terrible rental experience (ongoing)

[Bastos60]

3 hours ago, tropo said:

Not necessarily. In the south, in Australia, the bond is held by a 3rd party - the Rental Tenancy Authority. 

It depends, in Belgium there is a similar protocol where a third party holds the bond. But many renters still deposit in the renters bank account in the understanding he will transfer it to the 
third party. In many cases were it is privaly rented out it doesn't happen.

[tropo]

21 minutes ago, Bastos60 said:

It depends, in Belgium there is a similar protocol where a third party holds the bond. But many renters still deposit in the renters bank account in the understanding he will transfer it to the 
third party. In many cases were it is privaly rented out it doesn't happen.

The Rental Tenancy Authority is a government agency in Australia. It's illegal to hold bonds privately. It started I think in the late 80's to curb the kind of nonsense that goes on here.

 

Here, basically, the landlord can tell you to f-off when you're asking for a bond refund and there's nothing you can do. It's down to luck as the landlords hold all the cards.

 

Last year I was talking informally (at the shopping mall) with a senior judge about rental security deposits. His answer was surprising. He suggested people write off the cost of security deposits in the case where they are not returned. He knows there's no worthwhile legal process to get small deposits back. A lawyer, if you're lucky to get one you trust, could cost more than the deposit and court proceedings can take 4 - 6 months for small civil disputes.

Edited March 17, 2018 by tropo

[dfdgfdfdgs]

5 hours ago, xylophone said:

You use the plural and I was referring to one specific event, and anyway I have been here five years already and even though the current Aircon was okay, I wanted a Mitsubishi inverter Aircon as I like to keep the temperature on 22° C at night, whereas the old one was struggling to do this. Not only that I save on electricity bills.

 

You compared your way of doing things with the OP and they are complete opposites.  You have no problem giving things to people for free, whereas the OP wants his aircon.  Clearly when people are getting things out of you without having to do anything to earn them, they are less likely to moan and argue with you.  Whereas in the OPs case, the landlord wants something, they are not getting it as easily as they would with you, and thus an argument has ensued.

[richard_smith237]

OP: You have  made alterations to the building - Fitting Air-con.

Your Deposit was 7000 baht. 

 

The Landlord is pointing out that it would cost more than 7000 baht to fix the area's left by  removal of the Air-con (a questionable claim perhaps). 

 

If you were to leave the Air-con is place the Landlord is still refusing to return your deposit because the house looks older (normal wear and tear).

 

Your landlord is arguing over 7000 baht !.... could you simply not pay the last months rent? (how much is the monthly rent?).

 

Removal of the Air-con is perhaps a bigger job that its worth.

 

Personally, I'd be inclined to walk away  - knowing that I'm not going to get my deposit back I wouldn't bother cleaning or making any effort to leave the house in a presentable manner. 

[DrTuner]

Trash the acs and walk away. Not worth loosing a couple of years of life due to high blood pressure.

[xylophone]

57 minutes ago, dfdgfdfdgs said:

You compared your way of doing things with the OP and they are complete opposites.  You have no problem giving things to people for free, whereas the OP wants his aircon.  Clearly when people are getting things out of you without having to do anything to earn them, they are less likely to moan and argue with you.  Whereas in the OPs case, the landlord wants something, they are not getting it as easily as they would with you, and thus an argument has ensued.

Yes, I can see where you're coming from, so perhaps my post wasn't that clear, because what I was trying to convey was that having been in an apartment for many years, and intending to stay for many more, I want to have it the way I want it, so installing an air con after being there for five years was not a big deal, this especially as if the landlord decided to kick me out, then I would take it with me, whereas if I decided to stay a lot longer then I would leave it for him.

 

I suppose I'm lucky inasmuch as I have a great relationship with the Italian owner and his Thai wife, and when he goes back to Italy for three months in their summer, I am the one she turns to if anything goes wrong in the other apartments (such as: – leaking taps, faulty electrics, water pump not working and so on) so it's much more than a normal tenant and renter situation, hence trying to convey that in my post, which I didn't do successfully.

 

I have to say that is not only one way, because they do many things for me, look after my car and motorbike when I'm away, pick up my mail and parcels and so on, not to mention offering to take me to hospital when I was sick.

 

You are right, the comparison was not that valid.

[thaibeachlovers]

On ‎3‎/‎16‎/‎2018 at 12:33 PM, expatsailer said:

She is also trying to refuse my wife to take the aircons out of the house in lieu of repairs (even though we already removed them gently) claiming the repairs are over 10,000 baht. and by repairs she means a couple screw holes in the wall from aircon and my tv.....

Too late for you now, but for anyone else, remove anything you want to keep ( as long as you can prove it's yours ) like ACs, without them knowing, and always fill any holes with matching wall putty.

Having read many such threads, I'd say that one should expect to lose the deposit anyway, and given how cheap renting is, it's never that much anyway. If one does get it back, lucky.

Could be a good idea to take photos of the house and interior with the owner when moving in, in case of dispute.

It's also probably a good idea to get any agreements about installing AC's in writing, and note if you can take it on leaving.

[thaibeachlovers]

On ‎3‎/‎17‎/‎2018 at 7:07 PM, richard_smith237 said:

OP: You have  made alterations to the building - Fitting Air-con.

Your Deposit was 7000 baht. 

 

The Landlord is pointing out that it would cost more than 7000 baht to fix the area's left by  removal of the Air-con (a questionable claim perhaps). 

 

If you were to leave the Air-con is place the Landlord is still refusing to return your deposit because the house looks older (normal wear and tear).

 

Your landlord is arguing over 7000 baht !.... could you simply not pay the last months rent? (how much is the monthly rent?).

The alteration was made with the owner's consent.

 

There is absolutely no way that "repairing" the holes could amount to more than a few hundred baht for some wall putty and a bit of paint. I have had ACs removed, so I know.

 

Rent is normally paid in advance. Don't pay it and you can be evicted. Depends on the contract though.

[Mattd]

22 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Could be a good idea to take photos of the house and interior with the owner when moving in, in case of dispute.

It's also probably a good idea to get any agreements about installing AC's in writing, and note if you can take it on leaving.

There is no could or probably about either, both are a must if renting.

[mercman24]

the joy of renting is if you got noisy neighbours and trust me there are a lot about, you can move, but once bought you are stuffed. and make sure your neighbours are full timers not sub letters or else every month you will get a load of  noisy idiots on holiday the the next month it repeats itself

[mercman24]

i walked away in Bangkk lost 32,000  (6 months to go on lease) but  have a great condo by the sea 100 yards away, and saving  8,000 a month so i look at it as i have saved 16,000 baht , which i would have been worse off by if i had stayed to this March.