Renting an apartment in Bangkok

You pay three months of rent before you get keys in Bangkok: two months deposit plus one month in advance. On a THB 30,000 flat that is THB 90,000, about $2,735, as of September 2026. The agent costs you nothing. The bigger money is the electricity meter, which some buildings re-bill at nearly double the government rate.

Current at 9 September 2026. Dollars at THB 32.9 to US$1, the rate of 8 September 2026.

The same unit of electricity has two prices here

Ask one question at every viewing. Does the electricity authority bill me, or does the building?

The Metropolitan Electricity Authority charges about THB 4.20 to 4.70 a unit all-in, $0.13 to $0.14 (Bangkok, honestly, September 2026). Buildings that re-bill you charge THB 6 to 8. That is the resort rate, and it is 50 to 90% more for the same power.

It is not in the rent, so nobody mentions it. It is the costliest question people forget to ask when moving to Bangkok.

Three months of rent before you hold keys

On a twelve-month lease you pay two months deposit plus one month in advance (Expatden, 7 September 2026). Six-month leases and older buildings often take one plus one.

Here is the upfront number on a THB 30,000 flat.

What you pay	THB	USD
Deposit, two months	60,000	$1,824
First month, in advance	30,000	$912
Agent fee	0	$0
Before you hold keys	90,000	$2,735

The agent is free. The landlord pays, usually one month. CHECK That one-month figure is a reported norm, not a published rate (Expatden, 7 September 2026).

You also leave a one-month holding deposit at the viewing to take the unit off the market. Whether it counts toward the three months is a contract matter. Get that in writing before you hand it over.

The deposit is not your last month's rent, and it earns no interest.

CHECK Two plus one is the market norm. It is not the legal ceiling for every landlord. A landlord letting five or more units runs a controlled-contract business. That caps them at one month deposit and one month in advance (Contract Committee Notification B.E. 2561, in force 1 May 2018, via Tilleke & Gibbins, read 10 September 2026). Thailand's consumer board stated the combined figure may not exceed three months (Pattaya Mail, 29 May 2026). Two readings of one rule, so ask how many units your landlord lets.

What the meter should actually read

At the government rate, a one-bedroom with the air on bills THB 2,000 to 2,200 a month (Expatden, 3 August 2026). In the March to May heat it runs THB 3,000 to 5,000. With no AC it is THB 800 to 1,500.

Call it 450 units a month. What they cost depends on who reads the meter.

Who bills you	Per unit	A 450-unit month
The electricity authority	THB 4.20–4.70 ($0.13–0.14)	THB 1,890–2,115
The building, at the resort rate	THB 6–8 ($0.18–0.24)	THB 2,700–3,600

Over a twelve-month lease the gap is THB 6,000 to 19,200 ($182–584).

The rate moved this month. The energy regulator capped the first 200 home units at THB 3.00. It set the fuel charge at 16.23 satang for September to December 2026 (ERC, via Nation Thailand, 12 August 2026). Rented rooms with no registered address now qualify.

CHECK The book's tiers are THB 3.25, 4.22 and 4.42 by band (September 2026). They predate that change by weeks. Reported averages differ too, from THB 3.86 to 3.95 a unit before VAT. Use the new cap for your first 200 units. Treat any bill above THB 4.70 a unit as a markup.

CHECK The book calls the resort rate legal. That holds for a private owner letting one condo. A landlord with five or more units faces a ceiling of THB 4.88 a unit (2025 consumer board rule, via Capsolar, 1 August 2026). The 2018 rules ban any profit on utilities at all.

Water is the same story, smaller. The government rate is about THB 7 a unit and landlords bill 15 to 25. For one person that is under THB 200 a month.

Furnished means one thing in a condo and another in an apartment

Condos come fully furnished, bed included. Buildings sold as apartments are basic. The listing does not always say which one you are getting.

Common-area fees are the owner's cost. You should never see them on your bill. They run about THB 65 to 70 per square metre a month in an upper-mid tower (FazWaz, September 2026).

The band table in Bangkok, honestly names 28 buildings in five price levels. It says which bands hand the meter to the building.

Five to fifteen per cent off asking is normal

Portal prices are asking prices and agents inflate them. Five to fifteen per cent off is normal, and more on a twelve-month deal (Expatden, 7 September 2026).

The market behind that number is split. Luxury launches still sell at 93%, and downtown asks are forecast up to 15% higher in 2026 (CBRE Thailand, 2026 outlook). Mid-market towers sit on unsold stock and discount quietly (Colliers Q1 2026, via Global Property Guide). Push hard in a 2016 to 2022 mid-Sukhumvit tower. Do not bother in a new prime launch.

CHECK Some guides claim up to 40% off direct with an owner. That is anecdotal. Do not plan on it.

The portals people actually use

DDproperty carries around 61,000 Bangkok rentals and FazWaz about 51,700 (portal counts, 8 September 2026). Hipflat and PropertyScout are worth a look. Facebook Marketplace and the expat housing groups are cheaper and messier.

The conversation then moves to LINE. Everyone uses it.

Filter by station, not by district. Pick the area first. Rents across the eight areas foreigners actually live in differ by tens of thousands of baht.

Your landlord owes immigration a form within 24 hours

This is the TM30. Your landlord must tell immigration you sleep at the address, within a day of your arrival. That is a legal duty under section 38 of the Immigration Act.

CHECK The book puts the fine at THB 200 a day, capped at THB 2,000 (Expatden, 29 June 2026). Current guides describe a flat THB 800 to 2,000 per person instead (read 10 September 2026). Either way the landlord owes it and the tenant usually ends up paying it.

Do not let it slide. You need the TM30 receipt for your 90-day report, for a residence certificate, and therefore for a driving licence. If you are here on a remote-work visa, the same receipt feeds the Thai DTV visa reporting rules. Filing is online and takes minutes.

Two scams, and the question that stops each one

The unit you never stood inside. A listing sits well below market. The agent says the owner is abroad. Send the deposit by QR, and the keys will be couriered. They never come.

The defence. Never pay for a flat you have not walked through. No viewing, no money.

The sub-letter posing as the owner. Someone with a real key shows you a real flat, signs a real-looking lease, and is a tenant themselves.

The defence. Ask for the chanote, the title deed, or a utility bill in the landlord's name. Check that the name matches the person signing your lease.

Then film the flat on move-in day, every scratch. The consumer board acted on 1,655 rental cases this year. Withheld deposits and inflated bills topped the list (Pattaya Mail, 29 May 2026). Getting money back is an evidence problem.

One question covers three risks. Ask how many units your landlord lets. Five or more makes them a controlled-contract business. That means one month deposit, one month advance, and bills at the state rate. Complaints go to the consumer board on 1166, free (Pattaya Mail, 29 May 2026).

What this page does not cover

The negotiation script, line by line, for a twelve-month lease in an oversupplied mid-market tower
Which of the 28 named buildings bill electricity at the government tariff and which re-bill at the THB 6–8 resort rate
The full electricity tariff table, tier by tier, with the service charge and the fuel adjustment
The TM30, 90-day report and residence-certificate sequence in order, with what each one needs
The viewing checklist: what to film, what to ask, and what to hold back until the contract is signed

All of it is in Bangkok, honestly — 21 pages, $29. See what's inside

The lease follows the area, so settle the map first. Still choosing between cities? Compare all ten cities on rent, deposits and air before you book a flight.