Renting In Thailand

[Sagui]

hi all,

Does anyone know what are the requisites for renting (longterm) an apt/house?

do you think it is cheaper to get a non-furnished apt. or do they cost the same as furnished ones?

thanks

[toptuan]

Requirement: cash needed for 1,000 baht security deposit / 3000 baht monthly rental.

No contract or lease required. No notice required to vacate. No prior agreement on landlord/tenant maintenance/repair responsibilities--negotiate each situation as it arises. Rent reduced 20% after one year as a long-term renter incentive if landlord likes you.

Unfurnished cheaper

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Now, that's one out of 50,000 real-life examples in Thailand.

Any one else?

Edited March 1, 2008 by toptuan

[pete_r]

Maybe we need to specify the location in our answers. Prices and conditions are not the same in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Ubon Ratchatani.

My first house rented in Bangkok in 2005: 3000 Baht/month, and 3000 Baht deposit. That was a 1970s-1980s style house with concrete walls for the 1st (ground) floor, and wooden structure for the 2nd floor.

Same conditions as Toptuan:

No contract or lease required. No notice required to vacate. No prior agreement on landlord/tenant maintenance/repair responsibilities--negotiate each situation as it arises.

But no reduction after one year.

The house was half-furnished with things that the owner didn't have space to store in his own house, but that didn't influence the rent price. The main factor that got us a low price (low for Bangkok) was that there were one or two ghost in the house, and the owner was happy just to find someone brave enough to stay in it.

[londonthai]

depending on the quality of the house/appartment - the basic accommodation it's usually 1 month deposit, the higher it is the higher deposit needed.

if you rent directly from the owner the policies can be negotiated - for example discount after a longer stay or cheaper rate if payed many months in advance. The estate agent properties or condo appartments are more strict, for example a signed contract for 6-12 moth, surcharges for electricity/water bills - sometimes 2-3 times of the supplier rate.

get at least partly-furnished place - white goods are rather expensive, special installation can be needed and if they brake there is a responsibility of the owner to replace them.

if you are planning to stay less than tens of years, go for the fully furnished, otherwise you will have to throw away still good furniture - thai are not the great fans of the second hand goods.

[Moonfruit]

Standard deposit of two months, plus, you pay your rent 1 month in advance.

Only one landlord has ever checked my credit history with my home bank, and even then the bank just issued a letter to the landlords hong kong bank telling them that i did in fact bank with them.

Minimum 1 year contract unless you want to pay a hefty premium for short term.

Price difference between furnished and unfurnished is around 10% max. Strange really.

House rentals offer better value (for me) than condo rentals, but then you generally dont have a swimming pool, security, gym, walking distance to BTS etc.

Ive been in Bangkok for 8 years, and am on my 8th residence, starting from 5,000THB/month to my current of 60,000THB. Each of the above has been true for every lease agreement.

I don't know of anyone who is paying 3,000THB/month in Bangkok other than Thai workers. A good friend of mine is living in a house at 5000thb/month down in Bang Na, but the place is very run-down. The only reason he is paying so little is because he wants to buy the place cheap from the owner and make it his own.