Hi all, have a non visa related question and would really appreciate any advice. Pardon the long post.
I’m currently living in a rental house which has about 1 month left on the lease. A pipe recently burst while no one was home and basically flooded the entire interior. I called the agent immediately upon getting home and finding out about it and she sent a plumber to fix the burst pipe and cleaners to clean up the mess. I was told by the agent on that day that the landlord had been informed and was going to be responsible for all damages and cleaning incurred.
However the agent is now telling me that the landlord has completely changed her tone after speaking to her lawyer and has gone back on everything she had said. Not only is she not going to repair or clean up the mess, she is insisting we are to be responsible for everything. The landlord has sent us a letter through the agent demanding we repair all damages, clean up the property and to pay for it all. She has also mentioned that we do not have the option to move out prematurely because of this incident and if we do so, it would be considered breaking the terms of the lease and our entire deposit would be forfeited. According to the landlord, we are fully responsible due to our “failure to properly attend to and prevent the situation in a timely manner”.
To put the icing on the cake the landlord has also threatened to involve the police and to take legal action if we do not comply. She claims our passports will be confiscated by the authorities and we will not be allowed to leave the country until the matter has been settled. According to her, this is the law.
I am a foreigner who is retired here in Thailand and I’m honestly quite taken aback by her response. Could anyone here please offer some advice on my next step? Am I truly at fault for this? What should I do next?
TLDR : Answer Summary
The author, an expat in Thailand, is facing an issue with their landlord after a pipe burst in their rental, leading to extensive flooding. Initially, the landlord agreed to cover repairs, but after consulting a lawyer, they have claimed the tenant is responsible for all damages and threatened legal action. Community members advise seeking legal counsel, ensuring documentation of the situation, and confirming that this is a civil matter that police should not get involved in. They suggest that the tenant may be better off moving out and cutting losses, as reclaiming the deposit seems unlikely.
