How To Prevent A Halloween Horror Story?

[VizaWhat1]

I've been in SE Asia a long time. Recently I was shopping for an apartment. I told the girl at the front desk, I was mostly interested in a one-month deal, maybe longer, but one-month would do fine.

Picked one out, and then we went through all the numbers and the big question? How do I get my (rather hefty) security deposit back at the end of the month? OK, she lays it all out for me (in broken English as usual). OK, let's see the money, I move in. OK, here's your receipt and by the way, here's a 3-page lease agreement!!!! Sort of like Bait and Switch? Oh, oh. At the bottom of the receipt is something about they can keep my deposit for 20 days.

The 3 pages are even worse. Besides being a bad translation, there's more about the 20-day thing. There's such gems as, if you lease the room, you forfeit your securuty deposit!!! BUt I'm moved in! I tell her that this is not what you were talking about 10 minutes ago. She says that it doesn't apply to farangs, only Thais??!!! I tell her I will talk to someone else before signing it. Now I know that such contracts are not supposed to be worth the bamboo they're printed on, but this one.....

So I talk with someone from TTA, I don't tell them all the details, but he says if I think there's something wrong with the contract - just don't sign it. So I don't, but I'm getting pressure form the hotel staff to sign - everyone else did! At first I thought they were just going to give me my money back and I'd just move out afre a day or two; but apprently someone in Bangkok nixed that idea.

So I ended up going to the tourist police - just for some ideas. He had the girl call him, and what was arrived at was..... I get my money back at the end of the month (as I'm moving out?), and then I sign the contract, not before. I hope I haven't inadvertently declared war on the hotel, face and all.

So the big question - What are the chances of this working??? as is? I realy can't sit around for 20 days after the fact.

[payak]

always got mine back, never really worried about it.

[jacktrip]

you should have asked for the money back when then presented the paper afterwards, rather then before you paid.

one little thing, even calling you farang, and the whole deal is off.

if you cant find or afford a professional place, then use a real estate agent.

[farang000999]

maybe you can rent some space in the housing they keep the slaves construction workers in.

[DP25]

There's such gems as, if you lease the room, you forfeit your securuty deposit!!! BUt I'm moved in!

That means if you rent out the room to someone else you forfeit your deposit.

[rixalex]

When you rent anywhere, you will be required to take something of a leap of faith with regards the landlord/lady, returning your deposit, but there is not much you can do about that. I think you just have to take a chance. 99.9% of landlords just want tenants to follow basic common sense and to respect the property they are staying in and not take the piss. Tenants do that and landlords usually will be keen to not mess them about and return their money promptly. It's always a two way thing. Treat people as you wish to be treated, and usually you'll be alright.

P.S. title of this thread is a bit confusing

[Trembly]

When you rent anywhere, you will be required to take something of a leap of faith with regards the landlord/lady, returning your deposit, but there is not much you can do about that. I think you just have to take a chance. 99.9% of landlords just want tenants to follow basic common sense and to respect the property they are staying in and not take the piss. Tenants do that and landlords usually will be keen to not mess them about and return their money promptly. It's always a two way thing. Treat people as you wish to be treated, and usually you'll be alright.

P.S. title of this thread is a bit confusing

I've heard countless horror stories but it has so far been my luck to encounter perfectly reasonable landlords as above, and in my most recent case an absolute gem who agreed to postpone the deposit because I hadn't yet been paid and couldn't afford it yet. Five months in she waived the deposit altogether. She also agreed to count the cost of beds + and mattresses against rent, all this without even meeting me (I communicated over the phone with the the neighbour acting as her agent).

[rixalex]

When you rent anywhere, you will be required to take something of a leap of faith with regards the landlord/lady, returning your deposit, but there is not much you can do about that. I think you just have to take a chance. 99.9% of landlords just want tenants to follow basic common sense and to respect the property they are staying in and not take the piss. Tenants do that and landlords usually will be keen to not mess them about and return their money promptly. It's always a two way thing. Treat people as you wish to be treated, and usually you'll be alright.

P.S. title of this thread is a bit confusing

I've heard countless horror stories but it has so far been my luck to encounter perfectly reasonable landlords as above, and in my most recent case an absolute gem who agreed to postpone the deposit because I hadn't yet been paid and couldn't afford it yet. Five months in she waived the deposit altogether. She also agreed to count the cost of beds + and mattresses against rent, all this without even meeting me (I communicated over the phone with the the neighbour acting as her agent).

That's great.

Regards the countless horror stories you have heard, don't forget you might just be hearing one side of the story. Tenants tend to me more vocal in their complaints when they feel they have been badly treated.

I'm a landlord myself and always treat my tenants with the same respect they show me. It requires a degree of blind trust, and sometimes you do get your fingers burned. Had one tenant who moved out without telling me and stole all my furniture and white goods. There's not much you can do about it.