Renting a Condo or House in Thailand: Leases, Deposits and TM30

Published 1 October 2026 · By the Visit-Thailand editorial team · Editor: Terje Moy

Renting in Thailand is straightforward: most foreigners rent a condo or house on a lease of six or twelve months, pay a deposit and the first month up front, and pay electricity and water on top. Since 4 September 2025, landlords who rent out three or more units must follow national rules that cap the deposit and advance rent at three months' rent and ban marked-up utility charges.

The market is informal in many ways. Listings change daily, many owners deal through agents or LINE chat, and contracts range from a careful bilingual lease to a one-page form in Thai. Knowing which rules apply to your landlord, and what to check before you hand over money, prevents almost every common dispute.

This guide covers long rentals for people who live here. For what rent and daily costs look like in different cities, see our overview of the price level in Thailand; this page is about the lease itself.

Condo, apartment or house: what you are actually renting

In Thai usage a condo is a unit in a building where each apartment has its own owner. You rent from that owner, often through an agent, and the building's juristic office (the management) runs the pool, gym, security and key cards. An apartment building usually has one owner who rents out every room and runs its own office. A house or townhouse is rented directly from a private owner, sometimes inside a gated estate (a moo baan) with its own guards and rules.

The difference matters for your rights. A building owner with dozens of rooms is clearly a business under the 2025 consumer rules described below. A private owner letting out a single condo usually is not, and then your protection is mainly what the contract says.

Agents are commonly paid a commission by the owner. If an agent asks you, the tenant, for a fee as well, ask what it covers before you agree and get a receipt.

Finding a place without overpaying

Look in person before you sign anything. Photos online are often old, and the same unit may appear on several sites at different prices. Spend your first week or two in a hotel or serviced apartment, then view a handful of places in the area you want; our guides to Bangkok's neighborhoods, Chiang Mai's areas and long stays in Hua Hin help you pick a starting point.

Ask the juristic office or building reception whether units are free. Many buildings keep a list of owners who want tenants, and the office knows which units have had problems. In a house estate, the guardhouse often knows which homes are empty.

Rent is often negotiable for a twelve-month lease, a quiet season or a unit that has been empty for a while. A month-to-month arrangement almost always costs more.

The 2025 rental rules: who they cover and what they say

The Contract Committee under the Office of the Consumer Protection Board published a new notification in the Royal Gazette on 6 June 2025, declaring residential leasing a "contract-controlled business". It came into force 90 days later, on 4 September 2025, and replaced the 2019 version. It covers anyone who rents homes to private individuals as a business with three or more units, in one building or several, including rentals arranged online. It defines a "building" broadly (rooms, houses, condominium units, apartments) but excludes hotels and dormitories licensed under their own laws.

For those landlords the contract must be in Thai, legible, follow the official model contract, and be made in two copies, one handed to you when you sign. A lease of up to three years uses the short-term form; longer leases use a separate form. The notification lists terms that the landlord may not include. The most important ones for tenants:

• Deposit and advance rent together may not exceed three months' rent (or one year's rent where rent is set yearly on a long lease).
• No raising the rent or service charges before the lease ends.
• No keeping the deposit or advance rent when the tenant is not at fault.
• No charging electricity or water above the rate the utility charges the landlord.
• No entering the unit without telling you first, except in an emergency.
• No locking you out or removing your belongings before the lease has been lawfully ended.
• No contract-renewal fee from an existing tenant.
• No making you pay for normal wear and tear, or for damage that was not your fault.

The model short-term contract, published by the OCPB, adds the timetable for your money. If there is no damage, the deposit comes back within seven days after the lease ends and the landlord has the unit back; if repairs are deducted, the rest comes back within fourteen days. A tenant who has lived in the unit for at least half of a fixed term, is up to date on payments and gives at least 30 days' written notice may end the lease early, and rent paid in advance for the future must then be returned within seven days.

The text of the notification and the model forms are on the OCPB website (in Thai). If a landlord with several units insists on terms that break these rules, those terms have no legal effect even if you signed them, according to the Thailand Consumers Council.

Renting from a private condo owner

Most foreigners in Bangkok, Pattaya and Phuket rent a single condo unit from its owner. That owner usually falls outside the three-unit rule, so the standard terms are a matter of custom and negotiation. Two months' deposit plus the first month's rent is a frequent arrangement, and many owners charge the utility's own rate for electricity because the meter is in their name and the bill goes straight to them.

Use the national rules as your benchmark anyway. A request for six months' deposit, a clause letting the owner keep the deposit if you leave a day early, or electricity at double the official rate are all warning signs. Ask for a bilingual contract, or have the Thai version translated before you sign.

Electricity, water and the other monthly bills

Electricity is the big variable, mainly because of air conditioning. In a condo or house with its own meter, you either pay the bill from the Metropolitan Electricity Authority (MEA, in the Bangkok area) or the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA, in the rest of the country), or the owner passes it on to you unchanged. In apartment buildings with sub-meters, check the rate per unit printed in the contract against the official tariff published by the MEA or the PEA.

Water is usually a small amount. Internet is either included, arranged by the building, or a contract you sign yourself with a provider. Ask who pays the condo's common-area fee: in most leases the owner does, but it should be written down. Many landlords prefer rent by bank transfer, which is one reason long-stayers end up opening a Thai bank account.

Moving in: the inventory that saves your deposit

The model contract requires a business landlord to attach a record of the unit's condition and its furniture and appliances, with a copy for you. Ask for the same from a private owner. Walk through the unit together, test the air conditioners, hot water and every appliance, and list existing marks, stains and damage.

Get receipts for every payment, including the deposit, and keep the meter readings for your first and last day.

TM30, 90-day reports and why your landlord's paperwork matters

The legal duty to report a foreigner's address to immigration rests on the house owner or landlord, through the TM30 form, which can be filed on the official TM30 system. Our article on the TM30 and visa extensions explains why it matters when you extend your stay, what to do if the owner will not cooperate, and the extra documents immigration may want.

The practical point for your lease is simple. Before you sign, ask the owner whether they will file the TM30 and give you the receipt, and ask for copies of their ID and the title deed or condo ownership document, which immigration may also ask to see. An owner who refuses all of this is a poor choice if you plan to extend your visa or file 90-day reports from that address.

Leaving: notice, final bills and getting the deposit back

Give notice in writing and keep proof, even when the lease simply ends. Agree a check-out date, read the meters together, pay the final bills and hand back every key card. If the landlord deducts money, ask for an itemized list with repair receipts. Normal wear, such as faded paint or a worn sofa after a year, is not your cost under the national rules.

If a business landlord keeps your deposit without reason, you can complain to the OCPB on its 1166 hotline or online. A dispute with a private owner is a civil matter; a polite written request, with your move-in video and receipts attached, is usually the most effective first step. For anything larger, talk to a lawyer before you leave the country. Our hub for living and working in Thailand links the visa and money guides you will need alongside your lease.

Frequently asked questions

How much deposit do landlords in Thailand ask for?

Landlords who rent out three or more units may not take more than three months' rent in deposit and advance rent combined, under the consumer rules in force since 4 September 2025. Private condo owners letting one unit usually ask for two months' deposit plus the first month's rent, but this is custom rather than law.

Can my landlord charge more than the official electricity rate?

A landlord with three or more units may not charge electricity or water above the rate the utility charges them, and the contract must explain how your bill is calculated. If the rate in your contract is clearly higher than the MEA or PEA tariff, ask for the calculation and contact the OCPB if it is not corrected.

Can a foreigner rent a house or condo in Thailand on a tourist visa?

Yes. The national rental rules say nothing about the tenant's visa, and many people sign a short lease while visa-exempt. Remember that the visa exemption is 30 days as of October 2026, so a twelve-month lease only makes sense once you have a visa that lets you stay; see our visa overview.

Who files the TM30 when I rent a condo?

The owner or landlord. Immigration places the duty on the house owner or head of household, not the tenant. Ask your landlord to file it after you move in and after each trip abroad, and to give you the receipt.

Sources

• Office of the Consumer Protection Board – Residential lease contracts must follow the controlled-contract notification (with the B.E. 2568 notification and model contracts) (checked October 2026)
• Contract Committee – Notification on residential leasing as a contract-controlled business, B.E. 2568 (Royal Gazette, 6 June 2025) (checked October 2026)
• Thailand Consumers Council – Rental contract controls announced: no marked-up water and electricity (5 November 2025) (checked October 2026)
• Office of the Consumer Protection Board – Sample standard short-term residential lease (Form A) (checked October 2026)