House Rental Contract

[kawaiimomo]

I just found a nice townhouse for rent for 10000. I have only lived in a studio apartment so far and my company made the contract, so I have no idea on how it works.

I want to rent that house and be sure that if there is some problem like water leakage, electric failures, and the like the owner will take care. Also I would like to get my deposit back when I move out.

I would sure appreciate any comment from you guys on how to negotiate the contract, what to expect, etc

Thanks!

[IamNotaNumber]

It is common for contracts to include phrases like "the owner will be responsible for repairs/maintenance exceeding x thousand Baht" (1000 Baht in my case, though it started at 3000B) and "the tenant will be responsible for lesser amounts". Up to you to ensure that the terms suit you. When I signed my contract I just amended all the things I didn't like in it and gave it back to the agent for him to sign, which of course he did. There are far more places available to rent than there are tenants wanting to live in them.

As for deposits, that's a thorny old question that has no practical answer. Pay as little as possible and that way you can't lose too much if the owner or agent wont give it back to you later. I paid 1 month deposit on a 12-month contract and would not be willing to pay more.

If in doubt, get what you want down in writing as clearly as you possibly can and get it signed by the landlord or his agent. Talk is very cheap, especially here.

[aussiebebe]

Never trust a Thai landlord that they have even home insurance for their property; most Thais don't despite premiums being quite reasonable. If a house you rent burns down, they will likely come after you. Protect yourself by buying a renters insurance policy from any reputable insurance company - they all sell them. You'll just need to know the approximate value of the property. In Thailand, you'll lose you deposit if you leave before the agreed time-frame, but most often the land lord will return it minus expenses if you complete the duration of the contract but cause any damage to fixtures or fittings. Worst case, it's not returned and you've lost 20,000baht; even then Thailand compares quite favourably to other countries. In the UK, a letting agency might charge you more than that as a non-refundable admin fee, whilst in Japan you pay two months rent, one months key money and one months 'thank you' to the owner - that's 4 months upfront in a country where a shoebox costs $1,200/month and it's never refunded. Period. In Thailand, it's odds-on that you'll get all the deposit returned if you complete the contract, you just have to protect yourself with your own insurance policy.

[davejones]

Never trust a Thai landlord that they have even home insurance for their property; most Thais don't despite premiums being quite reasonable. If a house you rent burns down, they will likely come after you. Protect yourself by buying a renters insurance policy from any reputable insurance company - they all sell them. You'll just need to know the approximate value of the property. In Thailand, you'll lose you deposit if you leave before the agreed time-frame, but most often the land lord will return it minus expenses if you complete the duration of the contract but cause any damage to fixtures or fittings. Worst case, it's not returned and you've lost 20,000baht; even then Thailand compares quite favourably to other countries. In the UK, a letting agency might charge you more than that as a non-refundable admin fee, whilst in Japan you pay two months rent, one months key money and one months 'thank you' to the owner - that's 4 months upfront in a country where a shoebox costs $1,200/month and it's never refunded. Period. In Thailand, it's odds-on that you'll get all the deposit returned if you complete the contract, you just have to protect yourself with your own insurance policy.

If the house burning down has nothing to do with you, then the landlord doesn't have a claim against you. If you are negligent, then of course you are liable. But how many condos burn down? If the landlord doesn't have insurance, then that is his/her problem.

[LennyW]

Use a clear contract with as much detail as you want in both Thai and English, the contract will only be as good as what both parties agree on, here's an example......

rental_contract.pdf

[mccw]

Has anyone ever tried to enforce / make claims based on a thai contract?

[mccw]

Are there any statutory notice periods or amount of unpaid rent before possession proceeding? Are there even legal possession procedures/ structures?

I was under the impression it amounted to a boot up the backside.