Renting in Thailand and Vietnam

Don’t sign a lease or send a deposit until you’ve stood in the apartment. Book a serviced apartment for your first month, look at places in person, and you’ll avoid nearly every rental scam in Thailand and Vietnam.

After that, renting long term comes down to knowing a fair rent for the neighbourhood, getting a lease you can read, and making sure your landlord registers your address. You’ll need that registration for every visa extension.

Spend your first month somewhere short term

The classic mistake is finding a place on Facebook, loving the photos and sending a deposit before you land. Then the flat is smaller than it looked, the street is loud at night, or the photos are five years old.

A serviced apartment or hotel for 30 days costs a bit more, but it buys you time. Walk the neighbourhoods, talk to people who live there, and view several places before you commit. A landlord who pushes you to sign from overseas is a landlord to avoid.

Where to search

Thailand

• DDproperty: the biggest Thai property portal, with plenty of Bangkok and Chiang Mai listings from agents and owners.
• Hipflat: condo listings with good filters.
• PropertyScout: English-language listings and agents, mostly Bangkok.
• Facebook groups: search your city plus “expats” or “condo for rent”. Good for owner-direct listings and for asking about a building.
• Monthly rentals: furnished monthly stays (including on Airbnb) are an easy first step, with utilities included and someone to call when the aircon dies.

Vietnam

• Batdongsan.com.vn: the main property portal. Most listings are in Vietnamese, so use it with a translator or an agent.
• Facebook groups: the Saigon, Hanoi and Da Nang expat groups are busy, and good for agent recommendations.
• Local bilingual agents: in Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang this is usually the best route. The landlord normally pays the agent’s fee. A good one knows which buildings are well run and which streets flood in the wet season.

What the main neighbourhoods cost

The neighbourhood matters as much as the apartment. These are rough monthly rents for a decent one-bedroom place. For how rent fits into a full budget, see the cost of living guide. If you’re open to smaller places, see the cities most newcomers overlook.

Bangkok

Chiang Mai

Ho Chi Minh City

Districts were merged into new wards in 2025, but everyone, including agents, still uses the old names.

Da Nang

Red flags that mean walk away

• More than two months’ deposit up front. One or two months is normal. Three or more, especially before you’ve seen a contract, isn’t.
• No written lease. Even a one-page agreement gives you something to stand on.
• A lease only in Thai or Vietnamese. Ask for a bilingual contract, or get it translated by someone you trust before you sign.
• Photos that look too good. Run them through a reverse image search. Scammers lift photos from real listings.
• A landlord who’s “overseas” and can only talk by email. Deal only with people you can meet, or agents with a real office.
• Pressure to decide today. “Three other people are viewing tomorrow” is the oldest line there is.
• Electricity at a mystery rate. Thailand’s household tariff averages under 4 THB a unit before VAT, and since September 2026 the first 200 units a month are capped at 3 THB, a cap that now covers rented apartments. Some condo landlords still bill their own, much higher rate. Ask the rate per unit before you sign, and check there’s a separate meter.

What to check at a viewing

• Run every air conditioner for 10 minutes and feel what comes out.
• Check the water pressure in the shower and kitchen, and that hot water works.
• Look for mould on bathroom ceilings and around window frames.
• Open the fridge and try the washing machine.
• Check your phone signal and ask what internet speed the building gets.
• Come back at night. Quiet at 10am can be very loud at 11pm.
• Ask a neighbour or the building security what it’s like to live there.
• Walk to the nearest supermarket, pharmacy and train or bus stop.

Negotiating the rent

Asking for a lower rent or for extras is normal in both countries and rarely offends anyone. What tends to work:

• Signing for 12 months instead of six.
• Paying a few months in advance for a lower monthly rate (only once you trust the landlord).
• Asking for a new fridge, an extra aircon unit or missing furniture.
• Asking for internet to be included.

Five to 15 percent off the asking rent is common for a 12-month lease, more so outside the high season.

The paperwork that comes with renting

Thailand: your landlord must tell immigration you’re living there within 24 hours of you moving in, on the TM30 form. You’ll need the receipt for visa extensions and 90-day reports, so ask for a copy. Usual terms are one or two months’ deposit plus the first month in advance.

Vietnam: the person running your accommodation must declare your stay to the local police within 12 hours of you arriving. Hotels do this automatically. Private landlords sometimes forget, which causes trouble at visa time, so ask them to show you it’s done in your first week.