Rent Condo from Day 1 - or a couple of weeks in?

[aldriglikvid 5]

Hi guys,

 

This is my second time renting a condo. My lift off is August 1 and I'm looking to stay 8 months to 31 march 2019.

 

I sent a couple of mails to all the big agents in town and gots lots of postings sent to me. Tried to explain very well in the beginning that 1) only send condos that are available 2) only send condos that are available at these dates.

 

I continued with 2 objects that I liked. My "gf" made a small tour in each. As I liked both of them I went ahead with option 1 (randomly).

 

Agent 1) "owner not want to rent august 1 only from next week...can you pay june and july too no problem ka??"

 

 

Agent 2) "can only check in July"

 

I guess I'm blessed with my "small problems" in the west but I can't help getting stressed with this stuff. Why do they waste my and their own precious time...?

 

I'm sorry about the rant.

 

Would you guys advice me to keep searching or just book an hotel for the first 2 weeks and look on the ground? I'm a bit concerned that even more condos would be taken in August, however.

[jacko 8,814]

Agents don't listen,

They will show you properties that are new when you specify second hand.

Ones in different areas than you specified.

And certainly ones where there is more money to be made.

Then look at you as if you are the difficult one.

 

Obviously the owners want to rent from as soon as possible or soon after a previous tenant leaves, and why should they hold it for you for free. Maybe the places will still be available. August is not usually busy.

Edited May 28, 2018 by jacko

[js007 795]

I think the easy solution would be to show up in Pattaya and stay somewhere short term while you look around for something that suits your needs. On any given day there must be hundreds of condos for rent, ready to go.

[Gary 4,119]

If the new renters protection laws are upheld, decent rentals will be far more difficult to find. You will need references from someone the owner knows and trusts. Renters should be protected from asshole owners but maybe these new laws have gone too far. Even as things were, my condo is empty 95 percent of the time. I seldom use it and prefer to leave it empty because good renters are few and far between. If a renter destroys your condo, steals things and leaves, you are simply screwed.

 

Hotels usually give good long term rates and since they are usually serviced quite often, the hotel knows if the tenant is abusing or taking decent care of the room. That is the best way to go for both parties.

[helloitsme 251]

Last year I arrived on October 12th, staying at a hotel. I knew the location I wanted to stay in, and had arranged to meet 4 agents at condos in that area at various times on the 13th - they showed me a dozen, although a couple were repeated. The rest of the time I spent on foot seeing if there was anything else about.

 

By evening of 13th I'd put an offer in, by morning of 14th the offer had been accepted, all work and a deep clean done on 14th, and I could move in at midday on the 15th.

 

Easy.

 

But agree, the agents thought they knew what I wanted better than I did, and I'm sure if I'd been looking in August for an October start the owners wouldn't be so accommodating. Even in the UK one of my rental properties became vacant, two people wanted it, one for an immediate start, one for three months time....guess who got it? Even if they weren't about, the property would have stayed on the market in case anyone wanted it immediately, and the renter who wanted it in the future could hope it was still available...

[js007 795]

If the new renters protection laws are upheld, decent rentals will be far more difficult to find. You will need references from someone the owner knows and trusts. Renters should be protected from asshole owners but maybe these new laws have gone too far. Even as things were, my condo is empty 95 percent of the time. I seldom use it and prefer to leave it empty because good renters are few and far between. If a renter destroys your condo, steals things and leaves, you are simply screwed.

 

Hotels usually give good long term rates and since they are usually serviced quite often, the hotel knows if the tenant is abusing or taking decent care of the room. That is the best way to go for both parties.

 

 

I guess I'm not up to speed. what are the new "renters protection laws"?

[Gary 4,119]

 

 

I guess I'm not up to speed. what are the new "renters protection laws"?

 

https://freshbangkok.com/new-thai-rental-laws-expect/

[Big_Brian 179]

I moved here last year, went the "2 weeks in hotel" route. I had several that I'd seen on Facebook to look at, none were suitable, either they weren't as advertised, or there were other issues that only became apparent when I got there - I didn't even go into one building, just called and told her no. The best needed work, but was within my price range to buy even with that. But. The building wasn't properly maintained and I found that it's usually isolated when it rains heavily.

 

IMO, there's no substitute for going and looking yourself. I was looking mid-range though, high-end may be more honestly advertised. As said above, there will be plenty to choose from in August.

[js007 795]

If the new renters protection laws are upheld, decent rentals will be far more difficult to find. You will need references from someone the owner knows and trusts. Renters should be protected from asshole owners but maybe these new laws have gone too far. Even as things were, my condo is empty 95 percent of the time. I seldom use it and prefer to leave it empty because good renters are few and far between. If a renter destroys your condo, steals things and leaves, you are simply screwed.

 

Hotels usually give good long term rates and since they are usually serviced quite often, the hotel knows if the tenant is abusing or taking decent care of the room. That is the best way to go for both parties.

 

 

I'm not so sure the law will have much impact on the availability of rentals. What are the landlords going to do, eat their condos? If they want to make money, they'll rent them out. An empty condo produces no income.

[aldriglikvid 5]

Thank you for all your thoughtful responses - the forum really delivers. :)

 

I'll go ahead and book a 2 or 3 week hotel stay and then try to find a condo for the remaining 7-8 months.

 

As I know which building I want I will probably try to send a mail or two again at the end of June (1 month before showing up).

[sinbinjack 251]

Hi guys,

 

This is my second time renting a condo. My lift off is August 1 and I'm looking to stay 8 months to 31 march 2019.

 

I sent a couple of mails to all the big agents in town and gots lots of postings sent to me. Tried to explain very well in the beginning that 1) only send condos that are available 2) only send condos that are available at these dates.

 

I continued with 2 objects that I liked. My "gf" made a small tour in each. As I liked both of them I went ahead with option 1 (randomly).

 

Agent 1) "owner not want to rent august 1 only from next week...can you pay june and july too no problem ka??"

 

 

Agent 2) "can only check in July"

 

I guess I'm blessed with my "small problems" in the west but I can't help getting stressed with this stuff. Why do they waste my and their own precious time...?

 

I'm sorry about the rant.

 

Would you guys advice me to keep searching or just book an hotel for the first 2 weeks and look on the ground? I'm a bit concerned that even more condos would be taken in August, however.

Try AirBnB if you want hassle free , many of the "hosts" are westerners who understand whats what and do not muck you about. My searches found a great deal of hosts who are very welcoming and at all price points.