My Landlord Stop Me from Leaving the Country

[Sparky Barry]

I broke my contract and left my condo one month early without notification. I've forfeited my 2 months security deposit obviously. When I moved in, I started seeing damages that were not listed, I felt scammed, my landlord is not trustworthy. I knew he'd try to scam me out of these unlisted damages. Now he is saying that the 2 months deposit does not cover the damages and I need to give him more money. Is this going to affect my immigration status if he pursues this further? Will I be able to leave the country in the future? 

[NoDisplayName]

Why would you break a lease with only one month remaining?

 

You saved one month's rent at the cost of two month's rent security deposit.

[KhunLA]

Title is a bit misleading, need to add 'Can'.

 

Yes & no, if he bothers to go the legal route, and just guessing, he could file claim and ask Imm to intercede.  Whether they would or not on a civil case is a bit unknown.

 

Be a bit much, unless trying to get a sum worth the hassle, for landlord & Imm to bother.

 

To claim damages more than 2 month rent seems quite high.  What did you break ????

 

Hopefully lesson learned, if ever returning.

[Sparky Barry]

13 minutes ago, NoDisplayName said:

Why would you break a lease with only one month remaining?

 

You saved one month's rent at the cost of two month's rent security deposit.

He was gonna take 2 months security deposit anyway. When I moved in I saw all sorts of other damages. I got bad vibes from the guy straight away. Was cutting my losses.

[Captain Monday]

16 minutes ago, NoDisplayName said:

Why would you break a lease with only one month remaining?

 

You saved one month's rent at the cost of two month's rent security deposit.

Maybe because he actually trashed the place?????

 

Anyway there is nothing in rental contracts 99 percent of the time that says the leaseholder can skip out on the last months rent in lieu of sacrificing the deposit. 

 

[Bill97]

Yeh you can’t get out and will not be able to return.

 

 

[Myran]

"When I moved in, I started seeing damages that were not listed"

 

Then you should have checked better before moving in.

[TimeMachine]

Photo and video while doing business.  Cant trust anyone these days. 

[NextG]

11 minutes ago, Sparky Barry said:

He was gonna take 2 months security deposit anyway. When I moved in I saw all sorts of other damages. I got bad vibes from the guy straight away. Was cutting my losses.

Don’t worry. He’s just trying it on. Tell him you took pictures of all the damage that was there when you moved in, in case he tried something like that. Everything with the date. 

[Eloquent pilgrim]

14 minutes ago, Bill97 said:

Yeh you can’t get out and will not be able to return.

 

 

 

Bizarre comment; how will he not be able to return, if he can’t get out in the first place ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[JimTripper]

My lease says the security deposit can be held for damages. There’s nothing in the lease about further payments!  

People can ask for anything, has nothing to do with the lease.

[carlyai]

27 minutes ago, Sparky Barry said:

He was gonna take 2 months security deposit anyway. When I moved in I saw all sorts of other damages. I got bad vibes from the guy straight away. Was cutting my losses.

It seems that 'legally' he can only ask for 1 month bond.

This came up when I rented a property to a company and stipulated 2 months bond money.

Evidently their lawyer said the law was changed from 2 to 1 month.

Not sure it is correct as I didn't investigate.

[robblok]

33 minutes ago, Sparky Barry said:

He was gonna take 2 months security deposit anyway. When I moved in I saw all sorts of other damages. I got bad vibes from the guy straight away. Was cutting my losses.

Other damages. So you did damage something and you don't want anyone to know because then they might not all agree with you.

[Liverpool Lou]

52 minutes ago, NoDisplayName said:

Why would you break a lease with only one month remaining?

How is that relevant to the OP's question?

[Liverpool Lou]

30 minutes ago, Bill97 said:

Yeh you can’t get out and will not be able to return.

Garbage.

[Liverpool Lou]

5 minutes ago, carlyai said:

It seems that 'legally' he can only ask for 1 month bond.

This came up when I rented a property to a company and stipulated 2 months bond money.

Evidently their lawyer said the law was changed from 2 to 1 month.

Not sure it is correct as I didn't investigate.

Irrelevant to the OP's topic.

[BangkokAlan]

It is a civil case your word against his. It is not a criminal matter so how can he stop you leaving the country and immigration only worry about immigration policy not landlord disputes. Just move on with your life to a better condo. Go through a proper agent so they have all the photos and take your own. 

 

 

[Neeranam]

25 minutes ago, Eloquent pilgrim said:

 

Bizarre comment; how will he not be able to return, if he can’t get out in the first place ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

lol

[Neeranam]

Yes, he can stop you if he has influential friends in Immigration.

[FritsSikkink]

16 minutes ago, carlyai said:

It seems that 'legally' he can only ask for 1 month bond.

This came up when I rented a property to a company and stipulated 2 months bond money.

Evidently their lawyer said the law was changed from 2 to 1 month.

Not sure it is correct as I didn't investigate.

People wo rent out less than 5 units are not bound by that law.

If the guy wants to play hard ball, he can sue him for the month rent he didn't pay as he didn't give notice, reached an agreement but just left. Wonder what he did to the (card) key. On top of that the damages found which exceed the 2 months deposit.

OP states he saw damages but didn't report it to the guy so it could be fixed while still there. Feel like there is some missing parts in his story.

 

[FritsSikkink]

8 minutes ago, BangkokAlan said:

It is a civil case your word against his. It is not a criminal matter so how can he stop you leaving the country and immigration only worry about immigration policy not landlord disputes. Just move on with your life to a better condo. Go through a proper agent so they have all the photos and take your own. 

 

 

Causing damage is a criminal matter.

[Peabody]

1 hour ago, KhunLA said:

Whether they would or not on a civil case is a bit unknown.

I had a civil case that I filed (I was the complainant). I was not allowed to leave the country until it was adjudicated. Cost me 20K baht overstay fine waiting for a letter from the court saying the case was closed.

I was rejected from leaving (to return on a fresh visa) both at a land border and at Suvarnabhumi.

[Bangel72]

I doubt immigration has much interest.

 

Interested though in what happens. Not hijacking this but maybe some crossover.

 

Seeing a situation where a person cannot pay the rent and no money coming soon so they leave in the first week of the month not paying that months rent.

 

The apartment though has a clause with daily cost for late payments after the 4th of the month. Those daily costs in effect double the months rent if you are a month late.

 

Given they have left without notice so apartment wants them to pay current month and next month with extra daily costs for both as they cannot pay, that's like 4 months rent they feel they are due.

 

Here its two month deposit despite the legal change to one month so accepted that they lose that.

 

The person leaving feels its okay and they accept they lose out but the apartment see breach in contract and want more.

 

Is their any civil case there for the apartment? The relevance to the posters two month bond could also be a factor as original contract may be in breach of current law, could that make it void?

 

 

[ChaiyaTH]

It is about civil law, won't be a issue with immigration. Just ignore him and move on, civil court is gonna cost him more than the 10-30K he wants from you. 

Must be a really crazy scene like those Chinese messing up apartments if it does happen. Or abuse of power, something you can spin against them in these days.

[Reginald Prewster]

Simple answer: He can!

 

A long year known compatriot was renting one of my mates apartments and messed it completely up..

(including a "catus garden" in the bathroom on the white tiled floor) 

He was actually always a nice fellow but something made him turning into a hermit.

 

Thai neighbors informed my mate, that he made an escape in the night, attempting to skip 2 month rent and the renovation costs.

They got him at the airport the same day... 

[ChaiyaTH]

34 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

Causing damage is a criminal matter.

Nonsense, intentional damage could be a criminal offence however the damage itself is still civil. That is also only in 0.01% of the cases.

[BritTim]

If there is major damage that anyone would have noticed at the time of moving in, and your landlord is determined to make an issue out of it, then yes. It is possible for him to initiate legal action and impede your departure. Only a mentally disturbed landlord would do this over minor issues that would not be noticeable when you first viewed the property. It is unlikely that you will have a problem, but we do not have the full facts.

[FritsSikkink]

1 hour ago, ChaiyaTH said:

Nonsense, intentional damage could be a criminal offence however the damage itself is still civil. That is also only in 0.01% of the cases.

Intentional damage IS a criminal offence. Causing damage by accident not of course.

[NoDisplayName]

4 hours ago, Sparky Barry said:

He was gonna take 2 months security deposit anyway. When I moved in I saw all sorts of other damages. I got bad vibes from the guy straight away. Was cutting my losses.

You don't know "he was gonna take it anyway."  That's what bad people say when they're trying to justify lying, cheating, or stealing.

 

When you moved in you took photos and immediately notified the landlord, right?

Right?

 

Methinks 'twas the landlord getting bad vibes.

When do we hear the rest of the story?

 

 

[NoDisplayName]

5 hours ago, Sparky Barry said:

I broke my contract and left my condo one month early without notification. I've forfeited my 2 months security deposit obviously.

On April 7th, you posted you'd be arriving in Thailand in 5 weeks, so middle of May.

Things, Shirley, went downhill fast!