How to get deposit money back from a dodgy landlord?

[mangyH2obuffalo]

I am having a hard time getting my deposit back from my landlord (45,000B).  The month before my agreement was up I asked the property manager if I could renew the lease.  She told me it was no problem and that she would make a new contract.  Three months go by and she asks me to meet her to sign the old contract (the person is really flakey).  I meet her assuming I will sign a new contract as well.  I sign the old one and then she tells me the land lady wants me out in 2 weeks because she has decided to knock out my wall.

 

I was really upset since I had no time to look for an apartment as the uni I teach at is quite a commute and I was finishing the last weeks of the semester.  I told her that she couldn't just expect me out in 2 weeks that it is kind of unexpected and unrealistic.  Her solution was to move me upstairs into another unit for more money.  The unit was bigger without a kitchen and the property manager said she would ask the land lady to rent it for $18,000 (I was paying 17,200 for my original).  I really didn't want to deal with apartment hunting so I said I would look at the unit.  I met the land lady and prop manager.  We got off to a bad start when the land lady told me she would rent it to me for $20,000 a month.  That is when I made the mistake of trying to logically sum up the situation  (1)  you are kicking me out with 2 weeks notice and (2) you're trying to make me pay 3,000 more.  They acted like they were doing me a favor and tried throwing in meaningless concessions like an iron for my clothes and that she would by me a hot plate and lower the price to $19,000.  I said absolutely not and I think they're missing the point.

 

The prop manager contacted another prop manager to find a place for me and I have since relocated and had to fork over 51,000Baht for the new deposit which has really screwed my school break holiday because I haven't gotten my deposit back from the place that booted me.

 

Anyways, two other people in my building had to fight tooth and nail to get there money months later.  These are the same people who charged me $1,000 baht for move in cleaning that done so poorly they didn't dust and merely swept debris to the corners of the room.

 

What about naming and shaming via social networking, etc?  Can I name these people here?.........Be careful when renting in the Ari area is what I will leave it at for now.

 

Any suggestions or advice would be appreciated.

 

 

Edited December 3, 2016 by mangyH2obuffalo

[al007]

Sadly you appear to have been screwed, but remember this is Thailand

 

So far as I understand the defamation laws here are almost as difficult as the laws preventing comments on the royal family

 

Be careful as I understand it, even if you tell the full truth, under the defamation laws the person you are naming has the right to bring not only a civil action but also a criminal action against you, and you already know your landlord is not a nice person

 

I would like to name and shame a hospital for medical malpractice but I believe it is too dangerous, even using internet cafes and VPNs, these defamation laws protect the crooks

 

Unfortunately you have now moved, and are having difficulty getting your deposit back, something that seems the norm in Thailand

 

You would have been better to agree the increase, and stay, so as not to loose your deposit and at the end of the term stop paying the rent so as to TAKE your deposit back

 

I am not a lawyer and only give advice based on my understandings and simple common sense

 

Move on put this behind you, otherwise you will be beaten up more mentally

 

Good Luck

[williamgeorgeallen]

i wonder what happens if you just refuse to move out until you get your deposit back. i suspect they will just change the locks and you would have trouble getting your stuff back. also wonder if it is worth going to the local police station to show them the contract and offer them a cash reward to get the deposit back. cops actually work quite well when they are getting paid.

 i sold my house last year and my new condo is not finished so i rented a house in the mean time. got one with the smallest deposit i could negotiate which was  5000thb. i know there is a good chance i will loose it. good luck and let us know how you get on.

[NoshowJones]

I have just been thinking about the Thai defamation laws, I wonder if the OP has family or friends in his home country who could name and shame this landlord, then he cannot be charged with defamation, surely he would not be breaking any Thai law by telling someone else exactly what happened. The landlord is not going to be able to sue anyone in another country.

 

But again, if this was possible, surely someone would have done this by now, maybe they have.

[AdiP]

I am in the same position as you and did a post here also. You can not name and shame directly.

What I basically figured out which has helped me is to give them the opportunity to pay you back minus any normal fair deductions by a certain date. Failing that tell them you are willing to walk away from it but you can report this to the Consumer Protection Department in the Amphur and more importantly the Tax & Revenue office showing the contract. 90% of landlords do not fulfill their legal obligations and declare and pay tax on their rentals. Obviously word it so its not a threat but be prepared to follow through on it. As soon as I requested the landlords bank account details from my agent the landlord immediately contacted me wanting a resolution. I hope this may help you.

 

Obviously legal proceedings are not an option due to costs and landlords know this. How ever if they risk the tax and revenue department getting their teeth into them then good luck. Will cost them a fortune in fines and taxes..

 

 

Edited December 4, 2016 by AdiP

[ThaiWai]

I just went through this.  Moved out a month early but had paid the rent.  Went back to check on the house and found the landlord inside doing renovations.  Since he took control of the house already I demanded my deposit returned, 70,000.  He came up with every excuse in the book and then finally out of the blue transferred 40,000.  He refused to answer any form of communication after that and thought I would back off, I just kept scouting the house until I caught him there again.  This time he had contractors working in the house and tried to blame me for some made up damages.  I told him he let people into the house without my approval while I still was on the lease.  It was impossible to know who made any damages.  I ripped into him for the next 20 minutes and videoed the entire thing until he promised another 20,000 which he sent the next day.  The power and wifi were another 3000 so he only beat me out of 7000.  It was worth it though to see his GF watch him being eviscerated.  

[gemguy]

All too often here in Thailand you can expect the land lord(s)  to think of your money as now being their money.

Basically you have to contemplate your security deposit or and damage deposit ( whatever terminology used for the upfront money ) will be be kept by the landlord....or tried to be kept.

That being the case then best to plan on not paying the rent for X amount of months equivalent to the damage and or security deposit value when you do plan to move...(if it can be arranged that way)...while many people do plan it that way anyhow after learning that the condo management or the condo /apartment owners are sleazy and hardly trustworthy in various ways.

I have heard about this same sort of scenario all too many times when the Tenant(s) believe they will have their deposit money returned but end up fighting with the landlord who has used their deposit money for "whatever" and never really intended to return the money anyhow ...even if there is a contractual agreement to do so.

We all know or can discern the differences between normal and acceptable wear and tear and usage during the time a person rents as compared to "Actual Damages" done to the landlords property while most often the landlord will try to claim that normal wear and tear is "damage" and the reasons or ( lame excuses) as to why the up front money will not be returned.

Here in Thailand they commonly get away with that argument or reasoning and pocket your money and then argued as "Just Business" ...The room or property rental business.

There are laws and regulations now in place but Thailand being Thailand, those laws and or regulations are difficult to enforce while they ( the landlords that are sleazy) are counting on you to walk away from your loss and move on while they get to keep your money....and more often than not when there is a dispute over the up front money to be returned.

Even if you have a contract that covers all the details and possibilities the contract does not stop the sleazy landlords from TRYING to not return the money.

 

Cheers

Edited December 4, 2016 by gemguy

[andre47]

1 hour ago, AdiP said:

I am in the same position as you and did a post here also. You can not name and shame directly.

What I basically figured out which has helped me is to give them the opportunity to pay you back minus any normal fair deductions by a certain date. Failing that tell them you are willing to walk away from it but you can report this to the Consumer Protection Department in the Amphur and more importantly the Tax & Revenue office showing the contract. 90% of landlords do not fulfill their legal obligations and declare and pay tax on their rentals. Obviously word it so its not a threat but be prepared to follow through on it. As soon as I requested the landlords bank account details from my agent the landlord immediately contacted me wanting a resolution. I hope this may help you.

 

Obviously legal proceedings are not an option due to costs and landlords know this. How ever if they risk the tax and revenue department getting their teeth into them then good luck. Will cost them a fortune in fines and taxes..

 

 

 

Yes, threaten the landlord with Consumer Protection Department the Tax & Revenue office is a good way. Another point could be that the landlord is working without work permit. I assume that the house is not on his name. So he is working for the owner without WP. Did he register you with the Immigration? I guess not...

[mstevens]

2 hours ago, AdiP said:

Obviously legal proceedings are not an option due to costs and landlords know this. How ever if they risk the tax and revenue department getting their teeth into them then good luck. Will cost them a fortune in fines and taxes..

 

This is exactly what I did when this happened to me in the past.  I very casually asked whether they were meeting their Revenue Department obligations on the rent I was paying - which was directly into the account of the American owner of the condo.  Very quickly my deposit was returned.

[DKNY77]

I moved into a place in July. '15 ....6k deposit. There was no lease this was a month to month ,,The owner of this condo/hotel,,,assured me I'd get back the deposit if I gave 15 days notice. ok fair enough ..when it came time to renew my retirement visa after 7 months at the place I had been staying,, I told her I needed the TM-30  receipt well it turns out she never filed one ..like she was/is required to do. So she filled out the form and dated it for the present day..she didn't want immigration to find out I'd been living there for the 7 months prior because they fine the hell out of her.. Realizing she never filed  the TM-30 it was evident she liked to fly under the radar and  led me to believe she probably never paid her taxes either. Well anyway I renewed my visa and a few months later I gave her notification I would be leaving..when the day came I  asked for my deposit.. well no surprise ...the answer was no... OK  I pulled out every dated paid rent receipt signed by her dating back nearly a year. INCLUDING THE 7 MONTHS SHE LIED TO IMMIGRATION ABOUT.Also I showed her a paper that had all the nec. info with regards to tax and revenue dept.I calmly explained to her at the very least I wouldn't have to pay ,SHE'D have to pay 2k in fines to immigration alone ,maybe more  ..not to mention  the guaranteed backlash of her not returning tenants deposit and possible problems with tax and revenue..and Consumer protection . She said she pays her taxes..I said good then you wont have nothing to worry about when I go there and they check you out..She became agitated cursed me in Thai and said fine! I don't need all this problems with you I give you money you go! I said ok..5 minutes later I had 6k in my hand.   As far as naming and shaming,,I know a guy that got screwed over by not getting his deposit back..he went on various sites,,craigslist, facebook,tripadviser ...etc..trashed the heck out of the place and the owner ..just did it all under a false name..I think he even started a website..no one caught him.

Edited December 4, 2016 by DKNY77

[gemguy]

12 minutes ago, DKNY77 said:

I moved into a place in July. '15 ....6k deposit. There was no lease this was a month to month ,,The owner of this condo/hotel,,,assured me I'd get back the deposit if I gave 15 days notice. ok fair enough ..when it came time to renew my retirement visa after 7 months at the place I had been staying,, I told her I needed the TM-30  receipt well it turns out she never filed one ..like she was/is required to do. So she filled out the form and dated it for the present day..she didn't want immigration to find out I'd been living there for the 7 months prior because they fine the hell out of her.. Realizing she never filed  the TM-30 it was evident she liked to fly under the radar and  led me to believe she probably never paid her taxes either. Well anyway I renewed my visa and a few months later I gave her notification I would be leaving..when the day came I  asked for my deposit.. well no surprise ...the answer was no... OK  I pulled out every dated paid rent receipt signed by her dating back nearly a year. INCLUDING THE 7 MONTHS SHE LIED TO IMMIGRATION ABOUT.Also I showed her a paper that had all the nec. info with regards to tax and revenue dept.I calmly explained to her at the very least I wouldn't have to pay ,SHE'D have to pay 2k in fines to immigration alone ,maybe more  ..not to mention  the guaranteed backlash of her not returning tenants deposit and possible problems with tax and revenue..and Consumer protection . She said she pays her taxes..I said good then you wont have nothing to worry about when I go there and they check you out..She became agitated cursed me in Thai and said fine! I don't need all this problems with you I give you money you go! I said ok..5 minutes later I had 6k in my hand.   As far as naming and shaming,,I know a guy that got screwed over by not getting his deposit back..he went on various sites,,craigslist, facebook,tripadviser ...etc..trashed the heck out of the place and the owner ..just did it all under a false name..I think he even started a website..no one caught him.

Like I was saying....Contracts and agreements and  laws and regulations do NOT stop them from TRYING to screw you over....while commonly claiming it was just a big misunderstanding on their part after they have been forced to return the money.

Cheers

Edited December 4, 2016 by gemguy

[lungnorm]

Thailand the Land of Smiles.They need a Rental Bond Board to supervise rental bonds as in other countries. All bonds/deposits are paid directly to a body called The Rental Bond Board.  Landlord tells why he wants to keep a bond the tennant tells why he should get it back. The Rental Bond Board makes the decision.

[bark]

4 hours ago, williamgeorgeallen said:

i wonder what happens if you just refuse to move out until you get your deposit back. i suspect they will just change the locks and you would have trouble getting your stuff back. also wonder if it is worth going to the local police station to show them the contract and offer them a cash reward to get the deposit back. cops actually work quite well when they are getting paid.

 i sold my house last year and my new condo is not finished so i rented a house in the mean time. got one with the smallest deposit i could negotiate which was  5000thb. i know there is a good chance i will loose it. good luck and let us know how you get on.

Better to just leave. Turning on the bathtub water on the way out.

[buick]

this is the main reason i have stayed in the same apartment for 7 years.  if i choose to leave, i probably won't get my deposit back plus i have to put down a new deposit at the next place (which i won't get back).

 

in the USA, i always refused to pay my last month rent and forced the landlord to use the deposit money.  even there, with laws, etc... getting deposit money back was more difficult than it should be.

[brianp0803]

Before I  rented a condo close to Ari.  The lady said she did not work and only rented out her condos and was available to help me if needed.  That ended as soon as she got my deposit and I was told I had to do everything myself.  While I was at a coffee shop with her signing the contracts, the previous renter called and wanted to meet her to return the keys.  She told him that she was still waiting for me to arrive and he must return the keys to the office.  He did not get a chance to defend all the deduction she was going to make.

 

One  week after I moved in, the 7 year old washing machine stopped working (out of warranty).  The repair man said the water pumped needed replacing.  The owner asked if I thought it was better to replace with a new or used part.  I did not know she intended me to pay for it.  She insisted that since it was only 7 years old, and out of warranty, that I must have done something to break it.  Maybe I left a coin in my pocket, or pushed a button wrong, or put too many clothes in, or maybe I washed clothes with a full moon.  All she knew was that is was my fault and I must pay.

 

About 4 months later,  2 weeks before the end of December, she started sending me reminders about rent.  I ignored them since rent was not due for 2 more weeks.  About a week later she started calling me.  I ignored the calls because I felt I did not need to pay rent early.

On New Years Eve, I came home with a friend and groceries for a party that night.  She came knocking on my door.  I did not want to talk with her and ignored her.  She started pounding on the door and yelling.  I ignored her.  Then she went and got the police.  The she repeated pounding on the door many times.  She tried to open my door with her keys, but the lock was sticky and she was unable to open my door (but she tried)

 

When I saw the police I opened the door.  I asked why the police came.  She said she told them there was a burglar in my home and I was tied up and they must come quickly.  I called her "liar" in Thai in front of the police.  The police man just smiled.  She lied and told me rent was due on the 30th of the month and I was late and I must go and get her.  I told her I would transfer the money the next day.  She said no - and she would wait for me to go and get cash.  She insisted because I was a teacher I got paid early and I should pay her early.

I later found my lease and it states rent is due on the 1st of the money and a penalty if not paid by the 5th.  She must give 2 days notice before coming to my room.  She have many rentals, I am sure she knew the truth about when rent was due.  She just wanted to get paid early.

I told her she violated the lease.  I moved out the next money without warning.  I was not comfortable that she felt she could use her keys to enter my room any time she wanted for any reason. I may have left the air conditioner on and the windows open.  I knew she would not return my deposit.

 

I have seldom heard of a Thai landlord returning a deposit.  You must have pictures of every small scrape or wear of all furniture.  Verbally showing the damage is quickly forgotten.  When you are leaving, they are looking for ways to keep your deposit.  A six year old couch should have no sign of wear.

[mcfish]

Before I  rented a condo close to Ari.  The lady said she did not work and only rented out her condos and was available to help me if needed.  That ended as soon as she got my deposit and I was told I had to do everything myself.  While I was at a coffee shop with her signing the contracts, the previous renter called and wanted to meet her to return the keys.  She told him that she was still waiting for me to arrive and he must return the keys to the office.  He did not get a chance to defend all the deduction she was going to make.
 
One  week after I moved in, the 7 year old washing machine stopped working (out of warranty).  The repair man said the water pumped needed replacing.  The owner asked if I thought it was better to replace with a new or used part.  I did not know she intended me to pay for it.  She insisted that since it was only 7 years old, and out of warranty, that I must have done something to break it.  Maybe I left a coin in my pocket, or pushed a button wrong, or put too many clothes in, or maybe I washed clothes with a full moon.  All she knew was that is was my fault and I must pay.
 
About 4 months later,  2 weeks before the end of December, she started sending me reminders about rent.  I ignored them since rent was not due for 2 more weeks.  About a week later she started calling me.  I ignored the calls because I felt I did not need to pay rent early.
On New Years Eve, I came home with a friend and groceries for a party that night.  She came knocking on my door.  I did not want to talk with her and ignored her.  She started pounding on the door and yelling.  I ignored her.  Then she went and got the police.  The she repeated pounding on the door many times.  She tried to open my door with her keys, but the lock was sticky and she was unable to open my door (but she tried)
 
When I saw the police I opened the door.  I asked why the police came.  She said she told them there was a burglar in my home and I was tied up and they must come quickly.  I called her "liar" in Thai in front of the police.  The police man just smiled.  She lied and told me rent was due on the 30th of the month and I was late and I must go and get her.  I told her I would transfer the money the next day.  She said no - and she would wait for me to go and get cash.  She insisted because I was a teacher I got paid early and I should pay her early.
I later found my lease and it states rent is due on the 1st of the money and a penalty if not paid by the 5th.  She must give 2 days notice before coming to my room.  She have many rentals, I am sure she knew the truth about when rent was due.  She just wanted to get paid early.
I told her she violated the lease.  I moved out the next money without warning.  I was not comfortable that she felt she could use her keys to enter my room any time she wanted for any reason. I may have left the air conditioner on and the windows open.  I knew she would not return my deposit.
 
I have seldom heard of a Thai landlord returning a deposit.  You must have pictures of every small scrape or wear of all furniture.  Verbally showing the damage is quickly forgotten.  When you are leaving, they are looking for ways to keep your deposit.  A six year old couch should have no sign of wear.

It's a nightmare but not uncommon to see female landlords become completely unhinged, I don't know why but I've seen huge screaming matches between them and farang in my condo lobby in Bangkok

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[inventorinthailand]

Happens all the time, ruining the business for the honest landlords. If EVERYONE refused to pay any deposits, no one would expect it anymore. Pay as you stay, same as in a hotel or ask to talk to previous tenants... 

[mcfish]

Happens all the time, ruining the business for the honest landlords. If EVERYONE refused to pay any deposits, no one would expect it anymore. Pay as you stay, same as in a hotel or ask to talk to previous tenants... 

The other end of the scale are dodgy tenants, anyone who has leased out there condo will know. I just recently had a terrible experience with a Kuwaiti after he convinced me to leave just 2 weeks deposit
What a pig! Won't go into details but I had to cut the electricity and water to get him out. So Im back to one month as you can't have no deposit at all.


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[Minnehaha]

do you want to be "Right" or do you want your money back?

 

waiting 3 months past contract expiration without anything in writing is your first mistake. not putting your desire to move out is second. third is not putting the request for deposit in writing. 

 

aside from the above points ....

 

do you have the receipt from the security deposit? Is it referenced as paid in the lease agreement? 

you first need to be able to show it was paid. you have not mentioned this so we will assume you  have proof. 

 

do you have record of the conversation to extend the lease? even if it is in Line or something like that it is useful. Chat on the phone is useless. notes made on paper of date and time of call is better than useless. 

 

assemble all this to make your case why she should return the money. and in a short clear letter put in writing that you are a noble teacher making a difference in the lives of young people.

and that you understand there was some confusion about the lease renewal. 

finally state that you "want to compromise and go forward in good faith" and settle this respectfully for both of you. 

Ask for all the money back and have the place cleaned of your own money before you write this letter. 

if she does not send the money or respond and if you have her phone number or way to contact her, then start doing so every other day with a nice polite call or message. do not harass but simply remind her. ask her. say the same nice words over and over again. wear her down. 

same with the property manager. but you have less hope with that person. they get paid by the landlord not you and you are of no use to them now. you can plead only for what is rightfully yours that was paid as a security against damages to the property. if the lease was written well it would say that security deposit cannot be used as rent and therefore should be returned to you, assuming you paid rent the 3 months. 

 

forget about lawyers. cost is more than the money you are talking about. 45k is small potatoes. you may get 85% back. that would be better than nothing, which is what you can expect if you get angry, righteous, loud or impolite in any way. they have something you want. you need to act a certain way if you want to see it. 

[catman20]

you dont !

[gemguy]

4 hours ago, lungnorm said:

Thailand the Land of Smiles.They need a Rental Bond Board to supervise rental bonds as in other countries. All bonds/deposits are paid directly to a body called The Rental Bond Board.  Landlord tells why he wants to keep a bond the tennant tells why he should get it back. The Rental Bond Board makes the decision.

Good Idea in theory.

But this is Thailand, while the system, what ever it be, will be corrupted and no doubt about it.

But yes...there should be a regulatory board while the money given as security or damage deposit should be held in escrow or held in an interest bearing account.

That money is legally considered the tenants money until the tenant signs off or signs out of the lease agreement and then discuss the issue of any recognized and agreed  upon damage done to the apartment or condo or property as compared to recognized normal wear and tear.

All too many ( as in not all ) of the Thai people that rent out apartments, or condos or properties are simply money grubbing, small minded individuals that consider the damage deposit and or security deposit as theirs to keep and they will TRY to do exactly that, while all too many of them turn stubborn and outright belligerent about returning the money.

Cheers

[mangyH2obuffalo]

Wow, thanks for all the feedback!  Thank you AdiP and Andre47 as well as others for sharing.   Minnehaha, I want my money back I already know I am right but realize it will never change the way they will continue to do this.  Yeah, should coulda wouda with the new lease.  It was just one of those things where the first month I kind of lost my temper with them because of the move in cleaning fee and it took nearly a month to get wifi put in.  Three weeks into the new apartment without wifi which coincided with the first 2 weeks of school (stressful and need internet) I voiced my displeasure.  Didn't "lose it" stated everything with a smile, albeit, with a tone of disbelief.  So two months before the lease was up it was a simple verbal agreement over the phone and not recorded.  With her working for multiple landlords and locations across BKK and me having my own schedule we never met up.  I tried not to feel uneasy and just actually trust them, have a little faith, "mai bpen rai", she would get here one day in two month and we would sign the new one but in the months leading up to it I was actually not in the apartment when the changing of the lease would have occurred........anyways, lesson learned.  I do have the deposit receipt and the contract which I foolishly retro signed.

 

I think I will go to the ole juristic office in the lobby and start asking them questions about these tax papers she needs to file.  I have already made it clear to the juristic people that these people owe me money.  Now, I will find a way to ask him questions about this and I am sure he will turn around real quickly and let this deplorable woman know that I was inquiring about filing paperwork with this department.

 

I may have made the mistake of writing a bit of a threat but I did tell the prop manager that this has caused me a lot of unnecessary stress and financial problems.  I told her it was not her fault and that I did not blame her. I knew she was acting on behalf of her employer.  I put on a crown of thorns and told her as a teacher I deserved the right to enjoy my holiday time off and that I should not have to lose a week of it waiting for my money.  I then made it clear that since school is out for 5 weeks I had plenty of free time to let other people know about her and Ms. X unethical behaviour via social media and other outlets where farangs look for rentals....................................................TO BE CONTINUED

[gemguy]

51 minutes ago, mangyH2obuffalo said:

Wow, thanks for all the feedback!  Thank you AdiP and Andre47 as well as others for sharing.   Minnehaha, I want my money back I already know I am right but realize it will never change the way they will continue to do this.  Yeah, should coulda wouda with the new lease.  It was just one of those things where the first month I kind of lost my temper with them because of the move in cleaning fee and it took nearly a month to get wifi put in.  Three weeks into the new apartment without wifi which coincided with the first 2 weeks of school (stressful and need internet) I voiced my displeasure.  Didn't "lose it" stated everything with a smile, albeit, with a tone of disbelief.  So two months before the lease was up it was a simple verbal agreement over the phone and not recorded.  With her working for multiple landlords and locations across BKK and me having my own schedule we never met up.  I tried not to feel uneasy and just actually trust them, have a little faith, "mai bpen rai", she would get here one day in two month and we would sign the new one but in the months leading up to it I was actually not in the apartment when the changing of the lease would have occurred........anyways, lesson learned.  I do have the deposit receipt and the contract which I foolishly retro signed.

 

I think I will go to the ole juristic office in the lobby and start asking them questions about these tax papers she needs to file.  I have already made it clear to the juristic people that these people owe me money.  Now, I will find a way to ask him questions about this and I am sure he will turn around real quickly and let this deplorable woman know that I was inquiring about filing paperwork with this department.

 

I may have made the mistake of writing a bit of a threat but I did tell the prop manager that this has caused me a lot of unnecessary stress and financial problems.  I told her it was not her fault and that I did not blame her. I knew she was acting on behalf of her employer.  I put on a crown of thorns and told her as a teacher I deserved the right to enjoy my holiday time off and that I should not have to lose a week of it waiting for my money.  I then made it clear that since school is out for 5 weeks I had plenty of free time to let other people know about her and Ms. X unethical behaviour via social media and other outlets where farangs look for rentals....................................................TO BE CONTINUED

Remember ...You are the vulnerable foreigner .....so watch your back.

 

[mangyH2obuffalo]

On 12/4/2016 at 1:42 PM, DKNY77 said:

Also I showed her a paper that had all the nec. info with regards to tax and revenue dept.I calmly explained to her

Thank you DKNY77, may I ask where you got this paper? Just print off the internet?

 

Also, may I ask what the TM 30 receipt is?  I am not sure if this person goes by the book.....this is Ari....

 

Strange landlady, another tenant that I knew went a month late without paying and they didn't really come after him he just paid double one month.  

 

I usually pay rent 2-4 days early because thats when I get paid but my last month before this happened I was like 3 weeks late on rent and they never said anything.

 

Ex girlfriend, snooped through medicine cabinet and a whole packet of cough drops fell into the toilet and she flushed it which clogged the toilet.  The condo building repairmen were never much help.  I explained what happened and they insisted on using a plunger something I had already done and knew they had to probably remove the toilet from the foundation which they did.  Anyways, fair enough a dumb move on the girl and I figured I would pay but they never charged me for it.

 

She just seems to be a flake with the money or has so much coming from other sources that she doesn't care to track expenses and the property manager is her little minion.  She's old and probably goes to the beauty salon 2-3 times a week to desperately hold on to her already faded youth.  All white powdered up, heavy on the eyelashes, nicely manicured and polished nails.  She has probably used my money on cosmetics and I will never get it back :-(    

 

Anyways, I've rented many times in Thailand and that was my 5th time renting in Bangkok (I rented 5-6 times in the south) and never had problems.  I may have got mildly swindled for damages and repairs and torn shower curtains but I get at least 80-90% back.  Just by coincidence I think 3 of the now 6 that I have rented from had lived and gone to university in the USA and have been to the city I am from.  One of them had a sister who lives in Omaha Nebraska.....anyways, this new land lord seems to have lived in the US and is very kind and welcoming even gave me a papaya when I moved in.  So guess if you rent enough you will run into it.  Managed almost 5 full years without a problem so find a place stick to it as long as you can (which is what I was trying to do).

 

Ok, I guess I am going to press on with reporting to the Consumer Protection Department and possibly request the TM-30.....thanks for the advice!  She did tell me it would process on December 9 about 2 weeks ago so we'll see.   It's strange, again I have already moved out 3 1/2 weeks ago but we never met to exchange keys and last week I went into the apartment and no one has looked at it and since I live in the neighborhood I pop in and out of there every couple days and I ran into the property manager on the street a few blocks away and we acknowledge each other with a wei ...........

[wump]

I always received my money back from Thai landlords without any complaints, even with breaking my lease at one point. Please don't bash all of them... usually you can tell from their behaviour before moving in who is likely to make trouble.

 

Had a much harder time in Australia, where your deposit is held by some board mentioned in this thread. Had to constantly threaten people (especially Indian landlords) to get my money back.

[buick]

1 hour ago, wump said:

I always received my money back from Thai landlords without any complaints, even with breaking my lease at one point. Please don't bash all of them... usually you can tell from their behaviour before moving in who is likely to make trouble.

 

Had a much harder time in Australia, where your deposit is held by some board mentioned in this thread. Had to constantly threaten people (especially Indian landlords) to get my money back.

 

i find this a bit hard to believe.  what area did you rent and how much was your deposit ? 

 

you can tell who is likely to rip you off at the time of moving in ?  i realize i have a cynical view, i assume they will all rip me off, regardless of country but perhaps worse in thailand.  but your comment doesn't make much sense to me (my brain is not working at all times so i apologize in advance).

 

i'm just wondering, not trying to be argumentative.

[wump]

I always rented rooms in Australia and not whole places (really hard to get for non-residents). The bond was usually like 2 weeks rent so between 300 and 400 dollars at the time.

 

And yes, I don't know but for whatever reason I am pretty good at judging people when first meeting them. Same goes for car/motorbike rental places etc. A sincere person is less likely to rip you off. Can't be right 100% of the time though, once got scammed by a pharmacist renting out bikes in Phuket. In all my naivety I assumed you could always trust someone who's kinda like a doctor. 

Edited December 6, 2016 by wump
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[buick]

so these are thai landlords in australia ?  what about experience with thai landlords in thailand ? 

 

 

[wump]

What? I was talking about Australian landlords in general, being native or not.

 

I said that in Thailand I had only good experiences with Thai landlords, in one case even breaking my lease and moving out right away, not having to pay the last month on the lease and receiving my 38,000 Baht deposit back right away.

Edited December 6, 2016 by wump

[JimmyJ]

It sounds like the ideal way to handle this is to negotiate for 1 month security deposit and as for cleaning fee none or a small enough amount that you can figure that 1/12 of it is added onto your monthly rent assuming you won't be getting it back.

And then refusing to pay the last month's rent.

 

What are the eviction laws?

If a landlord objected to you using the 1 month security deposit for the last month's rent, how long would it take for them to evict during your last month?

 

Do Thai landlords do credit checks which show evictions (which landlords routinely do in the USA) before renting?