---
title: "Investing in a Kos Near a Campus in Banjarmasin and Banjarbaru"
description: "A kos near a campus has tenants all year, but also quiet months and competitors. Count empty rooms, check the academic calendar, taxes and rules before buying a house to convert."
url: "https://vorneo.id/en/artikel/kos-dekat-kampus-banjarmasin-banjarbaru/"
lang: "en"
image: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1702841121448-c30c4af4218b?auto=format&fit=crop&w=1280&q=70"
---

# Investing in a Kos Near a Campus in Banjarmasin and Banjarbaru

Vorneo Property · [Property Investment](https://vorneo.id/en/artikel/topik/investasi/) · 2026-11-06

A house near a campus is often sold with one sentence: it can be a kos (boarding house), students are always there. That sentence is half true. Students do arrive every year, but they also leave during breaks, and new rooms keep appearing around the same campus.

This guide adds to the [kos business guide](/en/artikel/bisnis-kos-kosan/) with an angle specific to student kos in Banjarmasin and Banjarbaru: which campuses are where, how the academic calendar affects occupancy, and what to check before buying.

We don't quote rents or occupancy rates here, because the numbers differ by location and by year. Find your own with the method below.

## Campuses that draw kos demand

Some of the campuses that shape kos demand in the two cities:

- **Universitas Lambung Mangkurat (ULM)** has a campus in Banjarmasin, in the Kayu Tangi area, and one in Banjarbaru.
- **Universitas Islam Kalimantan Muhammad Arsyad Al Banjari (UNISKA MAB)** is on Jalan Adhyaksa, Kayu Tangi, Banjarmasin.
- **Politeknik Negeri Banjarmasin (Poliban)** is in the same part of town as ULM Banjarmasin.
- **UIN Antasari** has its main campus at Jalan A. Yani Km 4.5, Banjarmasin, and a second campus in Banjarbaru.
- **Universitas Sari Mulia** (UNISM) is in Banjarmasin.

Campus sites can change, and some campuses open new faculties or campuses. Check each campus's official address before you measure distance.

The area around ULM and UNISKA is covered in the [guide to Kayu Tangi and Sultan Adam](/en/artikel/kawasan-kayu-tangi-dan-sultan-adam/). For Banjarbaru, see the [outlook for Banjarbaru property](/en/artikel/prospek-properti-banjarbaru/).

## Existing kos: count the competition first

The first thing to do is count, not buy.

1. Walk the streets and lanes around the house you're eyeing. Note how many kos are within walking distance of the campus.
2. Note how many have a "rooms available" or "vacant" sign up.
3. Ask owners or caretakers of other kos about their occupancy in quiet months.
4. Compare facilities: private bathroom, air conditioning, wifi, parking. An ordinary room struggles against a newer, better-equipped kos at the same rent.

The result is more useful than the seller's claims. If many rooms nearby are empty, don't calculate with full occupancy.

## "8 minutes to campus": how to test it

Ads often give distance in minutes. Test it yourself:

- Do the route at morning class hours, not on a Sunday.
- Try it by motorbike and on foot, because many students have no vehicle.
- Notice whether the route passes streets that flood in rain or at high tide.
- Ask students who live there how far it feels.

If the real travel time is twice the ad's, tenants will choose a kos that is closer.

## The academic calendar and quiet months

Kos occupancy rises and falls with the campus calendar. New students usually look for rooms just before the academic year starts, and some residents go home during semester breaks or after graduating.

Exact dates differ by campus and by year, so check the academic calendar on the official websites of the nearby campuses. From that you can estimate which months rooms empty easily.

Some ways to handle it:

- **Offer semester or yearly leases** with a lighter monthly price, so tenants stay longer. A comparison is in [yearly or monthly rent](/en/artikel/sewa-tahunan-atau-bulanan/).
- **Ask for payment up front**, and write the rules into the agreement.
- **Keep a cash reserve** for empty months, including electricity and water that keep running.
- **Don't raise the rent** just as a current tenant is deciding whether to renew or move.

## Calculating the result honestly

A worked example (the numbers are only illustrations, not prices in any area):

- A house is converted into 8 rooms, each rented at Rp 700 thousand a month.
- With every room full for 12 months: 8 x 700 thousand x 12 = Rp 67.2 million a year.
- If average occupancy is only 75 percent over the year: Rp 50.4 million.
- Final income tax of 10 percent of gross rent: about Rp 5 million.
- Electricity, water, wifi, cleaning, a caretaker and repairs still have to come out of what's left.

The gap between full occupancy and 75 percent is already more than Rp 16 million a year. That is why a calculation with full occupancy misleads. How to set a room price is covered in [setting a rental price](/en/artikel/menentukan-harga-sewa/).

## Taxes and rules

- **Final income tax.** Income from renting land and buildings is subject to 10 percent final income tax on gross rent. Details are in [income tax on rent](/en/artikel/pajak-penghasilan-sewa/).
- **Local tax.** Law No. 1 of 2022 lists "a private residence used as a hotel" under hotel services (Article 53, paragraph 1, letter j). Whether a boarding house falls under it is disputed, and regions have their own rules. Ask the local revenue agency in your city, don't guess.
- **Business registration.** A kos business is registered through the Online Single Submission (OSS) system to get a business registration number (NIB). If you alter the building, get a building approval (PBG). See [about PBG](/en/artikel/mengenal-pbg-pengganti-imb/) and [business permits for a residential house](/en/artikel/izin-usaha-di-rumah-tinggal/).
- **Agreement with tenants.** Write down the term, price, fines, visiting hours and deposit. Examples of what goes in are at [what a rental agreement contains](/en/artikel/isi-surat-perjanjian-sewa/) and [rental deposits](/en/artikel/uang-jaminan-sewa-rumah/).

## Things often missed

- **Floods and standing water.** A room that floods won't be rented. Check the flood history before buying.
- **Electricity and water capacity.** Many rooms mean many air conditioners and pumps. Check the power rating and the water source.
- **Neighbours.** A busy kos can draw complaints about noise and parking. Talk to the neighbourhood head (ketua RT) first.
- **A caretaker or manager.** If you don't live nearby, arrange someone who can handle complaints quickly.

## Steps before buying

1. Count the kos and empty rooms around the site.
2. Test travel time to the campus at class hours.
3. Read the academic calendar and plan for the quiet months.
4. Calculate with 70 to 80 percent occupancy, not 100 percent.
5. Ask about the local tax and permits that apply in your city.

If you'd like company finding a house for a kos in Banjarmasin or Banjarbaru, see the [houses for sale in Banjarmasin](/en/properti/rumah-dijual/banjarmasin/) and [in Banjarbaru](/en/properti/rumah-dijual/banjarbaru/) lists, or reach us through the [contact page](/en/kontak/).

## Common Questions

### How close to the campus does a kos need to be to fill easily?

There is no fixed number. Students usually pick places they can reach on foot or by motorbike in a short time. An ad that says 8 minutes to campus should be tested yourself at class hours, because travel time depends heavily on traffic and the route.

### Is a kos taxed?

Income from renting land and buildings is subject to a 10 percent final income tax (PPh final) on gross rent. Whether a kos also pays a local tax has been disputed since Law 1/2022, so ask the local revenue agency whether your kos is taxed and at what rate.

### How do I handle the quiet months during semester breaks?

Offer a yearly or semester lease with a lighter monthly price, ask for payment up front, and keep a cash reserve for empty months. Don't calculate a kos business with full occupancy all year.

## Related Articles

- [Using the Upper Floors of a Shophouse: Living, Office, Storage or a Separate Rental](https://vorneo.id/en/artikel/memanfaatkan-lantai-atas-ruko/)
- [Investing in a Guest House Near South Kalimantan's Tourist Spots](https://vorneo.id/en/artikel/investasi-penginapan-di-kawasan-wisata/)
- [Investing in Market Kiosks and Stalls: Rights, Contracts and Footfall](https://vorneo.id/en/artikel/investasi-kios-dan-lapak-pasar/)

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