9 useful facts you need to know when renting a condominium

DDproperty Editorial Team
9 useful facts you need to know when renting a condominium
Many people that are seeking to rent a condominium close to the BTS may have to face the same old problems and headaches from renting a place. These issues can easily be resolved and avoided if you know your legal rights.
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1. How to deal with a tough and stingy landlord
This is perhaps one of the most common issues that tenants may face. The landlord that refuses to make necessary repairs and maintenance to their rooms such as replacing worn out things, dealing with water leaks, fixing the AC that is not cool or even dealing with termites because they don’t want to pay! By law, it is the land lord’s sole responsibility to carrying out all necessary maintenance and repairs to their property where the damage and deterioration is not caused by the tenant doing throughout the contract’s duration. Therefore the land lord cannot refuse to make repairs nor push over the cost to you.
2. Accept the penalty fee
It is normal for every tenant to accept the terms and conditions set forth in the rental contract including placing deposit money. Most tenants may find that they didn’t get their money back or may find that a large chunk have been deducted from the original sum. Tenants may be penalised for breaking or damaging things in the room such as torn mosquito nets, leaving deep scratches on the table or drilling holes in the walls. These conditions are clearly set forth in the rental contract in accordance to the Thai Civil and Commercial Code section 546-563, carefully read them. Once you have signed the contract then you are obligated to it. The only way out is to not damage or destroy anything.
3. Issues with the central management
Problems with the building’s management not only causes headache to tenants but also to the room owners also. Owners pay an annual maintenance to fee to the central management to pay for the property’s upkeep and improvement. However, it is not uncommon to find that management has failed to provide adequate maintenance and repairs to the building. Leaking water pipes, broken light bulbs or even smelly drains are some issues resulting from poor maintenance. If this is the case, tenants and owners can refer to Section 48 Part 3 that states that “collecting annual maintenance fee from members for maintaining public utility, estate management have the duty to provide maintenance and repairs for members”. It is necessary for tenants to get the respective owners to lodge complaints with central management.
4. Stealing parking space
This is one of the most frequent problems that condominium tenants have to face and have caused a lot of aggravation to many people. This is because most condominium does not have enough parking spaces for everyone in the building. If you want to avoid this problem, you may have to start right at the beginning when you are considering a place to rent. The 7th Ministerial Regulation states that each condominium project must provide at least one parking space per family.
5. Not enough lifts and they are so slow!
This is another annoying issue for many condominium dwellers particularly during rush hour when everybody need to get moving. Thailand’s Building Control Act states that a building must provide one lift for every 100 units. However, this is relative lift speed. Buildings not exceeding 10 floors have a lift speed of 60 meters/ minute, buildings not exceeding 25 floors at 90-125 meters/ minute and buildings exceeding 25 floors at 120 meters/ minute. Each lift must have a load capacity of 630 kilograms minimum across the board. Each building must also have a fire lift.
6. The security guards
Many people may have gripe with the building’s security guard, from negligence of their duty, allowing non- residents to enter the building, allowing people outside to occupy the scarce parking space or using communal facility. If you face these issues you can inform the central management and have them deal with it. This is because legally, the central management has the full authority in managing every aspect of security with the premise of the property.
7. Smell of tobacco and food odor
Pungent food odors in the building usually originate from the kitchen as most condominiums have an open kitchen design, the smell of cooking can creep out of the room and bother other inhabitants, particularly when it’s Thai food. This is a bigger problem with older projects that lack proper ventilation system to deal with such odors. For the smell of tobacco, this may come from smokers smoking in prohibited areas as every building is required to have smoke detectors and are required to vent 140 cubic meters of air per hour out of the building. If you face the problem of tobacco smell from other rooms bothering you, you can inform central management to deal with them.
8. The pain from pets
This problem usually occurs in condominiums that prohibit keeping pets but the stubborn neighbor refuse to oblige and the noise, or even the odor, may bother other people. Central management has the authority and responsibility in deal this issue for you in accordance with the Public Health Act 1992 which states “any act that causes annoyance to other people living close by can be considered public disturbance according to section 25”.
9. Inadequate rubbish collection.
According to the 50th Ministry Regulation 1997 require every condominium to have an area set aside for rubbish deposit with a minimum holding capacity of 2.40 liters on every floor of the building with adequate system to contain foul smell. If the building that you live in does not comply with this regulation, tenants can inform the owner to lodge a complaint with central management.
Knowing your rights that is set forth by law and knowing how to deal with the problems properly can help solve many annoying issues. But it is best to choose carefully when you are looking for a new place to stay. It is advised for you to take the time to look for newer projects that have modern security, good public utility, efficient and competent central management and also a friendly land lord.
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