Finding a rent house in Chiang Mai can be a tremendous challenge. But it can be especially difficult when you consider living in a new country, culture, and language. While the city is surrounded by beautiful mountains with a relaxed tropical feel, it can be a difficult place to live if you don’t know what you’re doing. Here’s the top 5 mistakes to avoid when finding a rent house in Chiang Mai.
Mistake #1: Signing A Contract You Can’t Read
It sounds like common sense and that no one would ever do this, but this happens all too often. You’ve searched high and low and finally find the perfect place that checks off your entire wishlist. You are ready to sign a contract, move in, and get settled into your new home. You show up for the signing day and when you are presented with the contract you find out it’s completely in Thai and you have no idea what it says. The agent tells you it will be fine and assures there’s nothing to worry about. They give you a brief explanation of what it says but you’re left wondering what you don’t know. You know you should walk away but then you look around at this awesome
place and how much work went into finding it and in a moment of weakness you sign it and put down the money. The first time an AC stops working, or you have a plumbing issue, or the landlord drops in unannounced you will have no idea where your rights and responsibilities begin and end. All too often we see this nightmare situation end poorly both relationally and financially.
Mistake #2: Looking For Too Long
You might love house hunting and searching in Chiang Mai can be especially fun. You’re looking for the perfect home with an open concept, western kitchen, modern feel, and beautiful garden. Eventually you find a place that checks most of the boxes but it’s not quite perfect. You have a decision to make: take this option or continue looking for the perfect place. You choose to go on looking and while you’re searching you get word that the place you originally found has been rented. As a renter, it’s important to know what you want and try to meet as many of your preferences as possible. It’s also important to remember you are a renter and this place may be for just a year or two, so searching for too long doesn’t make a lot of sense either. Sometimes it can help to ask yourself, “If this property were suddenly unavailable how would I feel given the remaining options?”
Mistake #3: Finding The Perfect Place In A Terrible Location
Location, location, location… The age old rule of thumb when it comes to real estate is no different when it comes to the rental market in Chiang Mai. We have seen many people find great places thinking they can just commute use a ride-sharing app to get wherever they need to go in the city. While this is possible, it just doesn’t make sense long-term financially or logistically. Also driving routes around Chiang Mai can vary by 10-15 minutes just because they are on one side or the other of a major artery or highway.
Mistake #4: Underestimating The Cost Of Utilities & Other Fees
You just arrived into Chiang Mai, found a great place, and negotiated the price down to a great bargain. But you never stopped to ask about the cost of utilities and other hidden fees that may come with the home. Sometimes while the house is nice the air conditioning units are very old and inefficient. In Chiang Mai this can lead to huge monthly electric bills, sometimes up to ฿10,000 if they are consistently used, which negate the great bargain they just signed. Also things like neighborhood fees can vary from ฿300-฿2000 per month depending on the community. It’s good to get as much information as possible before signing.
Mistake #5: Asking The Owner To Meet A Foreign Standard
Often times you can negotiate for homeowners to do very reasonable things like add a fresh coat of paint to the interior, deep clean the house, or purchase some extra appliances. You assume you are on the same page with the owner until you go to move in and find out your landlord had a very different understanding. The paint needs another coat, only the floors are swept (somewhat), and the appliances that were added are smaller (SE Asian) versions of their western counterparts. Often times this isn’t anyone’s fault, it’s just a completely different cultural mindset and standard. Sometimes this can be avoided by asking the owner for a lower price and taking on these items yourself so that you can get what you want. We highly recommend Bliss Clean + Care Company for one-time or regular cleaning services.
