Rental "scam" is it something common here?

[Deli]

Simply "Yes"

[Tarteso]

1 hour ago, Liverpool Lou said:

After your throwing out of that over-generalised accusation against Thais, I'd be curious to know how many times you have been "scammed" that way.

No problem;

1.- Chanthaburi:

Loss of deposit (40,000.-).  of a 30-year pre-rental contract on a piece of land near the coast, because the owner did not want to pass the contract through the legalization office….  The scammer, this time, posed as the real owner of the land.  The aforementioned scammer still works as a Policeman in the Tha Mai District..

 

2.- Koh Chang:

I lost two months of deposit at the end of the contract without logical explanation.

 

3.- Chiang Mai;

Owner does not answer my calls, the owner's wife claimed that she would give back deposit when her husband returned from a “trip”. ????

 

4.- Chiang Mai;

Chiang Mai;  After 2 years building my own house while living in a rented house, the owner refused to return the deposit claiming that she had to paint the whole house again.  Her budget was five times mine.  The house was clearly clean and very good shape.. the escammer, on this occasion, claimed for her the Air Conditioning that I bought and installed in the bedroom.????

Scammers, simply scammers. 

Believe me or not is not important for me, you want answer here you got it

[dj230]

so saw another unit the other day, another lie, said the room had a 2in1 washer/dryer, went to the room, its just a regular washing machine. asked for a bit lower price (13,500 instead of 14,000) and they said no, they will put a dryer in for 15,000/m. Meanwhile a dryer cost like 10,000 baht so i'd be buying them a new dryer plus giving them 2000 baht if I accepted their offer (1000/m extra), 1 year lease.

[NoshowJones]

On 8/12/2021 at 11:23 AM, dj230 said:

So do I just not pay last months rent/utility bill and tell them to deduct it from the deposit? lol 

 

  

Isn't it his responsibility? 

Thanks for letting me know, I remember I did see the owner being responsible for TM30 reporting in some leases but not all.

 

 

So just to update, the agent is telling me the owner wants to send the money to a "person of authorization" / POA 

Also make sure you are going to be paying the government rate for electricity, some will charge you about double.

[bkk6060]

Search "rental scams Facebook".  I would never use Facebook or Craigslist or similar sites to rent.

I use a reputable agent sure helps if issues, repairs arise and have always gotten my deposit back.

[bbko]

Whatever place you end up renting, do a video walkthrough with the owner/agent, pointing out any flaw no matter how small.  When the time comes for you to move out, you don't want them trying to blame you for something that was already there, protect yourself.

[dj230]

4 hours ago, possum1931 said:

Also make sure you are going to be paying the government rate for electricity, some will charge you about double.

Yea, I read about this, I told them I will pay it directly to the condo building and not the land lord

 

  

3 hours ago, bbko said:

Whatever place you end up renting, do a video walkthrough with the owner/agent, pointing out any flaw no matter how small.  When the time comes for you to move out, you don't want them trying to blame you for something that was already there, protect yourself.

I'll do a video walkthrough, the unit I'm looking at now is brand new though so I think I should be fairly safe for the most part there, but I'll still do a video walk through to make sure. I've always done the before video and then another video before moving out when renting places, this shows the condition I got the unit in and the way I left it (incase something happens after I move out and they try to blame it on me).

 

[dj230]

just to update, saw a brand new unit today, this real estate agent like the ones I was used to in Canada, no BS, no lies, and he sent me all the owners info / ID card / proof of ownership after I asked, don't want to jinx it but may lease this unit.

 

It seems like the typical "lease agreement" in thailand involved 

1) 1 month booking fee/reservation 

2) 2 month deposit on move in date + exchange of keycards

 

should I be concerned with sending the booking fee/reservation to the owner?

 

Wondering if I can get the rug pulled under me after I send the 1 month booking fee, i.e owner asking for more money (changing price, leasing to another tenant, etc.)

 

 

 

[Liverpool Lou]

20 hours ago, Tarteso said:

No problem;

1.- Chanthaburi:

Loss of deposit (40,000.-).  of a 30-year pre-rental contract on a piece of land near the coast, because the owner did not want to pass the contract through the legalization office….  The scammer, this time, posed as the real owner of the land.  The aforementioned scammer still works as a Policeman in the Tha Mai District..

 

2.- Koh Chang:

I lost two months of deposit at the end of the contract without logical explanation.

 

3.- Chiang Mai;

Owner does not answer my calls, the owner's wife claimed that she would give back deposit when her husband returned from a “trip”. ????

 

4.- Chiang Mai;

Chiang Mai;  After 2 years building my own house while living in a rented house, the owner refused to return the deposit claiming that she had to paint the whole house again.  Her budget was five times mine.  The house was clearly clean and very good shape.. the escammer, on this occasion, claimed for her the Air Conditioning that I bought and installed in the bedroom.????

Scammers, simply scammers. 

Believe me or not is not important for me, you want answer here you got it

How come you allegedly attract so many?    Perhaps there's another side to the stories of your three examples (No.3 isn't a scam if you've been promised your money back)?

[Tarteso]

23 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

How come you allegedly attract so many? 

It’s not about of attraction law, It is the law of probability; If you continuously do tourism for x years, you rent more. ????
 

 

“You've been promised your money back”… waiting yet 

 

 

 

[gk10012001]

On 8/11/2021 at 3:42 PM, blackcab said:

If the owner does not have a Thai bank account then are they present in Thailand?

 

If they are not, who is going to register your TM30? If it is going to be you, will you be able to get a signed copy of any necessary documents, such as the owners ID or the condo blue book?

 

Or is the owner able to register your TM30 online?

 

There are so many units for rent I would steer clear of any with obvious issues.

And that is just one form.  I have read for some extensions they want some additional Landlord information...

[Mavideol]

3 words that may help you make a decision.........RUN Forest, RUN

[Solinvictus]

For renting houses, over the years I have heard only one story of a guy not getting his deposit back. He did nothing wrong.

As the posts tend to say more so than not in here, it's rare and generally at least for renting housing I'd say not often.

 

Be sure to take pictures also when you first move in. And get a feel on how easy they are to deal with about TM30 stuff.

 

A good question that is often not thought about prior to moving in is ask them if they know the neighbors?

[Tarteso]

2 minutes ago, gk10012001 said:

And that is just one form.  I have read for some extensions they want some additional Landlord information...

It is true, sometimes they have even required the presence of the owner at the immigration office when reporting 90 days of Visa Extension or when you change your address with a new rental contract. They did it with my neighbour.

[smutcakes]

On 8/12/2021 at 7:10 AM, Tarteso said:

The only scam there is in this country,  regarding the Rent of a House or whatever you want to rent, is that you have very little chance or nothing of recovering the Deposit.  It seems that Thais takes for granted that the deposit is a GIFT… Believe me.

You never get your deposit back if you are a certified moron with the common sense and savvy of a nat.

 

Anyone with a modicum of smarts does.

[smutcakes]

22 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

Search "rental scams Facebook".  I would never use Facebook or Craigslist or similar sites to rent.

I use a reputable agent sure helps if issues, repairs arise and have always gotten my deposit back.

Of course, like any sensible person would do....

[Tarteso]

22 minutes ago, smutcakes said:

You never get your deposit back if you are a certified moron with the common sense and savvy of a nat.

 

Anyone with a modicum of smarts does.

Personal insult?  You must be very clumsy not to have understood anything from my personal experience. Typical hater… It seems that what I have left over of emotional intelligence, empathy and education, you lack.

[smutcakes]

12 minutes ago, Tarteso said:

Personal insult?  You must be very clumsy not to have understood anything from my personal experience. Typical hater… It seems that what I have left over of emotional intelligence, empathy and education, you lack.

Not at all a personal insult. Just simple truth. Any sensible person with a bit of common sense is not going to get continuously ripped off by landlords. In your example above:

 

"Loss of deposit (40,000.-).  of a 30-year pre-rental contract on a piece of land near the coast, because the owner did not want to pass the contract through the legalization office….  The scammer, this time, posed as the real owner of the land.  The aforementioned scammer still works as a Policeman in the Tha Mai District.."

 

No person with common sense would ever have that problem. Why would anyone pay a deposit even if small to someone without checking the title deeds on the owner and cross checking with ID documents from the person you were leasing from? If there is a whiff of something not being right, any sensible person would simply not do it.

[Tarteso]

34 minutes ago, smutcakes said:

Not at all a personal insult. Just simple truth. Any sensible person with a bit of common sense is not going to get continuously ripped off by landlords. In your example above:

 

"Loss of deposit (40,000.-).  of a 30-year pre-rental contract on a piece of land near the coast, because the owner did not want to pass the contract through the legalization office….  The scammer, this time, posed as the real owner of the land.  The aforementioned scammer still works as a Policeman in the Tha Mai District.."

 

No person with common sense would ever have that problem. Why would anyone pay a deposit even if small to someone without checking the title deeds on the owner and cross checking with ID documents from the person you were leasing from? If there is a whiff of something not being right, any sensible person would simply not do it.

Wrong again, “not true”.

Common sense told me that if I was signing a PRE-CONTRACT for a land next to the POLICE's house, in his own house and surrounded by his family, here would be no problem, He showed me the Property Documents. All in Thai of course. What a fallacy!.

I don't think I made a mistake, maybe one;  Trust the police itself.  I went to the signing of the contract when he refused to go to the Registry Office to check documents.  he was claiming a private contract without registering it. Again; My mistake (being a newbie expat these days) was been to trust in the police authority ... After years, living in LOS, I reaffirm my opinion about this kind of scammer.

[smutcakes]

15 minutes ago, Tarteso said:

Wrong again, “not true”.

Common sense told me that if I was signing a PRE-CONTRACT for a land next to the POLICE's house, in his own house and surrounded by his family, here would be no problem, He showed me the Property Documents. All in Thai of course. What a fallacy!.

I don't think I made a mistake, maybe one;  Trust the police itself.  I went to the signing of the contract when he refused to go to the Registry Office to check documents.  he was claiming a private contract without registering it. Again; My mistake (being a newbie expat these days) was been to trust in the police authority ... After years, living in LOS, I reaffirm my opinion about this kind of scammer.

Well it quite clearly is true. You should of checked the title deeds, or have someone competent advise/check for you.

You can moan all you like, but you were clearly naive in that situation- a situation which no person with common sense and savvy would get into.

[StevieAus]

On 8/12/2021 at 7:10 AM, Tarteso said:

The only scam there is in this country,  regarding the Rent of a House or whatever you want to rent, is that you have very little chance or nothing of recovering the Deposit.  It seems that Thais takes for granted that the deposit is a GIFT… Believe me.

I don’t believe you because its not true.

 My wife has a block of apartments she has been renting out for years.

The next Thai who doesn’t put their hand out for the deposit will be the first.

[Tarteso]

1 hour ago, StevieAus said:

I don’t believe you because its not true.

That phrase does not make much sense, I Also have already told my real experience in replies above.

 

1 hour ago, StevieAus said:

My wife has a block of apartments she has been renting out for years.

My wife also does honest business online
 

Anyway ... Of course there are honest people, who denies that?

[A1Str8]

Yes it's common. Only rent directly from the owner. 

[malthebluff]

The condo complex will have a management or front desk they usually do the paperwork collect the rent and give you any electric water Bill's they take a cut from the rent before passing it to the owner BUT with them saying the owner had no thai bank I would look else where it seems a sad excuss when none was needed so if you going to be happy and not worry in the future look elsewhere 

[Nickisch]

On 8/15/2021 at 3:38 PM, dj230 said:

 

It seems like the typical "lease agreement" in thailand involved 

1) 1 month booking fee/reservation 

2) 2 month deposit on move in date + exchange of keycards

 

should I be concerned with sending the booking fee/reservation to the owner?

 

Wondering if I can get the rug pulled under me after I send the 1 month booking fee, i.e owner asking for more money (changing price, leasing to another tenant, etc.)

 

 

 

Did this work out for you? Today an agent asked me to send a booking fee to the owner before even signing a contract. It seems way too sketchy to me and I'm not going to do it.

[dj230]

2 hours ago, Nickisch said:

Did this work out for you? Today an agent asked me to send a booking fee to the owner before even signing a contract. It seems way too sketchy to me and I'm not going to do it.

seems like thats the norm here,

i eventually did find one and yes I did send the booking fee to the agent before signing a contract

 

I made sure to get the agents company, proof of ownership (from the owner) and it was a new condo in pleonchit and I was able to verify with the juristic the owner of the unit. Figured the likely hood of it being a scam was slim.

 

I was lucky enough to get a good landlord, communication has been great and she is very nice

 

Personally, I'd avoid agents asking you to send money to different bank accounts/receivers or landlords that aren't in thailand/overseas. I've met the landlord 2-3x, and any questions or complains she answers/resolves quickly.

 

If I rent again the main things I will be looking for

1) is the unit taken care of/did the landlord cheap out on stuff like furniture/tv/brands of appliances, I noticed the ones with cheap stuff usually have landlords that don't care about anything

2) if the landlord can speak english/can meet in person

3) if the agent works for a company vs freelance

 

If the agent is nice, the landlord is nice, and unit has good furniture/good quality brand appliances, at least from what I observed it's usually a tell tale sign the landlord isn't trying to screw you over. 

Any slightest bit of hesitation from the agent/owner to provide proof of ownership/the owners bank account info to receive funds and I won't rent from them.

 

 

[wmlc]

Yes, at times, it is very common. A lot of dodgy agents mostly in areas, such as Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya, and Chiangmai. I came across this video on you tube, it seems to give great advice and covers most of the bases.