Rental Scam in Cha Am, Beware!!!

[kendo]

I know buddy have paid the Rozzers off before but a little hard copy can make it a whole lot cheaper and less complicated.

Kendo.

[Takiap]

Rented twice before in Thailand and on both occasions, the Thai landlords returned the deposit without any problems whatsoever.

[chelsea]

In the UK when we rent out our properties the bond/deposit is paid into a government backed deposit scheme, this was introduced after landlords were spending/holding deposits even though nothing was damaged in the property, the landlord and tenant both get a password and both enter their details and satisfaction at the end of contract.

http://www.depositprotection.com/

It has only just become the norm in England so I would think 0 or 40 years in Hua Hin.

This way the Landlord never gets hold of the deposit unless there is damage.

If the rent is 600 per month the bond would be around 700, you would pay 600 to the landlord and 700 by way of cheque/bank transfer to the deposit protection scheme.

This only applies if it is an office rent and not a back hander to a private landlord, but tenants then run the risk of having trouble with the house been gas and electric safe.

I know things in Thailand are very different but its an idea to try to uphold these when renting property both ways.

I could just imagine the look on 99% of thai property owners faces when it was suggested to them that the deposit was held by a non profit making third party

In Australia for as long as I can remember you Bond was paid to the Agent and then the agent paid the money into a Government Bond Dept. The Govt not the agent hold the bond.
At the end of your lease, the property is inspected and if all is OK, the agent supplies you a release form for the bond and then the money is paid back to you in full by the Govt Dept.
If there is any dispute, the bond is not released until all matters have been cleared up. If any damage etc has to be paid to the agent on the property, the bond is then released minus any charges made against you.

If you are in a private rental, the same can and does on a regular basis happen that happens by private rentals in Thailand.

If you rent through a real estate agent in Thailand, what guaranteed services do the agents give you over and above what happens with private rentals.

[lomuamart]

Same in England now.
My deposit is paid through the agents to the Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS). They bank the money, in my case 6 weeks rent, and the scheme don't pay out any interest to anyone. That interest pays for the government service so any disputes are FOC to both parties.
There is a strict time schedule that both landlord and tenant have to adhere to. As a landlord, I went through the process about 5 years ago and it was pretty fair and quickly dealt with - no right of appeal.
In practice, most deposits are returned, less any agreed deductions, swiftly. It's not in either parties' interest to have that kind of money tied up for too long.

[chelsea]

Same in England now.
My deposit is paid through the agents to the Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS). They bank the money, in my case 6 weeks rent, and the scheme don't pay out any interest to anyone. That interest pays for the government service so any disputes are FOC to both parties.
There is a strict time schedule that both landlord and tenant have to adhere to. As a landlord, I went through the process about 5 years ago and it was pretty fair and quickly dealt with - no right of appeal.
In practice, most deposits are returned, less any agreed deductions, swiftly. It's not in either parties' interest to have that kind of money tied up for too long.

Here in Aus when you move out, the place has to be fully cleaned, gardens tidy with lawns cut, carpets cleaned, oven and cooker cleaned fully. With the garden and carpets, contractors receipts are required (for carpet cleaning).

I had a really fussy agent when I left a place about 5 years ago, was really over the top. I had her 2ic inspect the place as she was not at work and was told the place was Ok. Went to pick up my release note and was given a list of things she had found that the other agent said was OK.

I had no time to carry out what she wanted, so cane to a financial agreement with her and got the bond back less what I had to pay out.

All other times I have been refunded fully. Here in Perth they are very strict on doing the 3 monthly inspections (unlike anywhere else in Aus that I have rented). Whatever agent I have been with they are done on the dot and are basically a full property inspection in a similar format to how the final inspection is carried out.

If you are not keeping the place clean or the gardens are overgrown you are given a breach of tenancy notice and all has to be fixed in 14 days or it is followed with a move out notice.

Just interested if you rent through an agent in Thailand if the same thing happens.

[hhfarang]

If you rent through an agent in Thailand you are just paying them to find what you are looking for. I don't think anything after the initial agreement such as deposit returns or anything else related to maintenance or damage is even a concern of theirs... it's really a finder's fee. Maybe some have some after rental service but I haven't heard of that here.

[Super Joe]

If you rent through an agent in Thailand you are just paying them to find what you are looking for. I don't think anything after the initial agreement such as deposit returns or anything else related to maintenance or damage is even a concern of theirs... it's really a finder's fee. Maybe some have some after rental service but I haven't heard of that here.

I don't know if it was like this during the height of the property boom here, as had no dealing with rentals, but it's certainly been different the last 3 years at least. Now rentals is a significant part of business, then not so, and maybe given less time and resources if what you say is accurate.

We use four agents in town, the rental properties are next to our house, and we haven't once been asked to check tenants in/out or held a security deposit. The agents' girls who do the check-out's have only ever made 2 or 3 deductions for breakages, and they rung us to ask how much for a broken this or that. Customer gets refunded, after utilities deductions from meter readings, on the spot as mostly their on their way to the airport etc being 90% holiday lets. These would be the easy targets for scamming obviously as they can't exactly hang around for long.

They also come and check the places over the day before an arrival, telling us in the early days we didn't have any/sufficient bog rolls, tea-towels and those kind of bits and bobs. One of the nutters actually goes round the whole place on these pre-visit inspections and photographs in the knife & fork drawer and all sorts. This could be every fortnight in theory

Never saw any of this in the UK. So obviously I laugh to myself when I've read comments before about 'lazy' agents not doing anything for their 15%, or however much, commission. Be interested (a little) to know what occurs where an insistent Thai owner may demand to hold the deposit and do the check-out!?


SJ

[hhfarang]

^ Sounds like there are some decent companies around. My comment was based on experiences of people I've known who rented long term here (a year or more). I actually wasn't thinking about holiday rentals at all, which, while may seem easier to scam, doing so would surly hurt the company in the long run.

I would think holiday rental companies, similarly to hotels, depend on repeat business and referrals to a reasonable extent so would tend to do a more thorough job of making sure everyone involved in the transaction was happy.