Has anyone tried reporting a landlord for charging more than 5 THB/Unit for Electicity?

[JimmyJ]

Being charged more than 5, and the illegal overcharge amount is printed on fliers for the landlord's buildings so there is no question of it existing.

 

He has a lot of apartment units, more than the qualifier.

 

Has anyone pursued this? With what result?

 

If one wanted to report this, where/how to do that?

[scubascuba3]

Just move to a condo where you can get govt rate, norm for apartments is 8 baht, sometimes 10

[JimmyJ]

8 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

Just move to a condo where you can get govt rate, norm for apartments is 8 baht, sometimes 10

Government (legal) rate is 5.

[Hamus Yaigh]

15 minutes ago, JimmyJ said:

Government (legal) rate is 5.

So buy your own property and pay the gov rate? Landlords can charge what they like, and tenants can accept it or leave.

[richard_smith237]

We looked at renting a unit closer to my son’s school.

 

The place was fine, large enough etc we were told that they were charging 8 baht per unit of electricity. 

I informed the Apartment manager that this was illegal and by law they have to provide the government rate and also only request 1 month deposit not two. 

Their response - its 8 baht per unit and 2 months deposit. They simply didn’t care what the law was. 

 

We went elsewhere, they knew why, they didn’t care. 

 

 

So... my guess is, no one will do anything about this. But, it would be nice know of how and where the complaint can be made and if it is followed up. 

 

 

 

 

[freedomnow]

There's what they say, and what you pay.

 

See how your life is in that place after trying to force that to happen....

 

If it's the end of your world to pay a few more baht per unit, move on.

[steven100]

1 hour ago, JimmyJ said:

Has anyone pursued this? With what result?

what do you think the result would be .....   you'd likely end up in the Khlong ..  

[CharlieH]

MOVED

 

To Real Estate forum.

[WEBBYB808]

The laws set in stone, so just go to police and file a complaint.   They will straighten  them out.  The reason  the land lords keep doing it is because  no one reports them.  Whats the worst that could happen you'd  have to move and probably  get a better deal?

[WEBBYB808]

6 hours ago, freedomnow said:

There's what they say, and what you pay.

 

See how your life is in that place after trying to force that to happen....

 

If it's the end of your world to pay a few more baht per unit, move on.

Si you say be a door mat!

[WEBBYB808]

On 3/14/2022 at 12:02 AM, Sticky Rice Balls said:

I have a friend named Matt--people walk all over him!

 

i used to pay 7 bt in my apt----just moved to a new place--cheaper rent but 8bt elec

You dont have to pool pay tgat.  Just file a pokice conplaint

[CrunchWrapSupreme]

On 3/13/2022 at 5:02 PM, steven100 said:

you'd likely end up in the Khlong ..  

That's pretty much what my wife said. We lived out in the provinces and took a 2 week BKK holiday. I then came home to another high electric bill as if we'd still been home. I said I want to show him the bus tickets. She said "No no, Mafia". Hah.

 

If the electric's tacked on to your monthly rent invoice, you're at their mercy. If you rent say a condo and get the official govt bill in your mailbox, the orange one in BKK, or the purple one in the provinces, that's usually the only way it's fair.

[steven100]

On 3/13/2022 at 11:13 PM, WEBBYB808 said:

The laws set in stone, so just go to police and file a complaint.   They will straighten  them out.  The reason  the land lords keep doing it is because  no one reports them.  Whats the worst that could happen you'd  have to move and probably  get a better deal?

you haven't been in Thailand very long have you .....   

[WEBBYB808]

7 hours ago, steven100 said:

you haven't been in Thailand very long have you .....   

Yes since 2015 and many times I have had to file complaints with the police and only once has it not came out in my favor.  The police will uphold the law if its is the law and you file a complaint 

[JimmyJ]

On 3/15/2022 at 4:52 PM, WEBBYB808 said:

Yes since 2015 and many times I have had to file complaints with the police and only once has it not came out in my favor.  The police will uphold the law if its is the law and you file a complaint 

Surely one poster here is shocked - that you are still alive!

 

"what do you think the result would be .....   you'd likely end up in the Khlong .. "

 

He must regard you as "The man who has cheated death - Multiple times!!!"

 

Good for you for standing up for your rights.

 

 

[JimmyJ]

A poster in this thread states one reports the illegal overcharge to the OCPB - Office of the Consumer Protection Board.

 

 

 

https://www.ocpb.go.th/index.php

 

https://www.consumersinternational.org/members/members/office-of-the-consumer-protection-board-of-thailand

 

 

 

Some more info in this thread which I'd forgotten I started:

 

 

[gearbox]

On 3/13/2022 at 11:13 PM, WEBBYB808 said:

The laws set in stone, so just go to police and file a complaint.   They will straighten  them out.  The reason  the land lords keep doing it is because  no one reports them.  Whats the worst that could happen you'd  have to move and probably  get a better deal?

No need to complain...just calculate your probable monthly electricity consumption with the asked rate, then negotiate rent reduction with that amount so you don't pay any electricity at all. It is buyers market. They'll probably agree on rent reduction than reduce the electricity rate.

[Everyman]

On 3/13/2022 at 4:25 PM, freedomnow said:

There's what they say, and what you pay.

 

See how your life is in that place after trying to force that to happen....

 

If it's the end of your world to pay a few more baht per unit, move on.

Why not just look for a place that doesn’t mark up the electricity? Do you give people money just because they ask for it? 

 

If so, PM me for my prompt pay i could use a few baht 

[freedomnow]

6 minutes ago, Everyman said:

Why not just look for a place that doesn’t mark up the electricity? Do you give people money just because they ask for it? 

 

If so, PM me for my prompt pay i could use a few baht 

Let me know if you find a place that doesn't...don't waste my time with this level of penny pinching...better things to do.

[Mavideol]

is there a "legal" set up price for rental, I don't think so. Prices are based on offer and demand, the owner asks as much as he wants for rent and/or for electricity, potential tenants have 2 choices = 1 accept or 2 decline and look for something else

[richard_smith237]

21 hours ago, Mavideol said:

is there a "legal" set up price for rental, I don't think so. Prices are based on offer and demand, the owner asks as much as he wants for rent and/or for electricity, potential tenants have 2 choices = 1 accept or 2 decline and look for something else

Not quite... there is a legal stipulation on what an owner charges a tenant for deposit and electricity. 

 

IF the owner has 5 or more properties rented out they can only charge the government electricity rates and 1 month deposit. 

[JimmyJ]

22 hours ago, Mavideol said:

is there a "legal" set up price for rental, I don't think so. Prices are based on offer and demand, the owner asks as much as he wants for rent and/or for electricity, potential tenants have 2 choices = 1 accept or 2 decline and look for something else

"is there a "legal" set up price for rental,  I don't think so."

 

You (and Hamus Yaigh) could have answered this question simply by reading the thread.

[JWNZ]

I know of someone here in Chiang Mai who challenged his condo office, they did reduce his electricity charge to 5THB, then the following month increased his rent....................

[JimmyJ]

On 3/24/2022 at 12:05 PM, JWNZ said:

I know of someone here in Chiang Mai who challenged his condo office, they did reduce his electricity charge to 5THB, then the following month increased his rent....................

It's disappointing if the Police are now handling this and not the OCPB.

 

I went to the OCPB site (link in previous post of mine) and it is in Thai - cannot find an English language link for the site, which is also disappointing.

 

I was imagining that this could be done by sending an anonymous complaint to the OCPB, along with proof (copy of the property's rental ad, etc.), that they would (eventually) followup, and that they would make sure that electricity for ALL apartments in the property would then only be listed/charged at the legal limit of 5 THB per Unit.

 

If one has to make a non-anonymous complaint, then the Police follow up and reduce the charge to 5/Unit for the Complaintant ONLY while allowing the overcharging to continue for all other tenants, it is not going to change the abusive overcharging that is prevalent.

 

Non-anonymity will also allow the simple method of retaliation which JWNZ describes.

 

If there are fines to the overcharging landlords, the OCPB could make a fortune simply by looking at Real Estate ads and/or phone calling to Landlords/Rental Agents and asking what costs are involved when renting.

 

[JimmyJ]

Currently, overcharging for Electrical units is a hidden cost, along the lines of the USA's scammy "Resort Fees" - a hidden charge that allows landlords/hotels to give a deceptively low listing price.

This also makes it much more difficult to compare prices, as many have the hidden extras of different amounts.

[Yellowtail]

On 3/30/2022 at 2:58 PM, JimmyJ said:

Currently, overcharging for Electrical units is a hidden cost, along the lines of the USA's scammy "Resort Fees" - a hidden charge that allows landlords/hotels to give a deceptively low listing price.

This also makes it much more difficult to compare prices, as many have the hidden extras of different amounts.

If the cost of electricity and or resort fee is listed in the lease agreement how is it the are hidden?