Trying to find somewhere decent to rent isnt easy.

Post by **jimbeam1** » Thu Mar 12, 2009 8:16 pm

Thanks guys,
I thought maybe about a months rent would be the going rate.
Hmmm ok dtaai-maai. I think I need to brush up on my spelling

jb1

Post by **Khundon1975** » Thu Mar 12, 2009 10:25 pm

Roel wrote:Talking about "so far".

So I decided not to pay, stay one last month without paying rent and forget about the other 2 months deposit. But on the 1st in the evening I received a telephone call ordering me to come and pay NOW or leave the house immediately. We left.

Luckily at the time we made the contract I insisted she mentioned every piece of furniture which she did in handwriting.

My girlfriend copied the contract and went to give it to Khunying landlady. No wais or smiles this time. She had a look at the contract, got in her BMW and left without a word. End of story.

Roel

I doubt that even if you had paid the last months rent you would have not seen a satang of your 3 months deposit.

If you get a good landlord/landlady you are lucky but on many forums I have read so often, that the deposit has been spent and you will never get it back.

They will ramp up the "repairs bill" to cover what ever deposit you have paid.

Thats how they get to drive a BMW.

Post by **Big Boy** » Sat Mar 14, 2009 2:38 pm

I don't understand this reluctance to return the deposit. I've had quite a few holiday lets (from Thais), and have always had to pay between 5000 & 10000Baht deposit. I've always had my deposit minus water and electricity costs.

In fact my very first rental there was no deposit. We were back in the UK before they contacted us for water and electricity costs - which we sent out immediately.

Post by **crazy88** » Sat Mar 14, 2009 3:10 pm

Never had a problem with deposits .There again I always give the place a deep clean and/or a coat of paint depending how long i have been in it . Maybe this is a factor ? Most posters seem to have direct contact with the owner .I never did this in the UK,always an agent to hand the property over with a detailed inventory and take it back at the end .Rent always paid to the agent .Agents responsibility to explain what is being taken from the deposit,if anything .There are several rental agencies in HH whom IMO provide a professional service .They should be able to provide a track record of smooth and fair rental deals on a given property and ensure that your experience is the same .

Have a great weekend

Crazy 88

Post by **Big Boy** » Sat Mar 14, 2009 3:45 pm

crazy88 wrote

There again I always give the place a deep clean

Maybe that's the answer. My daughter (who actually gets any deposit - we tell her that she can keep whatever is returned) always spends the day after we leave deep cleaning the place before handing it back to the owner.

Post by **dtaai-maai** » Sat Mar 14, 2009 7:09 pm

crazy88 wrote:There are several rental agencies in HH whom IMO provide a professional service .

If you rent long term through an agent, how much extra do you pay? 10-20%? Let's be conservative and go for 10% - so on a house you'd rent privately for 10k baht per month, you pay 11k. If you're there for 2 years, you pay an extra 24 k. I think I'd rather lose my deposit! Holiday rents are one thing, long terms quite another.

Spitfire · Post by **Spitfire** » Sat Mar 14, 2009 7:51 pm

Luck of the draw with landlords, I reckon. Most will probably minus as much as possible from the return amount, if you are lucky enough to get that far and have some returned. Many will even void the last months rent(the month's warning that you're leaving) in a bid to lower the final return amount, also as said earlier the electricity/water/security(if on an estate) etc will lower it further. I don't really mind this as at least I'm getting it back one way or another but would dislike it a lot if none was returned. Probably not much you can do about it, apart from privately fume inside.

Much more chance of success with an agency, but as said, will cost you more over time. The devil or the deep blue sea is often the case.

Those that fail to return anything(many in practice), I often wonder whether it's a case of won't or can't? Probably the latter, especially if they are inexperienced landlords and it is their second house they are renting out.

As said directly above, depends on your situation/intended duration of stay/expectations/experience of the matter.

Post by **lomuamart** » Sat Mar 14, 2009 7:56 pm

As an extension of what crazy88 said, I've rented my property in London through agents for the past 11 years. The return of a deposit was always a tricky matter at the end of the tenancy.
However, it's now law that all deposits paid by tenants through an agent have to be deposited with The Tenancy Deposit Scheme. In the event of any dispute, they arbitrate and their decision is binding. Having said that, I'm going through it for the first time with tenants who moved out in May 2008 and the matter is still not resolved. Guess who had to fork out for a deep clean, rubbish removal, gardening and check-out report in the meantime? It wasn't the tenants!!
Wonder if Thailand could ever get that kind of thing working here for long term lets? I won't hold my breath.

Post by **Big Boy** » Sat Mar 14, 2009 8:27 pm

dtaai-maai wrote:Holiday rents are one thing, long terms quite another.

Surely a deposit is a depost, regardless of how long the tennant is renting for. In most cases it would be easier to retain the deposit for a holiday rent because the person will be leaving the country.

Could you explain the difference please?

Post by **dtaai-maai** » Sat Mar 14, 2009 9:48 pm

I was talking about whether or not to rent through an agent.

Post by **Big Boy** » Sat Mar 14, 2009 9:58 pm

OK, sorry. With the Holiday rents bit just thrown in at the end - I took the sentence out of context. My fault.

Post by **dtaai-maai** » Sat Mar 14, 2009 10:22 pm

Mai bpen rai khap.

Post by **crazy88** » Sun Mar 15, 2009 4:44 pm

Why would you expect to pay more for using an agent ? It is the landlord who pays .10% is standard or 1 month in a year .The landlord pays the agent to do all the paperwork,collect rents,keep an eye on the place,rectify problems etc.. If the landlord wants to do all the running around themselves it will cost them the same if time and effort,fuel etc. are taken into consideration .Agencies make money because they are dealing with multiple properties .Say your property is worth 20k per month .Would you,as a landlord run around for 6-8 hours a month or more plus fuel AND charge 10% less because there is no agent ? Phonecalls at 2am because there is a powercut etc..?

Crazy 88

Post by **Big Boy** » Sun Mar 15, 2009 5:02 pm

It will be the same as with most products, the middleman is paid for by the consumer.

If you decide you need 20000Baht per month, and the agent wants 10%, the property will be marketed for 22000Baht.

Post by **crazy88** » Sun Mar 15, 2009 5:51 pm

Make you right BB and then when the next door neighbour with an identical property for rent sees that they can get 22k then why would they not ask for the same ? Either way the consumer is going to pay for somebody to do everything that needs to be done be it a house rental or a glass of beer served in a cold glass by the ocean .They are the consumer after all .Spoken by a consumer currently consuming

Crazy 88