Initial deposit / guarantee fee when renting an apartment

[Goodboybkk]

Dear all,

 

If you find a new apartment today ( 1 May ) and you want to move in on 1 June.

Current apartment contract ends at 30 May.

 

How much is the initial fee/ guarantee fee you pay today?

Do you pay 1 ( or 2 )  month deposit and 1 month rent at the beginning of rental ( on the day you move in on 1 June)? 

 

Thanks

 

[Kwasaki]

Depends on the landlord.

My Mrs wants 2 months up front on moving in. 

2 weeks notice of leaving.

[worgeordie]

Just give them a deposit first to hold it for you,then sign and give security guarantee on 

30 th May , it's usually 2 months security deposit ,and first month's' rent. ,get receipt for

deposit....

 

regards worgeordie

 

[BritManToo]

1 hour ago, Goodboybkk said:

How much is the initial fee/ guarantee fee you pay today?

Do you pay 1 ( or 2 )  month deposit and 1 month rent at the beginning of rental ( on the day you move in on 1 June)? 

 

Do not move to any rental property that requires 2 months deposit.

One month is enough and plenty of landlords are happy with that.

[Goodboybkk]

Rent is 10k, deposit 1 month rent ( 10k)

So, today I pay 10k, then on the day I move in ( 1 June) I pay another 10k?

Is that correct?

Thanks

[FritsSikkink]

12 minutes ago, Goodboybkk said:

Rent is 10k, deposit 1 month rent ( 10k)

So, today I pay 10k, then on the day I move in ( 1 June) I pay another 10k?

Is that correct?

Thanks

Yes

[Goodboybkk]

Thanks

[Liverpool Lou]

1 hour ago, FritsSikkink said:

1 hour ago, Goodboybkk said:

Rent is 10k, deposit 1 month rent ( 10k)

So, today I pay 10k, then on the day I move in ( 1 June) I pay another 10k?

Is that correct?

Thanks

Expand  

Yes

Well, "yes", depending on what the landlord wants, there are no laws about it.   Two months deposit plus one months rent is perfectly normal, as my good pal Worgeordie confirmed.

[Liverpool Lou]

1 hour ago, Goodboybkk said:

Rent is 10k, deposit 1 month rent ( 10k)

So, today I pay 10k, then on the day I move in ( 1 June) I pay another 10k?

Is that correct?

Thanks

That's one way of doing if...if the owner agrees.

[Liverpool Lou]

48 minutes ago, Goodboybkk said:

Thanks

Welcome.

[asf6]

As kwasaki said, it depends on the landlord.

 

I have only ever paid one month's deposit and then one month's rent in advance. 

 

The landlord may allow you to pay 10k now and then 10k on the day you move in ( 1 June), but they might not. They might insist that you pay 10k deposit now and also 10k for this month's rent. You can only ask them and find out their requirements. 

[yeahbutif]

Also while on the other end when you want to leave.. I found they don't want or have no money to give you the deposit back..  and as you pay for rent in front. You should pay again one month before you leave.. but been told by mates oh don't pay the last month. But doing as it should be done in UK I paid as he would be holding no deposit. That..was a mistake as I said . No money to pay me back deposit..so had to deal on some furniture that I did really need to at least get some money back.. 

[CharlieH]

MOVED to Real Estate forum

[FritsSikkink]

7 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Well, "yes", depending on what the landlord wants, there are no laws about it.   Two months deposit plus one months rent is perfectly normal, as my good pal Worgeordie confirmed.

There is a law about it when they have more than 5 units, then they can only ask for 1 month deposit and 1 month rent.

[NativeBob]

Things might change esp. in LOS so I wouldn't pay a satang before moving in with keys and signed contract. 

Also receipts are for suckers. Bank slips are good and valid in the Court. Inscribe it into Lease agreement. 

[Goodboybkk]

https://www.khaosodenglish.com/featured/2018/05/16/thai-law-landlord-not-playing-by-new-rules-heres-what-to-do/

[Liverpool Lou]

12 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

20 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Well, "yes", depending on what the landlord wants, there are no laws about it.   Two months deposit plus one months rent is perfectly normal, as my good pal Worgeordie confirmed.

Expand  

There is a law about it when they have more than 5 units, then they can only ask for 1 month deposit and 1 month rent.

Thank you, I stand corrected about that law, the law that is ignored by most landlords and is unenforced and unenforceable by the police, while the standard (illegal) deposit remains at two months, which is what the OP needs to be aware of.

[driver52]

is it normal to pay a deposit if you move into an unfurnished place? if it's unfurnished there's nothing to break shirley?

[ChipButty]

Are you paying the landlord direct? only I have seen agents do a runner with the money, 

[Kwasaki]

33 minutes ago, driver52 said:

is it normal to pay a deposit if you move into an unfurnished place? if it's unfurnished there's nothing to break shirley?

That's not the true, in my Mrs unfurnished appartments a deposit is usually to keep in lieu of payment of unpaid bills of electric or water or any damages to electric, water and toilet accessories, walls, windows, doors. 

 

I'm always having to fix something in my Mrs appartments when tenants leave.

[NativeBob]

3 hours ago, driver52 said:

is it normal to pay a deposit if you move into an unfurnished place? if it's unfurnished there's nothing to break shirley?

Once we rented completely empty room. It is so nice to furnish it with your own furniture, place things the way you prefer and sleep on your bed. Not even Aircon! only sliding door to balcony and (well) bathtub. 

However we paid 2 month "deposit" and 1 month advance. 4 years later landlord-ness withheld about half of deposit for "renovation". She didn't want to pay even that half, but I told her I'll report her for tax evasion. However the deal was great 73 sq.m. double corner flat on 23rd floor for 9K nett.
2 balconies.

[spongeworthy]

On 5/1/2023 at 12:03 PM, BritManToo said:

Do not move to any rental property that requires 2 months deposit.

One month is enough and plenty of landlords are happy with that.

Not my experience at all. 100% of the places I've looked at required 2 months security deposit. If you're looking at a 20m white box with 2,000 baht mattress and 1,000 fridge then 1 month or less might be applicable, but for any proper fully furnished place 2 months is the norm.

[BritManToo]

5 minutes ago, spongeworthy said:

Not my experience at all. 100% of the places I've looked at required 2 months security deposit. If you're looking at a 20m white box with 2,000 baht mattress and 1,000 fridge then 1 month or less might be applicable, but for any proper fully furnished place 2 months is the norm.

Just because you are seen as an easy mark, doesn't mean everyone else is. 

[spongeworthy]

7 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Just because you are seen as an easy mark, doesn't mean everyone else is. 

Just because you live in a 20m white box doesn't mean everyone else does.

 

See how easy that was? ????

[BritManToo]

19 minutes ago, spongeworthy said:

Just because you live in a 20m white box doesn't mean everyone else does.

 

See how easy that was? ????

I live in a 3 bedroom house ......... if that's of any interest.

[spongeworthy]

28 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I live in a 3 bedroom house ......... if that's of any interest.

Fitting that you think that alone is of any relevance. Is this out in Nahkon Nowhere? Did you furnish the house yourself? There are plenty of tiny, empty, and/or dilapidated 3 bedroom houses going for under 10k baht in and around the hot spots of Thailand.

 

If you're experience is that it's normal for landlords with a property fitted and furnished to western standards (i.e. 500K+ in furnishings), to accept a one month security deposit, then you've either been dealing with desperate or naive landlords, or you're paying double what they expected.

[FriendlyFarang]

On 5/1/2023 at 10:51 AM, Goodboybkk said:

Dear all,

 

If you find a new apartment today ( 1 May ) and you want to move in on 1 June.

Current apartment contract ends at 30 May.

 

How much is the initial fee/ guarantee fee you pay today?

Do you pay 1 ( or 2 )  month deposit and 1 month rent at the beginning of rental ( on the day you move in on 1 June)? 

 

Thanks

I've experienced everything from nothing (my word was good enough for the landlord) over a few thousand baht, to one month of rent to guarantee the lease.

Considering that you want him to keep the room empty for a whole month I think it's reasonable of him to demand a month rent as guarantee, but if you offer him half he might as well accept it.

 

Upon moving in you pay 2 months deposit and one month rent in advance, minus whatever you gave him as guarantee. Maybe there are some landlords who would accept one month deposit as another poster here claims, but from my experience they want two.

 

On 5/2/2023 at 9:59 AM, driver52 said:

is it normal to pay a deposit if you move into an unfurnished place? if it's unfurnished there's nothing to break shirley?

You could still break a window, or damage the walls etc.

I rent a warehouse, bare walls, no windows, even there I had to pay a month deposit.

But mostly it's to cover outstanding electricity or water costs in case the tenants makes a runner.

[driver52]

On 5/2/2023 at 12:34 PM, spongeworthy said:

There are plenty of tiny, empty, and/or dilapidated 3 bedroom houses going for under 10k baht in and around the hot spots of Thailand

where? I haven't seen any.....post some please

And does that mean in the 'cold spots' they're only 5k a month? ????

[spongeworthy]

3 hours ago, driver52 said:

where? I haven't seen any.....post some please

And does that mean in the 'cold spots' they're only 5k a month? ????

Everywhere. You're not going to find much online at the big listing sites that agents use as those are targeting foreigners.

 

If in Bangkok you'll want to ask around at local outdoor shops/markets near what train station or intersection you're looking to live near as the people working there probably live nearby and see posted signs on houses daily or otherwise know what's available from word of mouth. Motocy taxi drivers would know as well as they see the signs listed all day, every day.

 

You're not going to find even 1% of what's available online, but here are some examples for Bangkok.

 

https://www.kaidee.com/c16p9-realestate-townhouse/bangkok?sort=price_asc