Renting An Apartment -

[007]

There are regularly awful and very noisy nighttime disturbances in my apartment building (in Bangkok), esp. between the hours of 2 and 4 a.m. I repeatedly informed the landlord in writing about these disturbances, but no change to the better occured, so my question is, can I deduct a certain percentage from my rent as is common in the West, e.g. for consistent noise, broken/not working things, etc.?

[bkkjames]

There are regularly awful and very noisy nighttime disturbances in my apartment building (in Bangkok), esp. between the hours of 2 and 4 a.m. I repeatedly informed the landlord in writing about these disturbances, but no change to the better occured, so my question is, can I deduct a certain percentage from my rent as is common in the West, e.g. for consistent noise, broken/not working things, etc.?

You can try but suffice to say you will get evicted and your deposit not refunded. What kind of disturbances are we talking about here? building related or people related?

[harrry]

My suggestion is to every time the disturbences start turn the volume of your stereo to full playing vocal European Opera. It may be nice music but most of the revelers do not think so.l

[Boater]

There are regularly awful and very noisy nighttime disturbances in my apartment building (in Bangkok), esp. between the hours of 2 and 4 a.m. I repeatedly informed the landlord in writing about these disturbances, but no change to the better occured, so my question is, can I deduct a certain percentage from my rent as is common in the West, e.g. for consistent noise, broken/not working things, etc.?

You can try but suffice to say you will get evicted and your deposit not refunded. What kind of disturbances are we talking about here? building related or people related?

i would have to agree with James here

[007]

What kind of disturbances are we talking about here? building related or people related?

People related, who loudly slam doors all the time, or come home in the early morning hours, loudly yelling and screaming, almost nightly. So, is moving out the only solution?

[Boater]

So, is moving out the only solution?

yes, but then you will not get back your depoist

[bkkjames]

So, is moving out the only solution?

yes, but then you will not get back your depoist

With a name like 007 one might think a quick word with these drunks might send a message. Failing that, do what I do, around 7am when they are finally asleep, go over and ring the door bell and wake the sob's up.

[greenwood01]

If you dont want to spend money, dont hope for peace and quiet?

[chiangmaibruce]

so my question is, can I deduct a certain percentage from my rent as is common in the West, e.g. for consistent noise, broken/not working things, etc.?

Where in the west is this common? I have never heard of it (in Australia). What clauses are in the lease in relation to peace and quiet enjoyment of the property? anything? If yes then there may be some facility to lodge a notice that the landlord has breached the lease - which may facilitate you later leaving before the end of your lease. Is the landlord also the building manager? If no, maybe you could speak to them too? Maybe you could tip the BIB to speak to the noisy ones?

If there is no such commitment in the lease then you probably need to go - and lose your deposit - or wait out the remaining term of the lease.

[goodheartman]

does anyone think bribing polit solves anything. smart polit can use it against you. make them hi so cops

[harrry]

Where in the west is this common? I have never heard of it (in Australia).

Almost all leases in Australia have a clause requiring the person renting the property to be provided with "Quiet enjoyment" (WHich does not just mean noise.) In fact it is a requiremt for leases under the Residentioal Tenancies Acts in mosat states. Thus the leesee may serve notice on the owner to enforce this provision and damages may be claimed.

[bkkjames]

That's all good and fine but as we all know, this would never happen here. But go ahead and try to sue the landlord. Come back in 3 years and tell us how it's going.

[harrry]

That's all good and fine but as we all know, this would never happen here. But go ahead and try to sue the landlord. Come back in 3 years and tell us how it's going.

Thatis why I advocated the direct method. Starting after the aggressors have started to sleep.

[yabaaaa]

This is a problem ANYWHERE you live. in ANY country and its difficult if not impossible to stop. before now I have asked politley for someone to stop making a noise result was a "childlike" more noise ie slamming doors louder deliberately ( I moved but still give the woman the odd 3 am phone call there if she wants to be stupid 2 can play at it). Thais, and I am generalising, dont seem to see this noise a s a problem. A strong committee and management can help considerably. My wifes on the committe where we are and its not so much of a problem but there are many complaints about this from Thais also resident where we are. From screaming kids to late night noise early morning noise etc etc. Its also impossible to know when you move to a new place what its really like on YOUR flooor of a condo until you are actually living in it and by then it may be too late. You will have to accept a certain level of noise.

When we rent our condos out to new tenants there is a "keep quiet" clause in our contracts but how many other landlords in our condos have this I dont know. The management rules also state to keep quiet and w e do complain and we do get it stopped eventually.........so far.

Anyone wants details of our condos pm me none available until possibly JULY this year, ON Nut area

Edited May 4, 2009 by yabaaaa

[bkkjames]

This is a problem ANYWHERE you live. in ANY country and its difficult if not impossible to stop. before now I have asked politley for someone to stop making a noise result was a "childlike" more noise ie slamming doors louder deliberately ( I moved but still give the woman the odd 3 am phone call there if she wants to be stupid 2 can play at it). Thais, and I am generalising, dont seem to see this noise a s a problem. A strong committee and management can help considerably. My wifes on the committe where we are and its not so much of a problem but there are many complaints about this from Thais also resident where we are. From screaming kids to late night noise early morning noise etc etc. Its also impossible to know when you move to a new place what its really like on YOUR flooor of a condo until you are actually living in it and by then it may be too late. You will have to accept a certain level of noise.

When we rent our condos out to new tenants there is a "keep quiet" clause in our contracts but how many other landlords in our condos have this I dont know. The management rules also state to keep quiet and w e do complain and we do get it stopped eventually.........so far.

Anyone wants details of our condos pm me none available until possibly JULY this year, ON Nut area

nice segway

The problem sometimes is that you get some rich kid who's mommy and daddy are more important and poweful than little old farang renter.

[chiangmaibruce]

Where in the west is this common? I have never heard of it (in Australia).

Almost all leases in Australia have a clause requiring the person renting the property to be provided with "Quiet enjoyment" (WHich does not just mean noise.) In fact it is a requiremt for leases under the Residentioal Tenancies Acts in mosat states. Thus the leesee may serve notice on the owner to enforce this provision and damages may be claimed.

If you re-read my post I think it's pretty clear that my question "Where in the west is this common?" related only to what the OP said about it being "common" for tenants to deduct rent owed because they considered the landlord wasn't doing the right thing by them.

[greenwood01]

fight fire with fire.

I usualy go to bed around 2-3am. but i can easly go to bed later, i dont really care.

So if some asshol_e makes noise in the morning or at night. Well i put hardcore screaming street punk or metal at 3 or 5am(depending on his habbits) for an hour every day.

Any whining from others? They can contact whoever started it. In thailand, you are living with big children, thats how children resolve their issues.

2months ago i was watching a movie on my computer on my balcony, idiot thai neighbor was sitting in his garden blasting his horrible talentless thai music in the garden while on the phone. My movie wasnt loud, i could hardly hear it. I turned the volume up 1 crank, which makes almost no difference. He upped his stereo by about 30% while still on the phone.

Of course it started raining and he grilled all his stereo equipment and since then there has been no music. An other genius who owns a overpriced 9mb house

[Daffy D]

Why not make a recording of the noisy night time revelers and after they have settled down and all is quiet play it back at at full blast.

If you are lucky they may recognize themselves and realize what pratt's they are.

Or perhaps not

[Norrad]

I had the same problem in my new building, people would leave their doors open to save on electric costs while playing their hi-fi or TV at full blast. I reported it to the building management and they now have the security guard make routine inspections of the building throughout the night. Now there is no noise, only the river boats wake me up at 7 am every morning now, but I guess I will have to live with that.

[bkkjames]

I had the same problem in my new building, people would leave their doors open to save on electric costs while playing their hi-fi or TV at full blast. I reported it to the building management and they now have the security guard make routine inspections of the building throughout the night. Now there is no noise, only the river boats wake me up at 7 am every morning now, but I guess I will have to live with that.

I guess 'living it hi-tech' on tonglor isn't so grande

[dave111223]

Often the same people slam doors and making noise in the night are the same deadbeats that don't pay their rent and get booted after a few months anyways.

There are sometimes people like this in our building the problem always seems to solve itself though. You're not going to get anything from confront people with this kind of anti-social personality (except for probably more noise).

In my experience the most noise comes from abusive fighting couples. But either they don't pay the rent, or one walks out before too long and problem solved.

To the OP how long has this been going on?

[Norrad]

I guess 'living it hi-tech' on tonglor isn't so grande

Lol, I actually stayed there for a month when I first arrived in Thailand 3 years ago. Now I have a great 1 bedroom on the Chao Phaya river.

[bkkjames]

I guess 'living it hi-tech' on tonglor isn't so grande

Lol, I actually stayed there for a month when I first arrived in Thailand 3 years ago. Now I have a great 1 bedroom on the Chao Phaya river.

except for the noisy neighbors and boats lol.

[Norrad]

except for the noisy neighbors and boats lol.

Well we now have the noisy neighbors under control. The apartment has new strict rules that loud noises will not be tolerated after 10pm. Short of laying mines in the river I don't think there is much I can do about the boats. If I close all the balcony doors and windows then you cannot hear them but that restricts the airflow and makes the apartment very hot. But I can live with it by leaving the aircon on if I want to sleep late.

[Birdman]

learn to play bagpipes.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Short of laying mines in the river I don't think there is much I can do about the boats.

Mines are noisy too.

[bkkjames]

except for the noisy neighbors and boats lol.

Well we now have the noisy neighbors under control. The apartment has new strict rules that loud noises will not be tolerated after 10pm. Short of laying mines in the river I don't think there is much I can do about the boats. If I close all the balcony doors and windows then you cannot hear them but that restricts the airflow and makes the apartment very hot. But I can live with it by leaving the aircon on if I want to sleep late.

Norrad, forgive me for being a prick (I come by it naturally) but you sound a bit like the people who bought new houses next to the airport and complained about the noise.

It's not noise mate - it's ambience.

[007]

To the OP how long has this been going on?

For more than one year now. True, some of these deadbeats (some pay their rent late and) eventually move out, only to be replaced by similar tenants. The management is made up of ethnic Indians and afraid of the Thai tenants. (The manager, a married Sikh, actually has the secretary as his girlfriend, and told me, that stomping and noisy 24-hour moving of furniture in the apartment above mine, where the secretary moved into a few months ago, got to be a ghost... ) The rent is not cheap, mind you, especially for the location. The landlord wants to attract long-term foreign tenants, but they all move out after one year or so.

Edited May 4, 2009 by 7

[bkkjames]

To the OP how long has this been going on?

For more than one year now. True, some of these deadbeats (some pay their rent late and) eventually move out, only to be replaced by similar tenants. The management is made up of ethnic Indians and afraid of the Thai tenants. (The manager, a married Sikh, actually has the secretary as his girlfriend, and told me, that stomping and noisy 24-hour moving of furniture in the apartment above mine, where the secretary moved into a few months ago, got to be a ghost... ) The rent is not cheap, mind you, especially for the location. The landlord wants to attract long-term foreign tenants, but they all move out after one year or so.

Sounds like Soi 11 to me. The question remains though - if after one year you still haven't had enough - are you one of those that likes to pick your gums?

[Norrad]

Norrad, forgive me for being a prick (I come by it naturally) but you sound a bit like the people who bought new houses next to the airport and complained about the noise.

It's not noise mate - it's ambience.

I don't mind the boats that much and yes you are right, it's ambience and I can live with it. I inspected the apartment during Songkran and then decided to take it, the noise from the neighbors started a few days later when everyone returned to Bangkok, so naturaly I complained. That was sorted out pretty quickly as I am renting the most expensive apartment in the building.