted ones with you.
What is the price, and what are the estate charges?
There is no government permit price band for Kensington Gardens because it is not on the housing register, so there is no public price figure I can quote. I will not repeat numbers from old newspaper reports or property portals; they are years out of date and are not the price of any lot today.
The developer has not published the monthly estate or security charges. Message me and I will send the current price list for the remaining lots and the charges in writing, together with a realistic allowance for building costs so you can see the full budget.
How does Kensington Gardens compare with Jesselton Courtyard next door?
Same developer, 335 m apart, opposite propositions. Kensington Gardens is 68 lots where you build your own detached house. Jesselton Courtyard is 239 finished homes — 207 townhouse units and 32 terrace units on the register — on 11.908 acres, sold under Schedule H with a contractual delivery date.
Choose the Courtyard if you want a completed home with a defects period and no construction to manage. Choose Kensington Gardens if you want your own design on your own land and can carry the build. The register showed Jesselton Courtyard at 45.42% and 35.94% built on 2 October 2026.
What is daily life like here, and can a bungalow be rented out?
Daily life is by car. Pulau Tikus, 2.4 km away at its market, is where most residents of this part of town shop and eat; Gurney Plaza is 2.8 km, Penang Botanic Gardens 2.3 km for the morning walk, and Penang General Hospital 1.9 km. The estate itself is residential and guarded, with no shops inside.
Renting: large detached houses in George Town are let mainly to expatriate families and company tenants, a small market where each house is judged on its own finish. I do not quote rental figures. If income is your main aim, a smaller finished home is usually the simpler route — tell me and I will suggest alternatives.
Get the current list of remaining lots
Only the developer knows which of the 68 lots are still unsold and at what price. Tell me the land size you want and whether you already have an architect — I’ll send back the lots that fit, the building guidelines and the charges in writing.
Completed project — what is for sale changes unit by unit, so ask before you plan a viewing
Louis Koh
11 years in Malaysian property · Johor Bahru, Kuala Lumpur & Penang new launches · English & 中文
I work with cross-border buyers from Singapore and further afield, and with local investors. I’ll tell you when a project isn’t right for you — that’s usually worth more than the brochure.
Published 2026-10-02 · Last verified 2026-10-02 against Berjaya Properties’ Kensington Gardens page, Berjaya Land’s press statements, reports in The Edge and The Star (July 2015), and the KPKT housing register. Unit availability, pricing and completion dates are set by the developer and subject to change. This page is marketing information, not an offer or a contract.
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Developer: Berjaya Land (2 developments on this site)
Where it is: George Town, Penang