So, first things first, you identify an agent with which you would like to work, and let them know your criteria for property selection. Generally, the most important criteria to consider when looking for rental properties in Bangkok are:

· Proximity to children’s school

· Proximity to parents workplace

· Proximity to lifestyle pursuits for the family.

· Type of property, e.x. Single detached house, Townhouse, Condo or Apartment

· Whether pets are acceptable should the potential tenant have them

· How many bedrooms are needed

· Whether furnished or unfurnished accommodation is required

· The budget that the agent should work within

· Any other important information that would help the agent select suitable properties for your viewing days should be given, even if you think the information may be insignificant.

Once all this information has been garnered by your agent, they should send you a shortlist of properties which they think may be suitable for your needs. You should peruse this list to ensure that the agent is working in the correct ballpark for your wants and needs before heading out to view properties which may be unsuitable. This first step is where many agents fall down and when you find out whether your agent is worth their salt. You will be surprised by how many agents out there do not take into account this information and then go ahead and waste both their own time and that of the client by showing completely unsuitable properties.

Once the shortlist has been prepared, the agent should make an appointment with you go to view the selected properties. Most reputable agencies will pick you up in their own vehicle from your hotel or wherever you may be staying, and drop you off back their after your viewings have finished for the day. Your route and timings will be planned to be the most efficient route around the properties which have been selected to view. Normally, from mid morning onwards is the best time to a viewing if there are 4 or more properties so as to miss the morning rush hour traffic, and return before the traffic deteriorates during the afternoon school run from around 3.30pm.

When viewing the properties, make sure you take lots of notes as to the positives and negatives of each, relevant to your needs. Your agent should not be very vocal during your viewings unless you wish them to be. Viewings for rental property are very different from the buying process. They shouldn’t be trying to sell you on a particular property; rather they should be showing you the features of each and letting you make up your own mind. Main things to check when renting property are:

· Water Pressure. If its low, there probably isn’t a lot than can be done about it!

· Air Conditioning. Make sure it is relatively new looking, not noisy and does a good job of cooling the room.

· Check the land plots nearby. Is there any construction ongoing or possible construction sites which may interrupt your enjoyment of the property.

· Who are the neighbors?

· If pets are allowing on the property, what pets do other keep?

· What is the access to the property like? Is there more than one route to access?

These really are the main points, and these are the things which really cannot be changed. Any other small defects which you may find can generally be repaired/fixed along the way, or before you move in, but any of the above are beyond your control.

You don’t have to limit yourself to one day of viewings. This is a personal preference. Some people are more than happy with the first property that they view and make an offer on it right away, while others want to view every available unit in Bangkok! We at Bangkok Finder generally recommend seeing 6-8 properties which match your criteria. We would recommend however sticking with one agent, whoever that agent may be (See related article for explanation to this).

Once you have found a property which is suitable for your needs, you should instruct your agent (verbally is fine) to go ahead and make an offer for the property. Your offer should be a monetary offer, along with a list of any improvements/additions which you would need made to the property, and a tentative move in date. Once armed with this offer, the agent will immediately contact the owner with your offer. Obviously, the owner may counter offer, but in nine times out of ten an agreement is generally reached very quickly.

Once the agreement has been reached verbally, the agent will prepare a lease contract for the property on behalf of the owner. This contract should be in the English language. Check it thoroughly. Standard terms should be prevalent. These would be:

· Lease term 12 months minimum.

· Security Deposit equal to two months rental amount.

· Rent to be paid monthly, in advance, along with the bank account details to which the rent should be paid.

· Complete details of the owner of the property and their residential address, along with full name and passport details of the tenant.

Occasionally, you may see the lease agreement split into two documents, one lease for ‘property’ and one lease for ‘furniture’ or ‘fixtures and fittings’. This generally only happens with higher end property and is done to minimize the property owner’s tax liability. Once the lease agreement has been approved by both the tenant and the owner a date for signing will be agreed and all parties will meet, usually at the property to sign the lease agreement. This is a good opportunity to get to know the owner of the property. This is very, very important in Asia where first impressions count much more so than in western countries. If the tenant makes a good impression on the property owner, this will cement a good relationship for both, and visa versa. The lease agreement should be made in triplicate, with copies of the tenant’s passport and owners ID Card attached as appendices. One copy is for the tenant, one for the owner, and one for the agent’s files.

This contract signing meeting is also a good time to arrange the deposit payment. Bear in mind that Thailand is a cash economy, and credit/debit cards cannot be used for deposit/rent payment. The only forms of payment available are cash, bank transfer or cashier’s check. Make sure to have this process completed before your move in date, as most property owners will understandably not let tenants take possession of the property without correct payment having occurred already.

During this period between contract signing and move-in date, your agent should be helping you to arrange such things as Internet connections and cable T.V. There should be no charge to you for them to carry out this service, though they will ask you for the funds to pay each of the utilities upon installation.

Upon contract signing and deposit payment, the only thing left is to go ahead and move into the property on the agreed date. Normally unless you specify otherwise, your agent will meet you at the property on your move in day to present you with the keys, and also to compose a furniture inventory for the property. This document is very important to both tenant and owner as it represents the exact state of the property on the date of handover, thus eliminating any potential arguments at a later date.

At this point, it’s up to you or your moving company to get yourself moved into the house. Should you encounter any problems with the property, a quick call to your agent should have that problem solved immediately, leaving you to just deal with the important task of getting your things sorted out and getting yourself settled into your new home.

You should not hear form your agent for a couple of days when they should give you a follow up call to make sure that you are well settled in and that you have no problems. Of course, if you do have any problems, you should feel free to contact the agent so that they can get it sorted on your behalf!

Some important points to note:

· Do NOT start negotiating on more than one property at a time. Put your shortlist in order, and start with the no.1 property. If this deal falls through, move to the number 2 property. It sheds your agent and their agency in a very negative light should the landlord agree to your offer, only for you to reject the property anyway.

· Work with only one agent in the same way as the point above. Of course, if you lose confidence in your agent for any reason, move onto another one, but use only one at once.

· Remember, the services of the agent are completely free to the Tenant. The agents fees are paid as a commission by the property owner.

· Do not put in an offer which may be insulting to the property owner. Of course, there are some bargains to be had, but in our years of being in this business, I have never heard of a discount of 50% being given! Putting in a low ball offer is fine in the right circumstances, but don’t be offended if your agent refuses to lodge an offer which they deem as inappropriate.

· The negotiability of the listed prices differs massively from property to property and therefore we cannot generally say that these listed prices are negotiable by x%. Obviously, the longer a property is vacant, the more willing an owner would be to negotiate, however he still me be unwilling to negotiate at all if he has a desirable property which enjoys high occupancy rates.

· The minimum lease period of 12 months is NON-negotiable on the vast majority of private property in Bangkok, particularly Condominiums and houses. Serviced Apartments are the only places where lease agreements of less than 12 months are available.

When I first moved to Bangkok, I rented an apartment like most newcomers to Bangkok do, but as I became more familiar with my new home town, I decided to be a little more adventurous and rented a house. Having lived in houses over the past five years now, I’ve found that renting a house in Bangkok not only offers more space and privacy, often it is also much better value compared to apartment living. More often than not, it is also a cheaper option (per square metre) compared to renting an apartment or condo, which are getting smaller in size these days! If you enjoy wide open spaces, appreciate some green in your life – a garden perhaps, have pets, a large family or simply want to maximize your budget, consider renting a house instead.

Another advantage in renting a house is, apartments tend to put a high surcharge on your electricity and water bills. Many apartments have a minimum charge of 800-1000 bht for water alone. That is a significant amount considering my water bill never cost me over 500 bht living in a house with a family of 5, and we do A LOT of washing! Electricity can be anything between 5 – 7 baht per unit compared to the actual 3.75 baht charged by the MEA. Living in a house can save you up to half your utility bills compared to living in an apartment, and believe me it is A LOT of difference!

Thailand is cheap!

As you may already know, Thailand (more accurately, “Bangkok”) is not the cheap haven many foreigners once thought it to be, especially when it comes to housing. Property prices and rental have gone up considerably and that’s the way it goes everywhere around the world. The very same 2 bedroom unit I rented 5 years ago (in Silom) has gone up by 30% in rental and hardly any refurbishment has been done to it since! “That’s ridiculous” you say and believe it or not, I agree! But hey, I don’t make the prices and if you think agents benefit from that higher commission, that’s only true when clients actually think these houses are worth the price and that isn’t always the case.

Renting a house in Sukhumvit, Silom or Sathorn.

If you are looking to rent a house in the the Sukhumvit, Silom or Sathorn area, then the very minimum rental you are looking at is 40,000 bht for a BASIC 3 bedroom house. Even then, they are far and few in between that range, and more often than not are above 15 years old, with dark parquet flooring and lots of wooden built-ins which many people find dark and depressing.

Most people prefer something a little brighter and contemporary. That would mean newer houses between 1 – 5 years old and these start around 70,000 bht for a townhouse and 90,000 – 120,000 bht for a nicely renovated detached house. Depending on the location, size, décor, facilities etc. these can go up to anything from 150,000 – 350,000 baht per month. For that price, they usually have 4 bedrooms and come with a private pool and beautifully landscaped garden.

In any case, you do get what you pay for so be realistic when it comes to expectations and budget. If you want something new and modern but lack the budget, then move further away from the city centre. Which also means further away from the BTS line. Unfortunately, we cannot have it all and something’s gotta give.

Generally, if you go further towards the end of the BTS line and beyond i.e. Mo Chit, Phayathai, Phrakanong, On Nut, Bangna, Srinakarin, Rangsit etc. prices drop significantly and you get much better deals which are sometimes worth the extra time commuting.

Is it possible to find a house for 15,000 bht?

Not many agencies deal with houses below 25,000 bht. Just search the various property website in Thailand and you will see that the minimum range for houses are 25,000 – 30,000 bht, where the search usually returns 0 – 5 results. Several reasons for that:

1) There are a lot less decent and rentable houses at < 25,000 bht than there are at say, 50,000 bht.

2) If there is, it is usually way out of town, far from any BTS/MRT station.

3) Most people want to live in town, close to the city centre, CBD or near a BTS/MRT station.

4) Apart from location, houses below 25,000 bht are usually older (thus old fashioned) and not very well-maintained, which makes it very hard to rent.

Thus, it’s hard to find nice, decent houses at 25,000 bht or less…

Regardless, there are certainly cheap houses as low as 15,000 bht (or less) for rent in Bangkok, but remember, and I stress again – you get what you pay for! And most 15,000 bht houses I’ve seen are usually in serious need of repair and maintenance, and the decent ones are located way out in whoop whoop district.

I don’t care as long as rent is cheap. Where do I look?

Again, you won’t find any agents to help you there and finding that perfect yet cheap and nice house is undoubtedly the hardest step. It usually takes months of driving around moo baan after moo baan, which would mean having your own transport and knowing your way around.

The word “Moo Baan” translates to “village” in Thai, but the term “housing estate” would be far more accurate. These usually have a guard posted at the entrance and are situated all over Bangkok. These houses usually offer much better value than stand alone houses, and are a good place for the house hunter to start his/her search. Try areas like On Nut between Sukhumvit 77 – 103, Bangna, Rangsit, Ramintra, Phayathai, Mo chit etc.

Concerns and other issues

1) Security

Honestly, I know of many farangs, including myself who have lived in single houses and existed peacefully without any disturbances or trouble for years. I also do not know anyone who has been burgled personally because they were living in a house. Do you?

If you are considering renting a house and security is a main concern, rent a house in popular areas like Sukhumvit, Silom and Sathorn where there are many nearby apartments and condos with security. That way, you can benefit from the dense security in the neighbourhood.

Another option would be to opt for houses or townhouse within a “moo baan.” There are plenty around and majority of them have tight 24 hour security. Common sense would also tell me to explore the neighbourhood a little and have a chat with shopkeepers and a neighbour who might be willing to share some information with you. I’m sure you’ll have no problems getting a friendly neighbour to spill the beans on the house, its previous tenants and probably things you don’t need to know about your landlord. Welcome to Thailand!

2) Air conditioners

Check to see how many rooms have air-conditioning; and how old the air-conditioners are. If you are looking at an older house, chances are it will have those big, old blocks that rumble every time you turn them on. These old air-conditioners consume a lot more energy than a new one, and would greatly increase your electricity bills. It is also unlikely that the landlord will install new air-conditioners for you unless they are completely dead (even then they will always try to revive the monster before even considering replacing it), so make sure that they are serviced and cleaned before you move in or if you got a good deal on the rent, invest in some new airconditioners!

3) Water Pressure

Now this is important. Always check that there is a water pump. Then check the water pressure on the upper floors to make sure the pump has enough power to deliver a decent jet of shower. I’ve learnt from experience that size does not necessarily mean power when it comes to a water pump, and sometimes a 2^nd pump needs to be installed to ensure constant deliverance of water into the house.

4) Telephone lines

Again, from experience it is in your best interest to check the phone lines to make sure that 1) you have one and 2) it is working, because some areas (and this includes many areas in the Sukhumvit, Silom and Sathorn) do not have anymore available numbers and you will have to join a looong waiting list to apply for a new one. Also, older houses above 10 years old tend to be on the old, analog system which when faulty, cannot be replaced unless the whole area is re-cabled. No telephone lines = no internet. You don’t ever want to be caught in that situation!

5) Maintenance

Houses within a secured compound will have what they call “moo baan fee” or “community fee” which goes into the maintenance of the estate i.e. security, pool and garden maintenance etc. This is usually included in the asking rent. However, if you try negotiating on the rent, then more often than not, the landlord will exclude this from the rent and make you pay for it, so check to see what your rent includes when you are signing the contract. This ranges between 20 – 45 bht per square metre. Thus, the larger your house the more you pay! I currently pay 3,500 baht per month for my “moo baan fee” (I got a 5000 bht reduction in rent, so it works out) and we have 24 hour security, a well-maintained common garden and a superb pool that is regularly cleaned, so I am happy.

At Bangkok Finder, we specialize in properties for rent. Home rental is our only business and that gives us all the time in the world to help find you that perfect house within your budget when you move to Bangkok. Our website http://www.bangkokfinder.com features hundreds of houses and apartments for rent, and is updated daily with quality rental homes. Our negotiators have long established relationships with landlords, which means you will always pay the best rate when we negotiate for you.