If you are unable to buy an apartment in Bangkok, your next solution is likely to be renting one instead.  Moving into a new apartment can be a thrilling experience; however, finding that “perfect one” can be a daunting task. There are some important things that you should take into consideration before you go all the way and sign your renter’s agreement, so to help you out, we have put together our top 10 considerations before you “make your move”.

Set a budget

Before renting your Bangkok apartment consider how much you can afford to pay each month. It is not a bad idea to follow a well known “rule” that is, not to exceed 30% of your monthly income. From here, begin to focus your search according to your set budget.
 
Of course, the cost of the apartment rate should be prioritized. Most Bangkok apartment units are affordable compared to major hotels and accommodations. When looking at the price, take note of any hidden costs. Ask the landlord if the bills for utilities like water and electricity are covered by the rent. If not, it would be more advisable if you could directly pay and shoulder your bulls. Living in or near the city’s prime spots definitely would be much costly compared to living in farther places.
 
 

Choose Some Locations

First thing to consider when finding a Bangkok apartment would be its location.Now you may be thinking “Bangkok is a huge city, where should I start looking?” Google maps and internet as a whole is a great place to get an idea of the various locations in Bangkok. However, Bangkok Condo Finder has made it very easy to find your apartment using our integrated maps on our website; so definitely keep that in mind! If you are not in a hurry, you could spent some more time on our guides and learn everything you need to know before rent an apartment: Renting your first condo in Bangkok and Which are the best areas to live in Bangkok
 
Briefly, the best tip for this factor is to choose a unit near or within walking distance from MRT subway stations or the BTS skytrain. By ensuring this, you can be sure that you can always be on the go to places tourists and expatriates should check out while in Thailand. Also, it would not be practical to get a place in an area where it would take longer to go to the office or to the basic establishments like malls, groceries and hangout spots.
 

Make a List of Requirements

Think about what your requirements are. For example, do you want to be near your work or a school, perhaps you would like to live in close proximity to a hospital or BTS line. Maybe you have a dog or cat, if so, the apartment building must allow pets. There is a wide range of particular requirements that you may have that you are not even thinking about. Here is a quick list of things to consider:

• Utilities
• Location / Neighborhood
• Garage / Parking
• Manager / Landlord
• Layout / Floor Plan
• Hookups  (Phone, Internet, Electrical Outlets)
• Laundry
• Pet / No Pets
• Neighbors
• Kitchen
• Public Transportation
• Amenities and Extras

Ask what is Included

Once you have a have selected a few of your favorite apartments as potential possibilities, ask the building manager what is included in the rent. For example, water, electricity, cable, internet, room cleaning, building maintenance. More importantly, whatever is not included in your rent, you will have to pay; therefore, be sure to ask the price of the utilities. Note that it is custom in Bangkok, and Thailand as a whole, to be charged by the unit for electricity. Water may be a flat fee per person or be charged by the unit.

Meticulous inspection

Before finally signing the tenancy contract, inspect the apartment unit carefully. It would be advisable if you would check out and inspect the place twice in the evening and during daytime. This way, you would be able to thoroughly inspect the interiors and check out if the living condition would be ideal for you.
 
Almost all the existing rental apartment units around are having good facilities. It would be noteworthy that some accommodations proudly offer 5-star services that are at par with the services offered by 5-star hotels.
 
Look for any visible damage and ask for it to be repaired. If you do not do this, there is a chance that you will be blamed for it later. Some things to inspect include:

• Sink faucets, shower heads and water heaters. Make sure water (both cold and hot) really comes out of the faucets and the shower head and it’s with a decent pressure. Also the toilet has to flush properly and thoroughly.
• Electricity and appliances. Check if all the lights or other electric devices are operational. Also check the air conditioner and the heater to see if they’re good for anything.
• Walls and windows. Check the windows to see if they open, close and lock properly. Also inspect the walls. The more walls in common (shared with adjoining apartments), the greater the chance of noise from next door.
• Furniture
• Pipes. Be it gas, water or anything else, check for leaks.

Read Your Contract

Before you sign, thoroughly read your contract and get a copy of any rules or regulations the building may have. Some things to look for include:

• Monthly rental price and security deposit
• Reasons in which the manager/landlord can terminate your lease
• Penalties for moving out before your lease agreement is up
• Is there an automatic lease renewal?
• Is there any responsibilities for repairs
• Is there a policy for guests/visitors?

Inadequate living space

Usually, some people find that his or her place is not too spacious in the long run. This is usually the case of tenants who are fond of designing homes and buying new equipment and appliances. If you are happy and contented about the location of your condominium and the basic amenities offered, you can opt to stay in the same condominium but transfer in another bigger unit. For sure, there would be units that are bigger and more spacious than what you already have.
 
 

Opening hours of services and shops

If you are complaining about the rather early closing hours of the restaurants, gyms, pools and stores, you can organize a meeting and convince all the tenants of the condominium to sign a polite petition to ask such establishments to keep open for additional hours. This would also work very well for a host of many other services.
 
 

Noisy neighborhood

If you complain that your neighbors are getting unreasonably noisy, it would be good if you would conduct a diplomatic and civil discussion with the concerned neighbors. If the measure does not work, it may sound a little odd, but it would be high time you adopt weird schemes. For example, you could opt to make more noise than they do just to annoy them and make them get a taste of their own medicine. You would notice that funnily, noisy people do not realize their own noisiness but would surely mind the noise of other people around them.
 
 

Pets

If you have a pet or intend to get one, find out your landlord’s rules on pets. Some landlords don’t allow pets, and others require hefty pet fees and deposits or limit the type, size, or number of pets you can have. This could be extremely hard especially in Bangkok. Luckily Bangkok Condo Finder’s search has an option which allows you to look only for pet-friendly condos and apartments.

Ask about parking

Find out how many parking places you will be allotted, where they are and where guests may park. When condo owners rent their units, parking becomes a source of trouble when tenants do not understand and don’t follow the rules set forth in the condominium association's covenants, conditions and restrictions.

This gives you an idea of what you should consider before renting a Bangkok apartment, good luck on your apartment hunt