New apartment rental - previous tenant committed suicide

[MartSSS]

Hi all.

My thai girlfriend is in the process of moving apartments. She signed the lease agreement last week for the new apartment and we have paid the 2 month deposit and first month rent. She has given notice on her previous apartment and was all set to move in to the new apartment on 1st July. That was until she found out today that the previous tenant had committed suicide in the apartment (including graphic pictures of the aftermath). She now refuses to stay in the new apartment.

Does anyone have any advice on whether there is anything that can be done to recover any of the deposit or first months rent as she has not yet moved in?

The property agent obviously didn't mention the suicide - legally should she have? We have not spoken to the agent yet since finding out. I have suggested that my girlfriend talks to the agent calmly tomorrow about the situation and hope the agent willingly refunds (some of) the money, but I don't hold my hopes up on that happening!

I am due to arrive in Thailand later this week to help her move in. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

[saakura]

Arrange for some buddhist rituals to purify the place and drive away any ghosts, if that can reassure the gf.

[worgeordie]

This is not the West,no legal responsibility by the agent to tell you

what happened in property,and that been the case you will be very

lucky to claim your deposit back,maybe next time talk to niebours

about noise,ghosts etc,before signing contract.

regards worgeordie

[mcfish]

This is not the West,no legal responsibility by the agent to tell you

what happened in property,and that been the case you will be very

lucky to claim your deposit back,maybe next time talk to niebours

about noise,ghosts etc,before signing contract.

regards worgeordie

errr its the neighbors that will be making the actual noise. Unlikely the would say "we velly noisy"

Im assuming your joking about knocking on doors and asking about ghosts?

[mcfish]

Even in the west suicide murder disclosure varies from country to country and court judgement vary in results as well.

Never give an agent in Thailand 2 months rent deposit, ever! Negotiate it down to one month or move along until you find a landlord that will negotiate.

[blackcab]

The agent did not have to disclose, assuming they knew themselves.

If you break the terms of your contract by moving out before the lease is completed, you forfeit your deposit.

[mcfish]

Buy some candles and a Ouija board and attempt to contact the ghost but gently take control of the slider so she doesn't feel it and spell out that he will leave..problem solved.

The only down side is you may actually really contact the ghost and become possessed followed by a screaming leap off the balcony...just sayin

[gdgbb]

This is not the West,no legal responsibility by the agent to tell you

what happened in property,and that been the case you will be very

lucky to claim your deposit back,maybe next time talk to niebours

about noise,ghosts etc,before signing contract.

regards worgeordie

There is no obligation to disclose it in the west either.

[hagler]

Get a new girfriend. Easier than getting a new apartment. Just tell her you comitted suicide in a previous life

[trogers]

Erect a shrine for those lottery gamblers...

You would rake in multiple times the rental charge.

[payanak]

There is no obligation to disclose it in the west either.

Obviously you don't live in California.

[blackcab]

There is no obligation to disclose it in the west either.

Obviously you don't live in California.

Or in the UK, where the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 covers this.

[wpcoe]

There is no obligation to disclose it in the west either.

Obviously you don't live in California.

Correct. I just sold a house in California last month, and among the 42 pages of legally required disclosures was one stating that nobody had died on the property within the past seven years.

[manarak]

There is no obligation to disclose it in the west either.

Obviously you don't live in California.

Correct. I just sold a house in California last month, and among the 42 pages of legally required disclosures was one stating that nobody had died on the property within the past seven years.

it's sad that superstitions get legal support.

OTH, I guess it's good for rational people who might get some discount

[siam2007]

There is no obligation to disclose it in the west either.

Obviously you don't live in California.

Or in the UK, where the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 covers this.

kinda unfair, as you can hardly blame the landlord that a suicide happened in his property

[CHRISTIANa9]

Wait a minute. op is not in land of thai yet.

[wpcoe]

There is no obligation to disclose it in the west either.

Obviously you don't live in California.

Or in the UK, where the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 covers this.

kinda unfair, as you can hardly blame the landlord that a suicide happened in his property

Or, that a modern-day Jeffrey Dahmer lived there for three of the past seven years.