Reader question: Experience not paying back a rental deposit?
Dear readers,
Does anyone have experience with non-repayment of rental deposit by real estate agency Chiangmai properties? For the last 10 years I have rented an apartment in Chiang Mai every time through Chiangmai properties. In December 2019, at the termination of the contract and after an inventory of the premises where everything was found to be in order, they were unable or unwilling to pay the rental guarantee.
We protested, but since we had to take our flight to Brussels, we didn't have time to take any further steps. After written promise via emails to pay us back within 2 weeks at the latest and after repeated questions from us via email, it was finally reported that due to corona and due to accounting problems, payment would be made at the end of August.
Now we have already sent 4 emails in September that have not been responded to at all. We now fear that the firm has been completely shut down after they illegally enriched themselves with personal guarantees.
Our question is whether anyone else has had similar problems with Chiangmai properties and what else we can do to get our money back? It is about 64.000 THB.
Second question is does anyone know if that company still exists and how we can find out? Because their website is no longer active.
Thank you kindly for any response.
Regards,
Rudy and Lucy
The office has been locked for months. I even thought this didn't reopen after the lockdown. Looks bad for you
Is there an authority where we can seek redress, for example the tourist police, albeit digitally?
Before that they always refunded, now not in December, and then corona…
Good article/warning, because you can still book on the internet:
https://chiangmaiproperties.co.th/
Yes, but all rental and purchase orders are 6 months ago….
Well,
You're not the only one who doesn't get the deposit back, I also get 16.000 Bhat, asked several times, never got it, just took my loss, but that's really Thai's Reason; Farang have enough money.
If we rent out a house for a year, through an agent who finds a client, we make the contract with the tenant and the tenant pays us the deposit. The agent receives the first month's rent and that's it. Photos of the house and each piece of furniture are included in the contract. The tenant also signs that he has received all these items in good condition. When the contract has ended, it is checked whether there are still outstanding bills for electricity, water or internet, for example. And it is checked whether everything from which a photo was taken is still undamaged in the house. Possible costs will be kept from the deposit and the rest will be returned to the tenant.
From my previous female owner of the house I rented in Pattaya chokchai garden home 2 simply did not return even after verifying by her that everything was fine. She came forward with a story that once 6 years ago I had not paid my rent at the start. i couldn't prove it because then it was settled in cash and didn't provide proof…Bye…bye warranty, They always find something to not refund the warranty in THAILAND. Beware.
The big question is, what can you do from Europe, you can't go there for the time being and there is great doubt about whether or not chiangmai.properties exists?
We have been renting for many years now and eijgenlihk a contract is always drawn up with the owner. Admittedly through the broker, but always rent paid to the owner and deposit arranged. I thought this was the normal way of doing things