Renting out rooms daily or weekly? You better read this.

There has been some lumpy enforcement and crackdowns around the country since specific laws came into place in 2016.

By The Thaiger

 

SCREENGRAB: AirBnB website

 

Illegal short-term holiday rentals, advertised and promoted by online portals like Air BnB, are coming under increasing scrutiny from authorities. Although there has been laws preventing short-term property rentals acting as ‘hotels’, the law has been loosely enforced with some condo developments around the country acting as de facto hotels and listing in many online booking websites.

 

This week says a court in Hua Hin ruled it was illegal for people to rent out their condos or rooms on a daily or weekly basis.

 

While AirBnB was not specifically mentioned in the Hua Hin court case, the home-share system has grown to the point where Thailand’s legally registered hotels are calling foul.

 

Full story: https://thethaiger.com/lifestyle/property/renting-out-rooms-daily-or-weekly-you-better-read-this

 

-- © Copyright The Thaiger 2018-05-21

The law is clear and has been for years. No rentals under 30 days it's illegal. My condo enforced this years ago and allows only 3 months + and I voted for it at our AGM. Why?  because I don't want tons strangers in and out, I don't want condo staff used for this, I don't want tons of short stayers in the pool and for security reasons.

1 hour ago, webfact said:

acting as defect hotels a

De facto perhaps?

3 minutes ago, DoctorG said:

De facto perhaps?

 

Well spotted! I just edited the article.

8 minutes ago, blackcab said:

 

Well spotted! I just edited the article.

Happy to serve ?

While I haven't been in a "defacto" hotel ( condo ), I can only sympathise with those that "invested' in one to actually live in, as opposed to making money off one, that have their lives blighted by a horde of short time renters.

 

Some of that is also because ( foreign ) people that buy property in my country only to make money off of it have raised rents to the point that citizens can no longer afford a house and are living in cars. While that probably has not happened in LOS, I still have no sympathy for farangs that buy property they have no intention of living in, and then disregard the law by offering their property for short term rental, then get in strife with the law.

 

Should the authorities do the "right thing" and ban foreigners owning property they do not live in, I for one will be cheering. At the moment, a lot of them are being built, and I doubt that most of them are for people to live in themselves, but time will tell.

Make it punishable for the renter to rent short time. Then it becomes a lovely pasttime so spot the illegal ones and bust them.

26 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

While I haven't been in a "defacto" hotel ( condo ), I can only sympathise with those that "invested' in one to actually live in, as opposed to making money off one, that have their lives blighted by a horde of short time renters.

 

Some of that is also because ( foreign ) people that buy property in my country only to make money off of it have raised rents to the point that citizens can no longer afford a house and are living in cars. While that probably has not happened in LOS, I still have no sympathy for farangs that buy property they have no intention of living in, and then disregard the law by offering their property for short term rental, then get in strife with the law.

 

Should the authorities do the "right thing" and ban foreigners owning property they do not live in, I for one will be cheering. At the moment, a lot of them are being built, and I doubt that most of them are for people to live in themselves, but time will tell.

 

26 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

 

I understand your point of view , but please be aware that there are Thai people who rent out their properties short term , too . That new law should apply to foreigners and thai than ...

Yes, I remember reading about this issue in Phuket a few years back. I'd be extremely careful about investing in property rentals such as condo, beach or party houses for daily/ weekly rental as the future of these businesses is uncertain.

Edited May 21, 20188 yr by fullcave

the law.......since 2006.......5555

More and more partyhouses pop up in residential areas.( just look on FB and internet sides).....with the help of the orbotor (mayor) and the police . 

You just greese a litle bit .....and do what you want .

All your neighbours can complain what they want ......you will win.

It makes about 300 000 bht a month , so 30 000 for the greesing...nice profit.

The cleanup team are low paid illigals ,no pombem.

The law ? What a joke .

What a joke! The very city that rule it illegal has AirBnB's everywhere. I just got back from a 2 day stay yesterday and I will be going there next weekend.  They might possibly crackdown on them for a day, week, month, and then same same. Back to not enforcing the million laws in this country. 

What about rural community home stay and farm stay in the north ?

What when you are told a couple of rooms isn't worth the authorities time?

sounds like all the news is about condo building, i wonder if private houses renting out rooms is still considered ok?

You don’t understand. The rich make the regulations to benefit themselves and fools like you help.  

What about bed and breakfast which is very popular in some countries, and as someone else mentioned, homestays? Are they subject to the same draconian measures? Far better to licence and regulate rather than try to ban them, which will never work.

 

If they were regulated, some tax revenue and licence fees could be raised by the Government, bad ones could be shut down and people could still use AirBNB, but I presume that would be too sensible and not stop the hotel owners whingeing. 

Hotels are allowed to sell "short time" rooms so why not  condos?

15 minutes ago, steve2112 said:

sounds like all the news is about condo building, i wonder if private houses renting out rooms is still considered ok?

You do what you want with your house as your not within a strata scheme with other owners which are bound by laws within the strata scheme.

6 minutes ago, BobBKK said:

Off topic this is about the 30 day law not your decision to have 4 kids.

What are you on about mate, read the article again and don't try to act like a Moderator using words, "off topic" !

 

This week says a court in Hua Hin ruled it was illegal for people to rent out their condos or rooms on a daily or weekly basis.

 

This about daily and weekly rentals and that's exactly what I was referring too, I don't know, some people get all wound up for nothing because of their emotions, get a grip and be happy the development you are in has passed a by-law for no short term rentals under 3 months and enforce it.

 

Good luck trying to control the masses seeking alternatives because of a controlled hotel environment that has no commercial competition that is now crying foul, ever stayed in a hotel where people are noisy and trash things, ever see them enforce anything, welcome to the real world.

And I wonder what will happen now to all those 'alternatives to banks' advertised around places like Pattaya that "guarantee" a return of 12% pa from property rental, presumably all short-term to achieve returns like that? I can feel another financial crisis coming on for some parts of the farang community here.

The law is not applied evenly here in Pattaya/Jomtien. Certain condos create traffic jams at 8:00 a.m. when they line up buses to take the short-time visiting Chinese on their daily tours. 

 

The Venetian Condo on  Soi Na Jomtien 2 is almost impossible to pass while the many busloads of 2-day Chinese tourists stand around on the middle of the road having a smoke and chatting obliviously while blocking traffic. I wonder if that condo is on the "check list". 

 

In my village (Jomtien) there is a large house which has an absent owner who lives in Bangkok. He has decided that it is more profitable to advertise and rent out his house on weekends and call it a "Villa". On weekends we have sometimes 8 or more cars pulling up and partying there into the wee hours. How can that nonsense in our private residential village be stopped ? He charges about 12,000 baht per night and the place is packed every weekend. That's not what I bought into when I moved into this village 15 years ago. 

3 hours ago, BobBKK said:

The law is clear and has been for years. No rentals under 30 days it's illegal. My condo enforced this years ago and allows only 3 months + and I voted for it at our AGM. Why?  because I don't want tons strangers in and out, I don't want condo staff used for this, I don't want tons of short stayers in the pool and for security reasons.

But what if the developper has an hotel license ?!

Welcome to the LOS where the powers to be protect the hotel industry monopoly from all the cheeky upstart 'mom and pop' outfits that threaten to nibble at the fringes of their profits centers. 

Edited May 21, 20188 yr by connda

If it’s not advertised under hotels would that be ok. Such as short term room for rent 

27 minutes ago, Cadbury said:

Hotels are allowed to sell "short time" rooms so why not  condos?

Because hotels are designed, built and staffed for that purpose, condos are meant to be used for long term living, they are not serviced, they do not have the staff or amenities suitable for short term guests, all of the condo owners pay a yearly service fee for those amenities and staff, which is based on the m2 of the condo unit, why should the majority subsidise and let the minority take advantage so that they can make short term rents and profits ?

6 minutes ago, kentrot said:

How can that nonsense in our private residential village be stopped ?

I was talking to a guy the other day who told me what he did in a similar situation. He hired the house for a weekend and wired in a remote controlled electricity cut off switch hidden in the back of the fuse box. At 10 pm he just cut the power using a remote control.

Not sure if the story was true but a novel solution.

1 hour ago, JGV said:

No regulation Rich cats will exploit for their own greedy benefit as always

Regulate and control I am sick of these Trump fans always screaming for de-regulation - they are all parasites and should be exterminated

Where do you live? Please describe what you look like.

2 hours ago, nobodysfriend said:

 

I understand your point of view , but please be aware that there are Thai people who rent out their properties short term , too . That new law should apply to foreigners and thai than ...

?at  same time i guess we would have to ban 'Thais from buying apartments / condos in Australia or maybe other foreign countries may ban Thais as well u might be onto something ban all , great for unemployment ? i guess that would make you happy i will vote for that, would that keep u happy u probably would not buy apartment outside thailand but if u could maybe u would , Chinese ,Japanese , Malaysian  irish. english,indians,arabs list goes on and on + odd Thais Do buy apartments here helps keep employment growth up , we should actually increase for thais only pay more entry fees parks all touristy things thats fair 

Edited May 21, 20188 yr by Mad mick
spelling

2 hours ago, NextStationBangkok said:

What about rural community home stay and farm stay in the north ?

They  will probably be registered,and operating legally,the issue is with Condo's renting out rooms,and taking away the Hoteliers business.

3 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Some of that is also because ( foreign ) people that buy property in my country only to make money off of it 

The court decision was about Huahin ...I was for 2 months in Huahin not long ago: 

 

From my mother experience, the majority of condos are not owned by foreigners, but by Thai from Bangkok.

And the condos are mostly new developments, therefore the effect on local rents is negligible... However, the effects on formerly nice, quiet, pittoresque areas is terrible.