About to rent a condo unit in Bangkok

[Surelynot]

Hi,

 

Does anyone have any helpful comments, guidance, warnings?

 

I am looking at renting for 12 months (or possibly 24 months if there is a discount).

 

Do I need legal advice for instance, or are contracts pretty much "run of the mill"?

 

Are there any headaches getting deposits back at the end of the contract?

 

All that kind of stuff.

 

Thanks for any responses.

[steven100]

2 minutes ago, Surelynot said:

Do I need legal advice for instance,

for what ?

Are there any headaches getting deposits back. ?

not if you leave the place clean and tidy and respect others property.

 

strange post .... 

[Surelynot]

5 minutes ago, steven100 said:

for what ?

Are there any headaches getting deposits back. ?

not if you leave the place clean and tidy and respect others property.

 

strange post .... 

...strange post......Not really......never rented in my life and suddenly renting in a foreign country not exactly renowned for the rule of law or any great desire to abide by contracts.

 

It seems eminently sensible, to me at least, to ask for advice.....but thanks anyway for responding.

[Stadtler]

16 minutes ago, Surelynot said:

Do I need legal advice for instance, or are contracts pretty much "run of the mill"?

More like "grist for the mill," and you are the grist.

 

Rarely Stadtler sees a lease that is written properly and not slanted against the renter.

Stadtler writes his own lease. 

Take charge young man, this is a renter's market, not a landlord's market.

You are a not a commodity.  Most places sit vacant with no renters due to the virus.

Use your power and strike a good deal. 

Stadtler's lease is fair to both parties.

Do not sign the horror of what is most Thai leases.

[A1Str8]

You don't need legal advice. Just look it up on the internet. You will find plenty of places that rent out condos. Read the contract. That's it. 

[steven100]

9 minutes ago, Surelynot said:

...strange post......Not really......never rented in my life and suddenly renting in a foreign country not exactly renowned for the rule of law or any great desire to abide by contracts.

 

It seems eminently sensible, to me at least, to ask for advice.....but thanks anyway for responding.

Just go look at places,  if you like somewhere ask how much, offer less .... see what they say,  deposit 1 months rent.  bingo !

[Stadtler]

1 minute ago, steven100 said:

Just go look at places,  if you like somewhere ask how much, offer less .... see what they say,  deposit 1 months rent.  bingo !

You could not be more incorrect.

 

 

[worgeordie]

I would take various pictures of the Condo,they will come in handy

when you leave,read the contract,they are simple ,anything you don't

agree with,ask them to change it.

 

At the moment you are in control,as renters are about as rare as hens

teeth.

regards worgeordie

[steven100]

6 minutes ago, Stadtler said:

You could not be more incorrect.

 

 

why, please explain your 516th post .... we all wait with baited breath  !

[steven100]

13 minutes ago, Stadtler said:

More like "grist for the mill," and you are the grist.

 

Rarely Stadtler sees a lease that is written properly and not slanted against the renter.

Stadtler writes his own lease. 

Take charge young man, this is a renter's market, not a landlord's market.

You are a not a commodity.  Most places sit vacant with no renters due to the virus.

Use your power and strike a good deal. 

Stadtler's lease is fair to both parties.

Do not sign the horror of what is most Thai leases.

what have you been smoking ?

[twocatsmac]

20 minutes ago, Surelynot said:

...strange post......Not really......never rented in my life and suddenly renting in a foreign country not exactly renowned for the rule of law or any great desire to abide by contracts.

 

It seems eminently sensible, to me at least, to ask for advice.....but thanks anyway for responding.

You’ve got more posts than some members replying to your Original Post.

Read the current topics regarding renting condos in Thailand and numerous associated problems. 

I suspect you already have. 

[Stadtler]

3 minutes ago, steven100 said:

why, please explain your 516th post .... we all wait with baited breath  !

Leases are poorly written. Signing a poorly written lease, or worse a lease that is slanted against the renter, is stupid.

 

Most leases have the renter fixing the owner's air conditioners or washing machine.

 

Most Thai Landlords take the lease given to them from these brokers and the leases are a horror.

 

That is why Stadtler writes his own lease.  Remember, Stadtler is an attorney.

[cmarshall]

The renter has a lot more leverage in Bangkok than in New York City, for example.  The OP can call for additional or less furniture, for example.  Our apartment came with a washer, but we insisted on a dryer and got it.  We also had some of the existing furniture removed.  I have never signed a lease as it was put in front of me.  You should make sure the lease gives a deadline for the return of the security deposit.  It should also spell out that the the landlord is responsible for repairs to appliances and replacement of any appliance that fails.  If the apartment is furnished, the renter or the landlord should make an inventory with a photo of each item which becomes part of the lease.  Lease should specify that renter is not responsible for normal wear and tear of the unit or the furniture.

 

Basically, you sit down and think about what could go wrong and then edit the lease to protect yourself.

 

The phrase, "It's a standard lease," is always a lie since there is no standard in Bangkok or anywhere else, for that matter.

[Pravda]

Contracts are not run off the mill.

 

If you are renting in Bangkok, you will most likely go through an agent.

 

99% of Bangkok agents are not scummy, but one thing tho. Most of the stuff in condos is cheaply made. So a 95kg big azz farang like me sits on one of the cheap chair and breaks it, who's fault is it? Yup, I expect to pay for that. Hit my foot on the bed the other day and it hurt like hell. Some of the plywood fell out. Put it on the tab.

 

Wallpaper peels off? Not your fault. Washing machine leaks and destroys stuff... probably your fault if you weren't at home and you left it running.

 

My wife is also a landlady and you betcha she the agent charges for all things destroyed.

[bkk6060]

The first time I rented, I did not use an agent.

Had some issues but did get my deposit back.

 

I suggest to use a legit agent.  I have done this for the past several years and never had any issues.

Any repairs, aircon issues, etc, go thru the agent always have gotten responses to any problems quickly.

[metisdead]

Some troll posts have been removed.  

[Surelynot]

3 hours ago, twocatsmac said:

You’ve got more posts than some members replying to your Original Post.

Read the current topics regarding renting condos in Thailand and numerous associated problems. 

I suspect you already have. 

Maybe a bit lazy, but nothing popped up on a cursory search.....will try again.

[Surelynot]

3 hours ago, cmarshall said:

The renter has a lot more leverage in Bangkok than in New York City, for example.  The OP can call for additional or less furniture, for example.  Our apartment came with a washer, but we insisted on a dryer and got it.  We also had some of the existing furniture removed.  I have never signed a lease as it was put in front of me.  You should make sure the lease gives a deadline for the return of the security deposit.  It should also spell out that the the landlord is responsible for repairs to appliances and replacement of any appliance that fails.  If the apartment is furnished, the renter or the landlord should make an inventory with a photo of each item which becomes part of the lease.  Lease should specify that renter is not responsible for normal wear and tear of the unit or the furniture.

 

Basically, you sit down and think about what could go wrong and then edit the lease to protect yourself.

 

The phrase, "It's a standard lease," is always a lie since there is no standard in Bangkok or anywhere else, for that matter.

THANK YOU.

[steven100]

3 hours ago, cmarshall said:

The renter has a lot more leverage in Bangkok than in New York City, for example.  The OP can call for additional or less furniture, for example.  Our apartment came with a washer, but we insisted on a dryer and got it.  We also had some of the existing furniture removed.  I have never signed a lease as it was put in front of me.  You should make sure the lease gives a deadline for the return of the security deposit.  It should also spell out that the the landlord is responsible for repairs to appliances and replacement of any appliance that fails.  If the apartment is furnished, the renter or the landlord should make an inventory with a photo of each item which becomes part of the lease.  Lease should specify that renter is not responsible for normal wear and tear of the unit or the furniture.

 

Basically, you sit down and think about what could go wrong and then edit the lease to protect yourself.

 

The phrase, "It's a standard lease," is always a lie since there is no standard in Bangkok or anywhere else, for that matter.

you seriously think a landlord is going to sit down and have you tell him what you want ?

change the furniture  ?    lol

change the lease contract  ?    lol

I think the OP will be thrown out of plenty of places if he follows your suggestion.  imo

[cmarshall]

On 7/8/2020 at 9:24 AM, steven100 said:

you seriously think a landlord is going to sit down and have you tell him what you want ?

change the furniture  ?    lol

change the lease contract  ?    lol

I think the OP will be thrown out of plenty of places if he follows your suggestion.  imo

As it happens the manager of the condo building approached us a few days ago and asked would we be interested in moving to a duplex apartment in our building.  In the past those duplex apartments have been renting at about 25% above what we are now paying.  So we are now in negotiations. We offered about 10% less than we are now paying for a smaller unit.  We explained to the agent that the current furnishings are not acceptable and she acknowledged that they are indeed old and unsightly, which the landlord understands.  She asked us to make up a list of replacement items which we will do from Ikea.  She thought it wouldn't be a problem.  

 

I negotiated changes to our current lease before signing and will do so with whatever lease the agent puts before us.  I have never signed a lease as offered.  We did the same with my wife's commercial lease. We have encountered landlords with a take-it-or-leave-it attitude, in which case we leave it.

 

Our building is one that is marketed to foreigners and Thai high-sos.  By Thai standards at least it is a luxury building.  Right now there are no foreigners entering Thailand and many are leaving.  So, the market for such apartments is exceptionally weak.  We reminded the agent of the current conditions and that we have been long-term tenants in the building.  The agent admitted to us that the unit has been vacant for a year.  

 

We expect the negotiation to be successful.

 

YMMV.

[Trillian]

I'm pleased to see there are normal posters here who also use rental contracts, it's crazy not to, pay attention @LomSak27.

[pixelaoffy]

Thai owners, agents , property developers will leave placed empty for years rather than reduce price ! Because until the city introduces a property tax for empty condonunits, of which there are tens of thousands, nothing will change ! And despite talk that won't happen because the big developers have influence at a high level ! We know the term for that .

[bodga]

On 7/8/2020 at 5:30 PM, bkk6060 said:

I suggest to use a legit agent.

Ha  legit, you  know those legit  agents  turn to the free lancers  to find them rooms,like Frank Knight etc etc all the big  names  just  call up the freelancers often, the commission then gets  split.

[bodga]

On 7/8/2020 at 8:24 PM, steven100 said:

you seriously think a landlord is going to sit down and have you tell him what you want ?

change the furniture  ?    lol

change the lease contract  ?    lol

I think the OP will be thrown out of plenty of places if he follows your suggestion.  imo

Its  rare you will speak with the landlord, everything is done through an agent as landlords dont want the hassle of negotiating.

[bodga]

On 7/8/2020 at 8:24 PM, steven100 said:

you seriously think a landlord is going to sit down and have you tell him what you want ?

change the furniture  ?    lol

change the lease contract  ?    lol

I think the OP will be thrown out of plenty of places if he follows your suggestion.  imo

Its  rare you will speak with the landlord, everything is done through an agent as landlords dont want the hassle of negotiating.

[steven100]

2 minutes ago, bodga said:

Its  rare you will speak with the landlord, everything is done through an agent as landlords dont want the hassle of negotiating.

yes ... i heard you the first time

[CrunchWrapSupreme]

Going it alone? I highly recommend it doing this with your Thai wife, or trusted, long term GF.

 

Yeah, I'm sure the keyboard warriors will be out trashing not being a "real man handling my own business" or whatever, I could care less. Unlike them, I'm not in denial about not being at disadvantage as a foreigner in this foreign country, and take all the help I can get.

 

We just rented our condo on the outskirts of BKK a few months back, before the virus lockdowns began. If we had waited I'm sure we could've gotten a better deal, as the vacancies are now even higher. Around BKK, expect three months of rent in advance, your first month and two months' deposit. Several places we checked were like this.

 

Absolutely negotiate! You can and will get discounts and extras. The owner/landlord knows full well there are piles of vacancies right down the soi, and you're walking if you don't get what you want.

 

Out on the balcony, there was a noticeable spot where a washing machine had been. The wife says, oh, there was a washing machine? He says, uh yeah, we don't have that anymore. Wife goes, well I don't see anywhere we can do laundry, we're going to have to drive all the way down the road every week... In came the brand new washing machine. The TV was a bit old, and didn't always turn on when you hit power. The guy says, yeah it's like that, you just gotta keep trying. Wife goes, well I don't know if I'm going to like that... In comes the new TV. In this manner, I also got a new Ikea desk. ???? Then there was income documentation. I hadn't started working yet and didn't have my contract. She says it's going to be very difficult to get that, you know. Poof went that requirement. ????????????

 

Oh yeah, and avoid the agents. We had several jerk us around, they're a total waste of time. Find a condo complex where you talk directly to the owner/landlord. Also really helps when you need to call them for paperwork for immigration, which we did.

[DrJack54]

On 7/8/2020 at 4:04 PM, Surelynot said:

Does anyone have any helpful comments, guidance, warnings?

I have lived in same condo for 7 years. Got lucky as I moved in with Thai gf. She was already living there. We upgraded to double room. Lease is not an issue. Don't need legal advice. Of course had my name added to lease mainly for annual extensions (retirement).

What I have found a great thing is to rent in a place that has NO private owners. 

Our condo management is very strict but that's a good thing.

As for obtaining your deposit (bond) it depends on what type of condo management. Again in our place the tenant does not clean. The management have cleaners and maintenance guys that bring it up to top standard. They often spend a day on it with few workers and that comes off bond.

IMO avoid high rise. 

Also AGAIN avoid places with private ownership along with rentals. 

You mention Bangkok. Make sure it's an easy walk to BTS or MRT.

Good luck

[DrJack54]

On 7/8/2020 at 8:13 PM, Surelynot said:

Maybe a bit lazy, but nothing popped up on a cursory search.....will try again.

TV has poor search function. Google search something like ... "Rent condo Bangkok Thaivisa".

Make sure to include Thaivisa. That will bring up many threads about your question.

[ajarnmarc]

On 7/12/2020 at 9:02 AM, cmarshall said:

As it happens the manager of the condo building approached us a few days ago and asked would we be interested in moving to a duplex apartment in our building.  In the past those duplex apartments have been renting at about 25% above what we are now paying.  So we are now in negotiations. We offered about 10% less than we are now paying for a smaller unit.  We explained to the agent that the current furnishings are not acceptable and she acknowledged that they are indeed old and unsightly, which the landlord understands.  She asked us to make up a list of replacement items which we will do from Ikea.  She thought it wouldn't be a problem.  

 

I negotiated changes to our current lease before signing and will do so with whatever lease the agent puts before us.  I have never signed a lease as offered.  We did the same with my wife's commercial lease. We have encountered landlords with a take-it-or-leave-it attitude, in which case we leave it.

 

Our building is one that is marketed to foreigners and Thai high-sos.  By Thai standards at least it is a luxury building.  Right now there are no foreigners entering Thailand and many are leaving.  So, the market for such apartments is exceptionally weak.  We reminded the agent of the current conditions and that we have been long-term tenants in the building.  The agent admitted to us that the unit has been vacant for a year.  

 

We expect the negotiation to be successful.

 

YMMV.

Well stated. I'm sure the negotiations will be successful. Now is certainly the time to relocate to a property which before was not so affordable. The market has never been better one can certainly assume. To except any terms provided to the renters even under normal times is just weak. There more vacant properties than there are renters, that is just the norm here in Thailand, and of course the ones trying to get over on the renters are the owners, to assume anything else would be naive. Many interesting points were brought forth in this posting, which I too have made note of going forward, and I thought I had covered everything in my 21 years of renting within Thailand. So I have to time a moment to Thank all the creative posters who have commented and provided some interesting suggestions.