Renting a Condo for the First Time: What to Check About Your Budget, Commute, and Contract

Separate the monthly budget from the money needed at the start of the lease

The monthly budget should include at least rent, water, electricity, internet, transportation, parking or pet fees if applicable, and the renter’s own reserve. Do not use rent alone as the only figure for deciding whether a room is within budget.

The money needed at the start of the lease is a separate amount. Ask the landlord for a written list showing any rent paid in advance, security deposit, access-card fee, parking fee, or other costs, and total the actual figures received. Do not substitute the amount from another listing.

Choose a location based on the places you actually need to go

List your regular destinations first, such as your workplace, educational institution, or a family member’s home. Then look for locations connected to those places. The phrase “near the train” does not indicate the walking distance, number of transfers, or route from the final station.

Check the route at the times you will actually use it, and separate walking, waiting, transfers, and walking from the final stop. If you have not tested it yourself, state that the travel time is still unconfirmed. Do not substitute advertising language or the time stated in a listing for the actual journey.

Write down the non-negotiables and the reasons to eliminate a room

Non-negotiables may include keeping pets, parking rights, an entrance that works for your vehicle, an elevator, or restrictions concerning the floor and space. Write them as verifiable conditions instead of broad terms such as convenient, beautiful, or complete.

Add a separate column for reasons to eliminate a room, such as unclear costs, the owner not yet confirming pets, or the juristic person not yet confirming parking rights. Use these two columns to remove listings first, then use the view, furnishings, or common areas to rank the remaining rooms.

Use listings for screening, but confirm information before viewing and before paying

Photos, prices, and amenity tags in a listing can reduce the number of options, but they do not confirm that the room is still available, that the original price still applies, or that the renter receives the right indicated by the tag. Before arranging a viewing, confirm the room status, costs, pet conditions, parking, and what is included with the room again.

Keep the answers in messages or documents, and note unanswered items in the comparison table. If key information is still unconfirmed, do not score that room the same as a room with complete evidence.

Compare every room using the same set of information

Each room should have the same information fields: monthly budget, money needed at the start of the lease, route, non-negotiable conditions, items needing repair, documents received, and outstanding questions. This shows which rooms look good because the information is complete and which look good because costs or restrictions have not yet been disclosed.

Do not combine unconfirmed figures with actual figures. If water, electricity, parking, or costs at the start of the lease are still unknown, write “still unconfirmed” instead of entering an estimate.

Read the contract and inventory before transferring money

Ask to see the draft contract before paying. Check the contracting parties’ names, room, term, rent, payment date, security deposit, advance rent, water, electricity, common-area fees, repairs, termination, refunds, and who is responsible for each cost.

The Office of the Consumer Protection Board published the Notification Controlling Contracts for Residential Building Rentals B.E. 2568 and a standard contract sample on 8 June 2026. The scope of the law depends on the landlord’s status and the facts of the contract, so read the actual documents and ask a specialist to review them when there are specific legal issues.

On the handover date, there should be an inventory, room-condition record, photographs, and meter readings accepted by both parties. This set of documents confirms the initial condition; do not rely on listing photos alone.

Decision checklist

• Separate the monthly budget from the money needed at the start of the lease
• Ask the landlord for a written list of costs
• Write down regular destinations and check the route at the times you will actually use it
• Set the non-negotiables and the reasons to eliminate a room
• Confirm the room status, price, and rights indicated by tags before arranging a viewing
• Compare every room using the same information fields
• Ask to see the draft contract and refund conditions before transferring money
• Prepare an inventory, room-condition record, photographs, and meter readings on the handover date

Frequently asked questions