Searching, finding and renting a Bangkok condo, apartment, house or townhouse is a pretty straight forward process that can take as little as 24 hours and long as several months to a year. Whether you’re thinking of moving to Bangkok or have lived in Thailand for a while and look to change homes will usually make a big difference to how long it takes to find a new home. For the most part, searching is most time consuming but when you finally find the property you wish to rent, moving in is usually the easy part. Here is a rundown of all the cycle in which you you must search, find, rent and move out of a Bangkok rental property.
Bangkok Condo Search
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Booking your Bangkok Home
If you do not need to immediately move in, and you visit a property that you really like you can book it by paying a small booking deposit. This booking deposit which is usually a small % (10+% of the rental fee) will hold the condo until you plan to move in. The booking deposit will count towards your full security deposit which is equal to 2x the monthly rent. You can also pay the full security deposit to book your room until your move-in date but most people wait until at least they sign the lease. Your full security deposit is refundable at the end of your lease.
Signing Rental Agreement (Lease)
Once you choose the property you wish to rent, you must sign the lease before you can move-in. Your Bangkok real estate agent or the landlord will prepare a lease and send you the draft so you can go over all the terms. If you are in disagreement with any of the terms, your real estate agent will negotiate with the owner (who probably speaks Thai) and try to come to terms to finalize a lease that satisfies both parties. At the time of preparing the lease both you and your landlord must provide copies of your identifications which may include passport and/or work permit. Once you’re ready to sign the lease you can begin the move-in process.
Paying your Security Deposit & Moving In
In order to get the keys and move in your new condo you must first have the (refundable) security deposit (2x the monthly rent) fully paid and then pay your 1st month’s rent on the day you begin your lease. It is recommended that the security deposit should be paid directly to the landlord via cash or bank transfer. In rare cases your Bangkok real estate agent will be instructed to handle the deposits by the landlord. how to avoid any potential scams.
Setting-up & Paying your Monthly Bills & Rent
You are responsible for paying your monthly utility and service bills when renting a property in Bangkok. For most condo rentals, the power and water bills will be kept in the property owner/landlord’s name. This is sometimes true with the cable TV and internet bills if they are pre-installed in the rental unit. The bills will be sent to your mail box every month and can be paid with cash at the building’s juristic office or any 7-Eleven convenient store. In some instances you must set-up the internet and/or cable TV services in your name.
Renewing your Lease or Giving Notice
When you must decide to either renew your lease or give notice is usually specified in the lease you signed upon moving in. Usually the landlord requires 30-60 days notice when you plan to move-out. It is important to notify your landlord whether you wish to renew your lease or move-out so they can make arrangements for a new tenant or be prepared to refund your security deposit.
Moving Out & Security Deposit Refund