Apartment deposit

[Trvlr 50]

A rental agency is asking me for a deposit that equals one month's rent. To me this seems excessive. But I would like to know what board members' experience is - if this is standard in Pattaya then I may consider it, though my inclination is still to tell them no. There may not be any standard deposit, but what is the amount that is most widely used - about 35 percent of a month's rent?

[bob2005 0]

I paid 2 months deposit on the two places I leased.

[elef 0]

Thais pay 3 months as deposit on a 12 months lease contract, a 3 months contract 1 month rent as deposit.

[MrMango 667]

I have had a bad experience leasing a condo in Jomtiem. The Failing owner asked and received 3 months in advance, plus 7,000 Baht for a bribe to have the phone connected and the DSL box upon my arrival, and assurances that he also would have DSL running.

 

After 3 months, still no DSL, so I moved out. I later found out that he pocketed the 5,000 and 2,000 for the DSL, and then demanded an additional payment of 10,000 Baht for "extras", and if I refused threatened to have me arrested for theft, as he had a copy of my passport and visa.

 

Needless to say, I told him to take a flying fuck, but be wary of anybody that wants a copy of your passport.

 

He shall remain nameless unless he responds to this post (He is a member here), and in which case, I will blast him and his shameless tactics out of the water...

[bangkapiboy 5]

I am requesting 5,000B reservation/security deposit for my rental condos. I feel this is neither too high/nor too low. Well, no customer has ever complained that it is too high.

 

I think 1 month deposit doesn't sound so excessive for the right place, depending on how long you are renting, and who you are renting from. But hey, up to you.

 

MrMango, I don't think having a copy of your passport can enable anybody to establish a case against you. Some proof would be needed. Police are mostly fair (of course some aren't).

[BigDUSA 71]

I have had a bad experience leasing a condo in Jomtiem. The Failing owner asked and received 3 months in advance, plus 7,000 Baht for a bribe to have the phone connected and the DSL box upon my arrival, and assurances that he also would have DSL running.

 

After 3 months, still no DSL, so I moved out. I later found out that he pocketed the 5,000 and 2,000 for the DSL, and then demanded an additional payment of 10,000 Baht for "extras", and if I refused threatened to have me arrested for theft, as he had a copy of my passport and visa.

 

Needless to say, I told him to take a flying fuck, but be wary of anybody that wants a copy of your passport.

 

He shall remain nameless unless he responds to this post (He is a member here), and in which case, I will blast him and his shameless tactics out of the water...

Let's see if I have this right, guy fucks you over and continues to fuck you over and you don't want to name him? Is this a windup?

[Trvlr 50]

I am renting for a month. A 5000 baht deposit seems much more reasonable, but it looks like a month's deposit is not out of line. At least based on what I am reading here. Until I read the responses here I would have refused to rent the place.

Sorry to hear about your experience MrMango. If the other person is a member of this board I think you would be doing us all a favor by giving some clue - so that others do not fall in the same trap. But I do understand your hesitation about getting into a verbal fight on the board - people here can get pretty nasty, and sometimes unnecessarily so.

[MrMango 667]

I am requesting 5,000B reservation/security deposit for my rental condos. I feel this is neither too high/nor too low. Well, no customer has ever complained that it is too high.

 

I think 1 month deposit doesn't sound so excessive for the right place, depending on how long you are renting, and who you are renting from. But hey, up to you.

 

MrMango, I don't think having a copy of your passport can enable anybody to establish a case against you. Some proof would be needed. Police are mostly fair (of course some aren't).

At the end of the day, it did not make any difference, as I have gone through Immigration several times since then.

It was the idea of a shakedown that pissed me off.

[MrMango 667]

Let's see if I have this right, guy fucks you over and continues to fuck you over and you don't want to name him? Is this a windup?

It is no windup - He was an asshole, and i walked away, simple as that.

I have been threatened before, and almost always a fake threat.

 

I was only out of pocket about 20,000 Baht, so just waking away and forgetting about it was my best choice. In case that he is reading this, I however, have other options that my Thai lawyer has advised me - I almost wish that he would press the point.

[Scumbag 0]

It is no windup - He was an asshole, and i walked away, simple as that.

I have been threatened before, and almost always a fake threat.

 

I was only out of pocket about 20,000 Baht, so just waking away and forgetting about it was my best choice. In case that he is reading this, I however, have other options that my Thai lawyer has advised me - I almost wish that he would press the point.

I agree with BigDUSA here. You should post who you had trouble with to warn others. I will be doing research on rental properties in Pattaya within the next week. I would really appreciate knowing who to stay away from. If you don't want to post the name could you please PM it to me and I will not post it. I do have suspicions of who it might be..

[spacebass 0]

A landlord has to cover himself, tenants are probably even less perfect in the way they behave.

 

E.g. you give someone a great rate for a 12 month let and they decide to leave after 7 months, you should have enough in the deposit to cover the discount he is trying to rip you off for. If the discount was 1000 bht a month for long term that in itself is 7000bht.

 

Plus deposit for smashing up the place and doing a runner with a huge aircon electricity bill, and the rest.

[Patna 3,802]

I will be taking this thread out of the grave to ask a question:

I am renting a place for 1 month on an 8000 baht monthly special and much to my surprise I am asked to cough up another 8000 for security deposit that I am told will get back. I smell a rat for never been asked for a deposit so high on a short term rental. Is that normal or something to worry about? The place is OK and has a fair reputation, It's KJS House on Soi Chayaphum right across from Lolitas. Anyone has any experience with the place by chance? Much appreciated in advance.

Edited August 18, 2014 by Patna

[Gary 4,118]

A months rent for a deposit is pretty normal.

[MM 6,562]

Haven't heard of that on a 1 month rental. Seems high.

[jacko 8,813]

I have had to put down deposits for 1 months rental before.... sometimes not.

I have always had to pay the rental up front though.

 

Perhaps it is to cover electricity and water in case you do a runner.

 

It seems to be a policy that varies from place to place.

[nkped 1,208]

For a two month rental through Dancewatchers, with a rather higher rent, I paid a 9,000 baht deposit.

[SunnyValentine 173]

One Month deposit seems ok. Just be sure to check your written rental contract and insist on a clause that specifies when and under which conditions it will be repaid.

Repayment one Month after leaving is reasonable, especially in the case that the utility bills (Electric, Water, Internet, TV, ...) are borne by you, as it takes a few weeks until these bills arrive.

Of course, if you are due to fly back home after the one month stay you will have to negotiate a different deal here, but if that is the case you will usually pay the landlord per meter unit (most of the time inflated, but at least you know what you are due on check out.)

[Gary 4,118]

Good renters are scarce as cheating renters are more common. Typical renters are likely to try to use their deposit for their last months rent and then leave the owner stuck with utility bills, missing and damaged items as well as general neglect of the apartment or condo. I seldom use my condo but refuse to rent it unless I would know the person VERY well. Even then I am hesitant. The extra money from the rent is nice to have but sometimes not worth the headaches.

[bigmick 840]

I have two houses here that I rent. I take 2 months deposit as a security bond. Plus the first months rent, so you need to pay 3 months rent up front. This perfectly normal here in Pattaya. You sign a contract and move in, look after the place, pay your bills and after 12 months - either extend or move out. So long as there are no damages, I return the deposit with no problems. If there are damages, we talk about it and come to an agreement. This is very common here and so far has worked for the last 8 years without any hassles. I have friends who rent cheap places out and end up with big problems with tenants, usually they are problems with tenants who have run out of money and have become desperate.

[Patna 3,802]

I have two houses here that I rent. I take 2 months deposit as a security bond. Plus the first months rent, so you need to pay 3 months rent up front. This perfectly normal here in Pattaya. You sign a contract and move in, look after the place, pay your bills and after 12 months - either extend or move out. So long as there are no damages, I return the deposit with no problems. If there are damages, we talk about it and come to an agreement. This is very common here and so far has worked for the last 8 years without any hassles. I have friends who rent cheap places out and end up with big problems with tenants, usually they are problems with tenants who have run out of money and have become desperate.

 

I understand that perfectly Mick, but this is a 30 days rental. Pretty much like being in a hotel. Guess I've heard too many stories about landlords in Pattaya who refuse to return your security deposit...

[Patna 3,802]

One Month deposit seems ok. Just be sure to check your written rental contract and insist on a clause that specifies when and under which conditions it will be repaid.

Repayment one Month after leaving is reasonable, especially in the case that the utility bills (Electric, Water, Internet, TV, ...) are borne by you, as it takes a few weeks until these bills arrive.

Of course, if you are due to fly back home after the one month stay you will have to negotiate a different deal here, but if that is the case you will usually pay the landlord per meter unit (most of the time inflated, but at least you know what you are due on check out.)

 

Apparently the way it works, we read the meter when I move in and again when I move out. They charge 10 baht per unit, the very highest in Pattaya, so no need to wait for the bill which btw will be much less, than what I will pay. I still took the place because all the rest I looked at in the same price bracket was crap, plus it is practically new with a fairly large space.

[bigmick 840]

 

I understand that perfectly Mick, but this is a 30 days rental. Pretty much like being in a hotel. Guess I've heard too many stories about landlords in Pattaya who refuse to return your security deposit...

 

I have to be brutally honest. What is the difference between the two? A tenant can still make as much damage to the property in 30 days. It is the main reason I would never do short term rentals. If I did, I would still want a substantial deposit. Tales of landlords in Pattaya have been (in my view) either shyster Thais or foreigners who have cheap Charlie's who don't pay bills/trash the place/or do a runner.

[jacko 8,813]

My issue as to getting my deposit returned, which was substantial, a months rent and a 50k security, was just due to circumstances.

Farang man and Thai wife who had a few bars in town... he had a major health incident (big bills) and the bar business had a downturn.

And I decided to buy a house.... I was paying a bit too much rent.

 

Too many just spend the deposit and struggle to find the cash when it should be returned.

[Patna 3,802]

 

I have to be brutally honest. What is the difference between the two? A tenant can still make as much damage to the property in 30 days. It is the main reason I would never do short term rentals. If I did, I would still want a substantial deposit. Tales of landlords in Pattaya have been (in my view) either shyster Thais or foreigners who have cheap Charlie's who don't pay bills/trash the place/or do a runner.

 

 

There is a huge difference between the two. If I had two apartments to rent, I would do exactly the same as you but this is a small hotel on Soi Chayapoum with 40 rooms that caters for tourists and also acts as a short time hotel for the massage girls, featured on Agoda and a few other sites as well. I just wanted to point out that during my 12 years coming to SEA I never had to pay more security deposit than 1000 baht, which was usually returned to me or was used against the minibar. In this hotel there's no minibar but they do charge 10 baht for electric which they pay 3-4 baht which in my book is a borderline scam but explains why they come up with a rather large deposit. Let me just say this - if I made my booking through Agoda, I would end up paying approx. the same or at least I hope so and not more. The reason I prefer to pay the hotel directly, is that this way we cut out the middle man but I'm afraid in this case it might not have been the wisest decision. Again, we're not talking about apartment, it is a 20 some s.m. hole in the wall room with a bed and a fridge.

[bigmick 840]

 

 

There is a huge difference between the two. If I had two apartments to rent, I would do exactly the same as you but this is a small hotel on Soi Chayapoum with 40 rooms that caters for tourists and also acts as a short time hotel for the massage girls, featured on Agoda and a few other sites as well. I just wanted to point out that during my 12 years coming to SEA I never had to pay more security deposit than 1000 baht, which was usually returned to me or was used against the minibar. In this hotel there's no minibar but they do charge 10 baht for electric which they pay 3-4 baht which in my book is a borderline scam but explains why they come up with a rather large deposit. Let me just say this - if I made my booking through Agoda, I would end up paying approx. the same or at least I hope so and not more. The reason I prefer to pay the hotel directly, is that this way we cut out the middle man but I'm afraid in this case it might not have been the wisest decision. Again, we're not talking about apartment, it is a 20 some s.m. hole in the wall room with a bed and a fridge.

 

If its that bad, why not just go some place else