# Yearly condo rentals - pitfalls



## Vento (Dec 30, 2011)

Hello Everyone,

I have a few question about renting a condo on a yearly basis in BKK:

Is it possible to break the lease before that one year, say with a month penalty or something similar?

Is it paid monthly or a year in advance?

Is there any fraud schemes of some sort i need to be aware of?

Is there anything in particular one should be aware of when taking a lease in Thailand?

Thanks in advance for your help.


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## Vento (Dec 30, 2011)

Bumping thread, hoping to get some feedback


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## Song_Si (Jun 11, 2010)

Hi
I cannot answer re a condo in Bangkok, but we are on our second lease agreement both of which have used what seems to be the 'standard' Thai lease form with a few specific variations
Stress that we have limited experience having only rented properties twice, in our 4th year here.

Q: Is it possible to break the lease before that one year, say with a month penalty or something similar?
A: Both times have paid three months in advance on moving in, this being the first two month's rent plus a month's bond against any property damage (or tenants running away). The Phuket property had a condition that leaving within the first six months we had to pay out those months (fair enough, we had signed a lease), but from months 7-12 one month's notice was required, or they could retain rent paid in advance plus bond. This is reasonable considering 1 signed contract and 2. utility fees electric they would have to pay if tenant runs off

Q:Is it paid monthly or a year in advance?
A: As above

Q: Is there any fraud schemes of some sort i need to be aware of?
A: Limited experience. 
Careful about utility charges - in our experience far better if property has it's own meters for water and electricity rather than pay some set/agreed fee which would of course need to be high enough to cater for the tenant who uses eg air-conditioning full-time.
Confirm condition of property when you move in - though this should be world-wide practice in terms of eg marks on the wall or floor etc so that you do not become liable when you move out. Digital photos may be the idea here. 
Not a fraud matter - but suggest you ask for air-con to be serviced before you move in, filters cleaned/replaced
Security - who else has key/swipe card. Don't want an ex-tenant coming back to your apartment

Q: Is there anything in particular one should be aware of when taking a lease in Thailand?
A: As above - who pays utilities; add internet and cable tv to that list - will vary property to property; first place we had water, cable tv and broadband internet were included in monthly rental, here we pay for them ourselves. 
Who pays any maintenance costs, and who does the maintenance?
As an example, current house we are in was new, first tenants. In our 18mths here the only issues we have had have been water related. A new toilet that didn't flush properly; the shower didn't drain properly leaving water constantly in the bathroom/toilet area. This turned out to be quite a 'major' problem, pipes set in concrete perfectly horizontal, half a day of men drilling holes and ruining the nice tile floors in bathroom and kitchen - but not our problem and all settled by property owner. 

Sure there's much more.

******

On topic of overseas tenants, maybe nothing should surprise me, but I will say i have been surprised at the attitude of some westerners renting here. 

Earlier this year we assisted a man find a rental here, my partner did a lot of running about talking to property owners till we found him a house which he leased for a year. Trustworthy 70 year old, signed lease for a year, no rent in advance, just monthly payment. Two weeks ago told me he was heading home in 6 weeks, asked about the property "that's their problem isn't it" he is just going to leave one day. 

And more - two English teachers here, we helped them getting set up in a house, and getting internet/cable tv connected - both on minimum 12mth contracts, as is the lease. They too have confided their intention to 'do a runner' well before contracts end.

Over to the panel - what would you do? 

My Thai partner is appalled and feels liable esp as she was their 'agent' doing translations and helping with the properties and contracts. In a small town word will spread quickly about 'my bad friends'.

It was far better when there was just two farang in town!


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## joseph44 (May 4, 2011)

*......*



Vento said:


> Hello Everyone,
> 
> I have a few question about renting a condo on a yearly basis in BKK:
> 
> ...


............


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