Renting a Condo - How long is the process?

[SirMuttley]

Hi,

I'm moving to Bangkok in a few weeks for work. I have already booked a condo on AirBNB for the first 2 weeks. I've shortlisted a few Condo blocks for my permanent accommodation and plan to view some condos in them as soon as I arrive.

How long does it generally take from finding a condo to moving in? If I managed to find a condo I wanted in the first 4 days of being in the country how are my chances of being in before my stay at the AirBNB condo is up?

Cheers

[edwardandtubs]

Usually ready to move in the same day you view it, if you hand over 2 months deposit and 1 month rent in advance.

[ubonjoe]

Moved to the main housing fourm

[SirMuttley]

Usually ready to move in the same day you view it, if you hand over 2 months deposit and 1 month rent in advance.

Oh right ok.

Do I need to have a bank account for them to take money from or are they generally happy if I just send them money once a month?

Guess I should have asked here first before I rented the place on AirBNB, at least it means I'm not in such a rush now.

Thanks for the help.

[SirMuttley]

Moved to the main housing fourm

Thanks, I wasn't really sure the best place for it.

[SirMuttley]

Oh I guess one follow up question.

I've mostly been looking on ddproperty and prakard. Are the rental prices given fixed or generally open to negotiation?

Cheers

[KittenKong]

Are the rental prices given fixed or generally open to negotiation?

All rentals are 100% negotiable in Thailand.

There is no reason why you shouldn't move into a vacant condo the same day.

Some landlords will do their best to avoid repaying your deposit.

Watch out for scams with utility charges.

Make sure you have a complete rental contract in English and don't hesitate to re-write it to suit your requirements and desires, notably regarding repairs and maintenance. If the landlord doesn't like that just walk away. There are far more empty condos here than there are potential tenants.

[vaultdweller0013]

Usually ready to move in the same day you view it, if you hand over 2 months deposit and 1 month rent in advance.

Pretty much my experience in BKK, at least with the 25-60k THB/month market. Biggest issue I ran into is that the owner of a unit I rented was overseas, so it took them a week or so to sort out the paperwork when I moved in. Rent has been paid by deposit into a bank account specified by the landlord, but this can be done with cash at the bank that holds the account (or at cash deposit machines); all that is needed is the account number.

All the places I've rented I've found by identifying the location I wanted to stay and walking into the condos and asking if there were units available; however, I was able to leverage people who spoke Thai through work and then later on my girlfriend. DDproperty can give you a genreal idea of complexes and price ranges, but they don't cover anywhere near all units available.

Only issue you may run into is that I had my Work Permit when I started looking for a place to rent (company paid for my first month in Thailand at a hotel), if you are still in the process of getting your work permit, I don't know what, if any, alternative documentation they would want to see.

As stated earlier, watch out for utility costs: electricity should be paid directly to the MEA (public utility); water should be at or under 20 baht per unit (I have no idea what a "unit" is in standard measures, but it seems consistent across complexes)

[balo]

My experience is that most owners prefer cash payment, unless you suggest a bank transfer. If you're looking for minimum 1 year contracts it's possible to reduce the rent , especially if it's an expensive farang area you're moving to .

[Card]

Oh I guess one follow up question.

I've mostly been looking on ddproperty and prakard. Are the rental prices given fixed or generally open to negotiation?

Cheers

I've been renting in central Bangkok for over 10 years. I've always paid by direct debit each month but most owneres don't mind as long as it is regular without fuss. The rent is often negotiable, a little bit, especially, as I do contract for 2 years rather than just 1. But as a beginner, you should just do 1 year to start with.

I really recommend Goldengateasia for renting:

< website link removed contact member by PM for contact info>

The best agent (from UK) I have ever had anywhere and he can get you a good price, as there is a glut, even more if you say you are a Man Cit supporter (go on grit your teeth and say Man Cit are the best). Believe me - just go to their web site.

Edited May 31, 2014 by ubonjoe

[Steiner]

Why did you not choose a reputable agent with good reviews and have a short list of condos to view on arrival based on location of your work/office and social preferences?

Not that difficult, pm me if you want some pointers.

A word on airbnb, they are banned in more condos every day and most of the people renting rooms are doing so as an illegal sublet.

If you are discovered, usually because you are trying to use the facilities without the proper cards etc or forget your room number/lose your card, expect to be on the street at short notice as the person who rented you the condo will be out instantly and police may be called.

There is a piece a out this in the Bangkok Post about airbnb and the issues they cause.

They are presently being sued in a number of countries.

Edited May 31, 2014 by Steiner

[ggt]

Once you locate a condo you like...assuming you have the funds and proper visa...one or two days should do it...

[soistalker]

Once you locate a condo you like...assuming you have the funds and proper visa...one or two days should do it...

Proper visa? Do you need anything more than a tourist visa to rent a place? I have rented several places; visa never came up.

[realenglish1]

Pay the money Move in Its very simple

[shaul19]

To my GF it tools one time to see and after get my approval pay three month in advance and that it.

[Dellie]

Once you locate a condo you like...assuming you have the funds and proper visa...one or two days should do it...

Don't kid yourself. Nobody cares what kind of visa you're on when renting a condo. Just sign the contract and put up 2 months deposit and 1 month rent in advance. That's it unless maybe some rare instances where a company/agency owns the condo or it's owned by the developer themselves but even then it's less then 5% of the time.

Edited May 31, 2014 by Dellie

[BrooklynNY]

Make sure you have a rental contract written in details clearly and pay when moving in after the contract signed but not before. Do not eagerly pay in advance because there are many cheaters in Thailand who pray on foreigners and even Thais who live abroad, especially ones who has fixed return date to leave Thailand. Sometimes they stall the refund of the deposit for a few more weeks with an excuse that they have wait for the last utility bills so that to have an accurate calculation, instead of calculating the difference of each month usage.

I was lucky to have found an honest apartment owner that let me read the electric meter and water is free of charge. I received full refund on the day of my contract ended. I made sure that I cleaned the apartment and all were in good order with an inspection of the housekeeper. She was happy that she did not have to do any cleaning, I offered to do my own.

My concern is the future trip that I have to rent a condo which is not easy to find an honest owner.

Edited May 31, 2014 by BrooklynNY

[SirMuttley]

Thank you all for your replies.

I'm only in Airbnb for 2 weeks whilst I find a permanent place. Whilst I had assumed the condos probably weren't supposed to be sublet I've rented through Airbnb before and so far not had any issues.

At the moment I'm looking to stay in On Nut area. I've narrowed it down to about 3 different blocks based on looking at places like prakard and ddproperty. I just need to get to Bangkok and see some of the condos to make up my mind.

I'm glad that it won't take too long to get into a place once I've picked one. I'll make sure to get a proper contract in English. Glad they don't need a bank account as I'm guessing I need a permanent address to get one.

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[GinBoy2]

As a 'thai' landlord, if you want I can send you a sample contract in English if you want.

[SirMuttley]

As a 'thai' landlord, if you want I can send you a sample contract in English if you want.

Yes please, that would be fantastic.

Thanks

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[GinBoy2]

Make sure you have a rental contract written in details clearly and pay when moving in after the contract signed but not before. Do not eagerly pay in advance because there are many cheaters in Thailand who pray on foreigners and even Thais who live abroad, especially ones who has fixed return date to leave Thailand. Sometimes they stall the refund of the deposit for a few more weeks with an excuse that they have wait for the last utility bills so that to have an accurate calculation, instead of calculating the difference of each month usage.

I was lucky to have found an honest apartment owner that let me read the electric meter and water is free of charge. I received full refund on the day of my contract ended. I made sure that I cleaned the apartment and all were in good order with an inspection of the housekeeper. She was happy that she did not have to do any cleaning, I offered to do my own.

My concern is the future trip that I have to rent a condo which is not easy to find an honest owner.

In general stay away from any owner that insists on you paying him/her the utility charges. The owner of the condo 'owns' the meter thats a given, but you are perfectly within your rights to pay MEA or PEA directly, which I would advise. All my tenants pay their own utility bills.

[GinBoy2]

As a 'thai' landlord, if you want I can send you a sample contract in English if you want.

Yes please, that would be fantastic.

Thanks

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[Lex Talionis]

I'm currently renting in BKK for short term - 3 months - after a substantial search effort. Most condo rentals here I found to be 1 year minimum lease: a drawback because you can never really discover the "issues" without living in it for a few days or optimally a week or month. All condos have them it's just a matter of are they deal breakers for you. Noisy neighbors/neighborhood, water temperature fluctuations (if not on-demand but central), aircon up to stuff?, insect issues, gym capacity at required hours, pool maintenance and "lane" availability if doing daily laps, & etc. A laundry list of things that can be wrong and then you're stuck. Short term rent with the option of going long is the answer to this but I think you'll find very few owners willing to go that way. Maybe I'm wrong. Would be interested in some feedback along these lines.

[weiwei55]

Usually ready to move in the same day you view it, if you hand over 2 months deposit and 1 month rent in advance.

deposit can be anything from 1 month to 3 months (or more). 2 months is common.

[bkkjames]

I'm currently renting in BKK for short term - 3 months - after a substantial search effort. Most condo rentals here I found to be 1 year minimum lease: a drawback because you can never really discover the "issues" without living in it for a few days or optimally a week or month. All condos have them it's just a matter of are they deal breakers for you. Noisy neighbors/neighborhood, water temperature fluctuations (if not on-demand but central), aircon up to stuff?, insect issues, gym capacity at required hours, pool maintenance and "lane" availability if doing daily laps, & etc. A laundry list of things that can be wrong and then you're stuck. Short term rent with the option of going long is the answer to this but I think you'll find very few owners willing to go that way. Maybe I'm wrong. Would be interested in some feedback along these lines.

Get a serviced apartment.