What precautions should I take when renting property in Thailand to avoid scams?

Deposits

As in many places around the world renters are not always seen as customers. Although you are paying, the owner will see your stay as a privilege they are extending to you.

Owners do not see any natural wear to the house / unit as their responsibility.

Check that the refrigerator and freezer work before signing anything. I made that mistake more than once and guess what?

Learn to clean and maintain your air conditioner(s). Thai style is to let them get so dirty that they begin dumping water from the front. Owners can be reluctant to pay for the cleaning past the first time. Having repair people come in to do it for you is cheap but they often don’t do the job right, are always late and don’t always clean up after themselves.

Discuss the TM30 before signing. Be 100% certain they understand their legal responsibility to cooperate.

I had to vacate, break my lease twice in Korat. Once, there was a tremendous ant infestation going on that was not apparent at signing. When I reported the problem it was, “sorry, Thailand has insect, not like your country”. The other time my first month’s electric bill was 7000 baht for 15 days of sporadic use. “sorry, government rate, maybe you should use a fan”.

You could fight these things, better to just be very careful first.

Negotiate hard to keep the deposit low, and assume you probably won't see it again. But rents here are so low, generally, you'll forget it quickly anyway.

I'd advise you to keep renting. It's dirt cheap. Let someone else worry about maintenance. Easy to move if a problem crops up, or of you fancy another (part of the) country. And, if you died here (got to look at the possibility) it would be a nightmare for your heirs to manage a sale to get your money out

First check out the going rental rates in the area you want to stay in, check the electric rate, (always take a photo of the meter the day you move in) water rates, ask the landlord if he will register your TM30, you will need for immigration purposes, I personally wouldn't rent anywhere with a big deposit, some have had difficulties when it comes to getting it back upon moving out, take photos of anything in the accommodation if it's damaged and point it out to the landlord.

No refundable.

You say you will rent “to begin with “ the implication being you will later buy . Personally I would advise against buying anything in Thailand concerned with property . Keep renting and you keep the flexibility to move

Ask the owner what they charge for electric and water per unit

Some properties the electric ect will either be in your name or the bill will just come to you despite it being the owners name

However some will impose their own Tarif, so they will be billed by the set rate for electric by unit used then they will charge a higher unit price to the renter, this can be sometimes double the amount they pay

A fair amount is to only be charged 1-2 baht higher then the set rate, however some charge between 8-10 baht over the set rate

This could mean you are paying approximately 3,000 baht more every month which could be approximately 36,000 baht extra every year & this money is better in your own pocket

This all depends on your personal electricity usage, mainly influenced by how much you use an aircon

Since 2017 I have changed condos on a number of occasions and always for the same reason. A noisy neighbour has moved in and ruined the tranquility.

Be prepared to arrange your own repairs.

Chriss And nan are a young couple and wonderful to deal with he is Canadian she is Thai both highy educated and they know the area. they found us the perfect house and went beyond what we expected. we've been in and out of Thailand for 17 years so we know when you find people that are good don't lose them. i'll send you their contact info xx all the best

Use a reputable Estate Agent. Make sure you are not ripped off on utilities costs.

definitely take LOTS of photos of all the small details. Create a LINE app chat and share the photos with the landlord / agent. Things like stains on the walls, scratches on the floor (if wooden), dents and dings on the doors. Some things you won't notice until you finally move in, keep sending these to the chat so both parties have a time stamp of shared photos.

Ask when the AC was last cleaned, if it's a year lease then it should have been cleaned before you move in.

Also (and I haven't tried this yet) it could be good to ask the landlord how much of the deposit they returned back to their last renter and what it was related to. Just getting whatever answer they give back to you should clue in as to how honest they might be.

The most important is the contract on wear and tear and repair cost is on you or on the owner. And return the house in the same conditions as it is when you move in. Get everything recorded by photo and acknowledge by the owner.

Take the same precautions you would in Australia - read the contract and make sure you document any existing damage (photographs and on the contract). Another thing to check is how the power and water are billed - ideally if you can you want a place where you are billed directly by the government, not by the owner/building, as it's common that the electric and power bills are marked up by owners, sometimes 2-3x the government rate.

Suggest the area you look at, join expat fb community, as there will be good help there. Mostly

Make sure to compare local prices by checking Facebook Marketplace first. Verify that your utilities, such as water and power, are close to government standard rates. Ensure that your contract includes the landlord’s ID and contact details.

Before signing the contract, confirm that the landlord or agent has submitted a TM30 address notification. This is their responsibility, whether they submit it online or at the office. Do not commit to an apartment or condo until you have the TM30 receipt in your hand. Avoid any “I’ll do it later” promises, as you’ll need the TM30 receipt for immigration matters, bank accounts, and other official purposes.

Be aware that foreigners, especially newcomers, might face higher charges or discrimination. For example, a friend once paid 12,000 THB a month for a poor-quality room in Khon Kaen for months on end, with 3,000 THB for electricity. In that area, normal rent ranges from 3,000 to 6,000 THB per month, and electricity is about 700 THB. I've seen many cases where foreigners are overcharged; for instance, friends in Bangkok paid 30,000 THB per month when the normal for that area is 16,000 to 17,000 THB.

Do your research to avoid being overcharged.

some owner will not help you to file tm30, which you will need at immigration to get visa etc...

Yes lots of photographs when moving in and note any defects. Thats not just Thailand its common sense renting anywhere. Despite what people will say personally had no problems with deposits getting returned. But only rented 2 places.

some owners will not return the deposit or repair anything...

Keep an eye on your electric bill and photograph everything when moving in .