What To Do When The Real Estate Agency Doesn'T Give Back Your Deposit?

[Dean1953]

I'd have to agree with the last poster. I built my house 8 years ago, mainly out of teak, on 1 rai of land near Bosang. Assuming that the house doesn't burn down, the teak is more valuable and could be removed from the house and sold for a lot more than I paid for it. The area has grown, so I would assume that the 1 rai is more valuable now. I built it and bought the property when the baht was around 39-40 to the dollar. It is in my wife's name now but will be changed to my 4 year old son in around 10 years. I moved back to the states 4 years ago for 7-8 years for my wife's 3 kids education (and my son's), so the house has sat vacant since then, paying a friend of my wife's to take care of the house. I would like to rent it but would not for less than 20,000 baht a month, with 2 month's deposit. It is fully furnished and has two large teak carvings built into 2 walls. It would cost 160,000 to 180,000 baht just to replace them if damaged. After reading this topic, I have less desire to rent out the house, except on my terms.

[CMweb]

Everything has been said, no need to comment much from me anymore, black sheep’s are on both sites from a contract and not only in Thailand, but thanks god the most are fair peoples.

In case somebody would not give the deposit back to one of my costumers, if I see the landlord is wrong, I would call my company lawyer to solve it out, the police would be the last step.

I'd have to agree with the last poster. I built my house 8 years ago, mainly out of teak, on 1 rai of land near Bosang. Assuming that the house doesn't burn down, the teak is more valuable and could be removed from the house and sold for a lot more than I paid for it. The area has grown, so I would assume that the 1 rai is more valuable now. I built it and bought the property when the baht was around 39-40 to the dollar. It is in my wife's name now but will be changed to my 4 year old son in around 10 years. I moved back to the states 4 years ago for 7-8 years for my wife's 3 kids education (and my son's), so the house has sat vacant since then, paying a friend of my wife's to take care of the house. I would like to rent it but would not for less than 20,000 baht a month, with 2 month's deposit. It is fully furnished and has two large teak carvings built into 2 walls. It would cost 160,000 to 180,000 baht just to replace them if damaged. After reading this topic, I have less desire to rent out the house, except on my terms.

If you like, contact me and I we will try to find a good renter for you, we also take care of your property free of charge (not including maintain fees) calling craftsmen’s or any organizing work is included in our free service. http://www.buyrentchiangmai.com

[scorecard]

There are other points to look at in this subject.

I own a luxury house in the Chonburi area. The rental income i've had from this house over about 8 years has in fact fallen well short of the damage which tenants have done to the house and the swimming pool.

The rental agreements have been with : a farang man (lived alone but with 'visitors'), farang with Thai wife, and farang husband with farang wife.

The first tenant (farang with Thai mere noi (with farang wife living about three kilometres away) trashed the ceramics in the swimming pool - regularly threw the girls motor cyle and her Thai boyfriends motorcycles into the pool, and more. Final straw was when he threw both mocys into the pool plus the fridge and the TV and some expensive teak cupboards.

Farang husband with farang wife - she tried every trick in the book to avoid paying full rental. e.g. rent transfer arrived in my bank, 20% short, I call her and ask why... "because it's been a bit cooler and we haven't used the pool so much in the last month". Rent cut 15%, I ask why "Because my husband did some research and discovered that the motor on the swimming pool filter is a bit too big, motor could be replaced with a slightly smaller motor therefore I have cut the rent payment. Well before the lease period was finished she found another house closer to where most of her expat female friends all lived. Made numerous claims of how the landlord (me) had broken the lease agreement, e.g. sheets on the beds were not new when she moved in (in reality it was not agreed to provide any sheets, just bed frame and mattress), therefore landlord had broken the lease agreemment. The lady concerned was a pig and left the house filthy dirty. I returned zero deposit.

On the other hand I have had perfect tenants, one farang who bought several cans of good quality paint and other supplies and occupied a lot of his time in doing small repairs and small touch up paint jobs. I offered to reimbuse his costs and he wouldnty't accept. Also found a deal to get quality internet service at very low rate because he paid three years in advance. I quickly returned his two months deposit in full when he had to return to Switzerland, I tried to reimburse the balance of the money he had paid on the internet service, he refused to accept it.

Edited September 16, 2012 by scorecard

[worgeordie]

Two sides to every coin, Yes some landlords do not want to return deposits,

and some tenants leave to place in a right mess, and damage plus unpaid

utility bills that can amount to more than the 2 months security deposit.

We all ways require 2 months deposit,as its a big risk for the landlord as well,

with furnishings up to 200.000,the deposit goes no where near covering it.

So really its all down to luck, your lucky if you get good tenant,and tenant is

also lucky to find good landlord,theres risk on both sides,so use common sense

Regards Worgeordie