Starhill Luxury Residences @ Gelugor, Penang
A finished strata estate of 537 homes on Halaman Bukit Gambir — 506 condominiums in a 35-storey block, 29 detached houses and one pair of semi-detached houses — 1.6 km in a straight line from USM. The completion certificate is dated 29 August 2018, so every purchase today is a resale. The old permit bands straddle Penang Island’s floors for non-citizens, so foreign eligibility is decided unit by unit at the price in your agreement.
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Starhill Luxury Residences @ Gelugor, Penang at a glance
Every figure below comes from the developer’s own published material or the government register. Where neither has published something, it isn’t on this page.
- Development
- Starhill Luxury ResidencesFiled on the register as Starhill Bukit Gambir (8126-5) · developer Aroma Development Sdn Bhd
- Where it is
- Halaman Bukit Gambir, GelugorBukit Gambier, Daerah Timur Laut, Penang Island · postcode 11700
- Tenure
- Not stated on the registerThe developer’s website gives no tenure for this project · I will confirm it from the title before you commit
- Building
- 35-storey condominium blockPlus 29 three-storey detached houses and 2 three-storey semi-detached houses
- Units
- 537506 condominiums, 29 detached houses and 2 semi-detached houses, as filed
- Layouts
- 140 sq m on the registerAbout 1,507 sq ft for the condominium component · the developer’s former website (archived 2017) gave 1,503 to 1,753 sq ft for the condominiums and 3,049 to 3,668 sq ft for ten penthouses · 464 sq m against the detached houses · bedrooms not recorded
- Facilities
- Pool, sauna, fitness centreSwimming pool, barbecue area, sunbathing area, sauna and fitness centre, as listed on the developer’s former website (archived 2017) · ask me for current photos and the management’s own list
- Completion
- CompletedCertificate of completion and compliance dated 29 Aug 2018 · register status ‘Siap Dengan CCC’
- Government permit
- 8126-5/05-2019/01934(P)Valid 24 May 2018 to 23 May 2019 — expired after completion; no later permit is recorded
- Foreign buyers
- Unit by unit, with state consentIsland floors: RM1,000,000 for strata, RM3,000,000 for landed-strata · decided at the price in your agreement
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Six things about Starhill Luxury Residences worth knowing before you view
Four are reasons a Penang buyer would shortlist it. Two are things to settle first. All six come from the government register, my own measurements and the little the developer has published online.
It is a finished, certified building
The register shows all three components at 100% with one certificate of completion and compliance dated 29 August 2018, and the status ‘Siap Dengan CCC’. You are not buying a promise: you can walk the lobby, the car park and the unit itself before you sign anything.
Tower and houses inside one gated scheme
Few Penang Island projects mix a 35-storey condominium block with 29 detached houses and a pair of semi-detached houses under a single filing. For a family that wants a house but also wants guards, shared facilities and a management office, the landed-strata homes here are an unusual find.
Large homes by the register’s figures
The register records 140 sq m, about 1,507 sq ft, against the condominium component and 464 sq m against the detached houses. It gives one figure per component and no bedroom count. The developer’s former website, archived in 2017, gave 1,503 to 1,753 sq ft for the condominiums and 5,300 sq ft built-up for the detached houses. Use these as a guide to scale and let the drawing of the actual unit settle the detail.
Between the university and the industrial zone
In a straight line USM is 1.6 km away, Lotus’s Sungai Dua 1.3 km, Queensbay Mall 3.6 km and the Penang Bridge 6.4 km. That puts the address between George Town and the Bayan Lepas factories, which is why Bukit Gambier draws both university staff and engineers.
The developer published pictures and only a few details
Aroma Development’s current website has a gallery page for Starhill — most of the images on this page come from it — but no written particulars, and no advertisement or brochure is filed with the register. Its former website, archived in 2017, gave the size ranges and a short facilities list, which I quote on this page. Tenure, bedroom counts, car park allocation and monthly charges are still not published anywhere I can cite. I will get each of them from the title, the management office and the seller, in writing.
Resale homework matters more than the brochure
The first agreement’s delivery date was 23 December 2016 and the certificate came on 29 August 2018, with no extension on record. For a buyer today that is history, but it is a reason to check what matters now: whether the strata title has been issued, the management accounts, the sinking fund and any arrears on the unit.
The whole development, decoded
Every number here is the developer’s own or the government register’s.
Pick your home type
Condominium block
The register files 506 flats / condominium units in a building of 35 storeys, certified complete on 29 August 2018. It records one area figure for the whole component, 140 sq m (about 1,507 sq ft), and no bedroom or bathroom count. The 159 units it itemises sit between Level 10 and Level 35 and carry position codes running up to 20A, which points to a broad floor plate with many homes on a level. The developer’s former website, archived in 2017, gave the unit range as 1,503 to 1,753 sq ft — ask me for the floor plate before you pick a stack.
Detached houses
Twenty-nine three-storey detached houses share the scheme with the tower and were certified on the same day, 29 August 2018. The register records 464 sq m against them without saying whether that is land or floor area. The developer’s former website, archived in 2017, gave the built-up area as 5,300 sq ft. Because the whole project was sold under Schedule H, these are landed-strata homes: you own the house under a strata title and share the estate’s common property and charges with the condominium owners.
Semi-detached houses
Only two three-storey semi-detached houses were filed — one pair. The register records no area for them and does not itemise them in its unit list. They were certified with the rest of the project on 29 August 2018. With two in existence, one coming onto the resale market is an occasional event; tell me if you want to be told when it happens.
Where the project is now
All 2 Starhill Luxury Residences @ Gelugor, Penang floor plans
The developer’s website publishes drawings for the three-storey detached house only: the ground-floor plan is shown below and the first- and second-floor plans are in the gallery. I found no condominium floor plan in any public source — not on the register, not on the developer’s current or archived website, and not in its marketing artwork elsewhere — so the condominium card carries the register figure and the size range from the developer’s archived website. I will not guess bedroom counts. Tell me which home you are viewing and I will get its actual drawing.
Condominium — register figure — 1,507 sq ft
Get this floor plan
Detached house — register figure — 4,994 sq ft
Get this floor planInside Starhill Luxury Residences @ Gelugor, Penang
Where Starhill Luxury Residences @ Gelugor, Penang sits
Halaman Bukit Gambir, on Bukit Gambier in Gelugor, Daerah Timur Laut — the hill suburb behind USM. In a straight line it is 1.6 km from the university, 1.3 km from Lotus’s Sungai Dua and 6.4 km from the Penang Bridge.
Pinned to the coordinates filed with the national housing register for project 8126-5, which fall on Halaman Bukit Gambir where Google Maps also lists the condominium. Distances are straight-line from that point.
- Lotus’s Sungai Dua1.3 kmstraight-line
- Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM)1.6 kmstraight-line
- Market and Food Complex, Jalan Permai, Gelugor1.8 kmstraight-line
- SMJK Phor Tay, Sungai Dua2.1 kmstraight-line
- Queensbay Mall3.6 kmstraight-line
- Pantai Hospital Penang4.4 kmstraight-line
- Penang Bridge6.4 kmstraight-line
- Penang International Airport7.3 kmstraight-line
- KOMTAR, George Town7.5 kmstraight-line
On the government register it is project 8126-5 — 537 units, completed with certificate
The housing developer’s licence is held by Aroma Development Sdn Bhd (8126), with a registered office in Taman Selat, Butterworth, and a business address at Halaman Bukit Gambir itself. The project is filed as Starhill Bukit Gambir, not under its marketing name. The licensee’s record counts five projects, but 8126-5 is the only one the public search returns.
| Project code | Registered name | Advertising permit | Permit expires | Units | Bed / bath | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8126-5 | Starhill Bukit Gambir — flats / condominium, 35 storeys | 8126-5/05-2019/01934(P) | 23 May 2019 | 506 | — | Completed · CCC 29 Aug 2018 |
| 8126-5 | Starhill Bukit Gambir — detached houses, 3 storeys | 8126-5/05-2019/01934(P) | 23 May 2019 | 29 | — | Completed · CCC 29 Aug 2018 |
| 8126-5 | Starhill Bukit Gambir — semi-detached houses, 3 storeys | 8126-5/05-2019/01934(P) | 23 May 2019 | 2 | — | Completed · CCC 29 Aug 2018 |
| Total | 537 | Licensed developer: Aroma Development Sdn Bhd (8126) | ||||
Swipe sideways to see the full table →
Read from teduh.kpkt.gov.my on 2 October 2026. Check it yourself: teduh.kpkt.gov.my/semakan-status-kemajuan?kodProjek=8126-5
537 units in three components — but only 165 are itemised
The register files 506 flats / condominium units in a 35-storey building, 29 three-storey detached houses and 2 three-storey semi-detached houses: 537 in total. Its unit list, however, itemises only 165 of them — 159 condominium units between Level 10 and Level 35 and 6 detached plots — and every one of those is recorded as sold. The list is therefore no guide to what is available. Availability today is a matter of which owners are selling.
What the old permit bands tell you — and where foreign buyers stand
The last advertising permit records RM976,950 to RM2,500,000 for the condominiums, RM3,280,000 to RM3,980,000 for the detached houses and RM2,680,000 to RM2,880,000 for the semi-detached pair. That is the band on the advertising permit, not the price of any unit, and it dates from 2018, so it says nothing about resale values now. Penang Island’s floors for non-citizens are RM1,000,000 for strata and RM3,000,000 for landed-strata. The condominium band straddles its floor, so eligibility is decided unit by unit at the price in your agreement, with state consent, the 3% levy (1.5% for strata between RM1,000,000 and RM1,500,000) and the flat 8% stamp duty.
Schedule H, 36 months, no extension on record
The whole project, houses included, was sold under Schedule H (strata) with a 36-month delivery period. The first agreement is dated 23 December 2013, which put its delivery date at 23 December 2016, and the register shows no approved extension. The certificate of completion and compliance is dated 29 August 2018. Buyers who signed later had their own 36 months, so this does not tell you how any particular unit was delivered — ask the seller for the vacant possession letter.
Completed, and the permit has lapsed
All three components stand at 100% with the certificate dated 29 August 2018; the vacant possession date is not recorded. The register lists yearly advertising permits from 24 March 2014, the last running from 24 May 2018 to 23 May 2019. No newer permit is listed. I state that as a fact to be aware of: a home here is now bought from its owner under an ordinary resale agreement, not from the developer under Schedule H.
About Aroma Development
Aroma Development Sdn Bhd is the licensee on the register, number 8126. Its registered office is in Taman Selat, Butterworth, and its business address is a unit at Halaman Bukit Gambir, the same road as the project. Beyond that the public record is thin: the licensee’s entry counts five projects, yet Starhill Bukit Gambir is the only one the register’s search returns.
What it built here is one strata scheme with three kinds of home: a 35-storey block of 506 condominiums, 29 three-storey detached houses and a pair of three-storey semi-detached houses. All three were certified on the same day, 29 August 2018, and the register marks the project ‘Siap Dengan CCC’ — completed with certificate.
One honest caveat about sources. The developer’s current website carries a gallery for Starhill — artist’s impressions, elevations, a site plan and the detached-house floor plans, which is where most of the images on this page come from — but no written particulars, and the register holds no advertisement or brochure for this project. The size ranges and the facilities list quoted here come from the developer’s former website, aromadev.com.my, as archived in 2017, and the two facility views in the gallery are the developer’s marketing artwork. No condominium floor plan is published in any of these places, which is why this page carries no named condominium layouts, and why tenure is marked as unconfirmed. Property portals describe more, but I do not repeat portal claims that the developer or the register cannot back.
A second caveat about timing: the certificate came about 20 months after the delivery date under the first agreement, with no extension recorded. Eight years on, what matters to a buyer is the building as it stands — the lifts, the façade, the car park, the management’s accounts. Those are things you can inspect, and I will go through them with you on site.
Frequently asked questions
How many units are there at Starhill Luxury Residences?
537 on the government register: 506 condominium units in a 35-storey building, 29 three-storey detached houses and 2 three-storey semi-detached houses.
All of it is filed as one project, Starhill Bukit Gambir (8126-5), and was certified complete on 29 August 2018.
Is Starhill Luxury Residences freehold?
The register does not state the tenure, the developer’s website does not state it either, and no advertisement is filed that I can cite. So I will not put a tenure claim on this page.
It is easy to settle for a specific unit: the strata title or the title search for the master land shows it. Send me the unit you are considering and I will confirm the tenure and any restriction in interest before you pay anything.
What are the unit sizes and layouts at Starhill Luxury Residences?
The register records 140 sq m, about 1,507 sq ft, against the condominium component and 464 sq m against the detached houses, without saying whether the latter is land or floor area. It records no area for the semi-detached pair and no bedroom count for anything.
Those are single figures per component, so actual units may differ. The developer’s former website, archived in 2017, gave 1,503 to 1,753 sq ft for the condominium units, 3,049 to 3,668 sq ft for ten penthouses on the top floor, and a built-up area of 5,300 sq ft for the detached houses. For a resale, the reliable sources are the strata title, which states the parcel area, and the as-built drawing. I will get both for the unit you are viewing.
Can foreigners buy at Starhill Luxury Residences?
Possibly, unit by unit. Penang Island’s minimum for a non-citizen is RM1,000,000 for strata property and RM3,000,000 for landed or landed-strata property, and what counts is the price in your own sale and purchase agreement. The old permit band for the condominiums, RM976,950 to RM2,500,000, straddles that strata floor.
You also need state consent. The state levy is 3% on approval, or 1.5% for island strata between RM1,000,000 and RM1,500,000; stamp duty for non-citizens is a flat 8%; resale is allowed only after three years. I will check the specific unit against these rules first.
When was Starhill Luxury Residences completed?
The certificate of completion and compliance for all three components is dated 29 August 2018, and the register’s status is ‘Siap Dengan CCC’ — completed with certificate.
The first sale and purchase agreement on the register is dated 23 December 2013. Nothing here is under construction, so there is no waiting period: a resale completes in the usual few months that the legal work and any state consent take.
Should I look at a condominium or one of the houses?
They are different purchases behind the same guardhouse. The condominiums are the 506-unit majority, so they come up for sale far more often and give you a choice of floor and facing. The 29 detached houses and the single semi-detached pair are scarce, and each one is its own negotiation.
Remember the houses are landed-strata: you hold a strata title and pay service charges to the same management body as the tower. For the condominium, ask me for the floor plate first — the itemised units carry position codes up to 20A, so some homes sit a long way down the corridor from the lifts.
What is the price and the maintenance fee?
The only price information I will quote is the government permit band from 2018: RM976,950 to RM2,500,000 for condominiums, RM3,280,000 to RM3,980,000 for detached houses and RM2,680,000 to RM2,880,000 for the semi-detached pair — the band on the advertising permit, not the price of any unit. Resale asking prices change weekly and I do not repeat portal figures.
Maintenance charges and the sinking fund are set by the management body and are not published. Message me and I will send what is for sale now, with the current charges for that unit in writing.
How does Starhill compare with Pinnacle Bukit Gambier?
They are 1.0 km apart in a straight line on the same hill. Starhill is finished: 537 homes certified in 2018, bought today as resales that you can inspect and move into. Pinnacle Bukit Gambier is a new launch of 982 serviced apartments in two blocks that the register showed at 11.50% built when I read it.
So the choice is between a home you can see and occupy now, with eight years of wear and a known management record, and a new one bought from the developer that you wait for. Starhill is also the smaller community, and the only one of the two with houses.
Is Bukit Gambier practical for daily life or for renting out?
For daily life: Lotus’s Sungai Dua is 1.3 km away in a straight line, the market and food complex on Jalan Permai 1.8 km, SMJK Phor Tay 2.1 km, Queensbay Mall 3.6 km and Pantai Hospital Penang 4.4 km. It is a residential hill, so nearly every errand is a drive.
For renting: tenants in this part of Gelugor are mostly USM staff, postgraduates and families, plus people working in Bayan Lepas. These are large homes, which suits families and sharers more than single students. I do not quote rental figures; ask me for recent tenancies in the building.
Ask which units are available now
Completed projects change hands unit by unit, and whatever the developer still holds moves too. Tell me your budget and whether you’re buying to live in or to let — I’ll send back the units that actually fit.
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 2026-10-08 against the KPKT housing register, the developer’s current website (images only), an archived 2017 copy of the developer’s former website, and my own straight-line measurements; no advertisement is filed with the 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: Aroma Development (3 developments on this site)
Where it is: Gelugor, Penang
The unit mix, the permitted price and how far up it is
None of this table is the developer’s account of itself. It is what the Ministry of Housing and Local Government records from the 7(f) returns: unit type, bedrooms and bathrooms, built-up area, unit count, the price range on the permit, and the certified percentage complete. A brochure price can be revised; the price on the permit was filed. A brochure need not mention progress; the percentage is certified. The status vocabulary is theirs too: Lancar (on schedule), Lewat (behind), Sakit (sick), Terbengkalai (abandoned).
8126-5 · STARHILL BUKIT GAMBIR
Overall status: Siap Dengan CCC — completed
| Component | Bed / bath | Built-up | Units | Price on the permit | Complete |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rumah Pangsa/Kondo 35 storeys Siap Dengan CCC | — | 140 m² ≈ 1,507 sq ft | 506 | RM976,950.00 – RM2,500,000.00 | 100.00% |
| Rumah Sesebuah 3 storeys Siap Dengan CCC | — | 464 m² ≈ 4,994 sq ft | 29 | RM3,280,000.00 – RM3,980,000.00 | 100.00% |
| Rumah Berkembar 3 storeys Siap Dengan CCC | — | — | 2 | RM2,680,000.00 – RM2,880,000.00 | 100.00% |
Swipe the table sideways for the rest of the columns.
Read from teduh.kpkt.gov.my on 2026-10-08, project code 8126-5. Re-read weekly.
What to do with the number. Read it against the delivery date in your own agreement, not against what a salesperson says. A project with a year left on its statutory clock and a third of the building up is telling you something the brochure will not.
How does that compare? Every development on this site, grouped by register status — cancelled, abandoned and behind schedule first.