A practical guide to checking a landlord, understanding the full cost of a home, documenting its condition and protecting your rental deposit.
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A practical guide to checking a landlord, understanding the full cost of a home, documenting its condition and protecting your rental deposit.
You have found an apartment close to work. The agent says someone else wants it and asks for a transfer tonight. The owner has promised to fix the air conditioner before you move in, but the draft lease says nothing about repairs. It also says the deposit is “refundable according to the property's condition,” without explaining who decides what that means.
This is the moment to slow down. Our guides to Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang and Hanoi help you choose an area. Once you find a place, check the person offering it, the numbers in the contract and what happens when you leave.
Foreigners can rent residential accommodation in Vietnam. A lease gives you the agreed right to use a home; it does not grant a visa, temporary residence card (TRC) or permission to stay beyond your immigration status.
Start with a simple question: who has the authority to rent this exact unit to you? The person may be the owner, an authorized representative, a property operator or a tenant proposing to sublet. Ask for identification and appropriate evidence of ownership, management authority or written authorization. If it is a sublet, ask for the owner's consent. Article 170 of the Housing Law allows a tenant to sublet with the landlord's agreement.
Match the unit address and signatory with the documents, then check whose bank account will receive your payment. If you are asked to pay an agent or another person, have the landlord confirm that instruction in writing. A property ownership certificate can help establish the chain of authority, but Article 160 does not make a certificate mandatory for every rental transaction. An absent “pink book” alone does not settle whether a proposed lease is legitimate.
View the actual unit, including its locks, water pressure, damp spots, appliances and exits. Check whether the building rules fit your plans, particularly if you have a pet or expect family members to join you. Ask for the draft lease and authority documents before sending money.
Article 163 of Vietnam's Housing Law requires written housing contracts and identifies core terms, including the parties, property, payment, handover and rights and obligations. A clear lease also resolves everyday questions.
| Lease clause | What to clarify | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Parties and home | Full names, authority to sign, precise unit, permitted occupants and residential use | Avoids confusion over who owes what and which space you may use |
| Dates and rent | Start and end dates, handover, payment dates, renewal, any rent increase and notice method | Prevents a verbal promise from becoming a surprise bill or move-out date |
| Deposit and exit | Purpose of each payment, refund rules, deductions and early departure terms | Determines what happens to your money if plans change |
| Condition and access | Inventory, promised repairs, pets or guests, notice before routine entry and emergency access | Sets expectations for daily life and the final inspection |
Record the rent and payment method clearly, ordinarily in Vietnamese dong. Foreign exchange use in Vietnam is restricted under State Bank Circular 32/2013/TT-NHNN, subject to its exceptions. If a quote is expressed in another currency, ask how the lawful contract price and actual payment will work before signing. Keep bank transfer records or dated receipts.
A bilingual lease may help both sides understand what they signed. If you use one, specify which text controls if the versions differ, and have any important ambiguity translated before signing. Under Article 164(2) of the Housing Law, an ordinary housing rental contract generally does not need notarization or certification unless the parties want it. Each side should retain the signed lease and attachments.
“One month now, one month later” tells you when money moves, but not what each payment does. A reservation fee, advance rent and a deposit securing the lease can have different consequences. Ask the recipient to state the amount, purpose, conditions and receipt for every transfer, especially anything paid before the lease is signed.
Article 328 of the Civil Code governs a deposit used to secure entering into or performing a contract. Its rules on return, application to payment and refusal to proceed depend on the circumstances and any different agreement between the parties. A label alone cannot tell you how an ambiguous payment will be treated. There is no universal residential rental deposit amount or automatic nationwide refund deadline that you should assume applies to every lease.
Write down when the balance will be returned, where it will be sent and what may be deducted. Specify how damage will be evidenced, distinguish pre-existing defects and ordinary deterioration from tenant-caused damage, and decide how final utility bills will be settled if they arrive after move-out. Ask what happens if you cancel before handover, or if the promised unit is unavailable. Do not assume you may use the deposit as your final month's rent without agreement.
Ask for a complete list of charges before comparing homes: rent, building management, parking, internet, cleaning, electricity, water and any other recurring fee. Decide which party pays each item and whether advertised rent includes tax or management charges. If your employer pays, confirm whether you or the company signs the lease, who makes payments, and what receipts or invoices its finance team needs.
For electricity and water, record meter readings, ask how charges are calculated and request supporting bills. Do not assume a landlord may set any electricity rate. Government guidance on electricity charges for tenants explains that applicable household pricing depends on the arrangement and that landlords cannot simply add unrelated operating costs to electricity charges. Check the method relevant to your building rather than relying on a flat verbal quote.
Repairs need the same clarity. If an air conditioner stops working because it is old, that is different from damage caused by misuse. State who handles structural problems, routine maintenance, appliance faults and damage you cause. Include a contact person, reporting channel, response expectation and rule for approving or reimbursing urgent work. Record repairs promised before move-in with a completion date.
The accommodation provider is responsible for arranging the foreign guest's temporary residence declaration, while the guest must provide accurate passport and stay information. Ask who at the building or property will submit it and how you can obtain a screenshot, system record or acknowledged paper declaration afterward.
Under Circular 87/2026/TT-BCA, effective 24 July 2026, an electronic declaration is made as soon as the foreign guest arrives. For a paper declaration, the information is sent promptly by a suitable communication method, then the form delivered to commune-level police within 12 hours, or 24 hours in remote areas. The Ministry of Public Security's 2026 announcement identifies its online system for accommodation providers. When you change homes or a family member arrives, promptly provide the details for the declaration at that address.
A signed lease, a stay declaration and a visa or TRC serve different purposes. Keep track of each separately.
At move-in, walk through the apartment with the landlord or operator. Sign an inventory and condition record, then send dated photos or video for acknowledgment. Capture scratches, damp, missing items and appliance condition. Record meter readings, keys, access cards and unfinished repairs.
Keep the lease, inventory, repair messages and payment evidence in one place. Repeat the inspection and meter readings when moving out. A short shared record at both ends of the tenancy makes a deposit discussion much more specific.
A lease may end when its term expires, by agreement, under an agreed break clause or on a legal ground. If you might relocate for work or face an uncertain immigration timetable, negotiate an early exit clause now: notice, any agreed cost, whether a replacement tenant may be proposed and how the deposit is handled. A job change or visa problem does not by itself erase a fixed-term lease.
Articles 171 and 172 of the Housing Law distinguish termination grounds from unilateral termination. For example, a tenant may have a statutory right to end the lease if the landlord fails to repair serious damage. Article 172 generally requires at least 30 days' notice for a unilateral termination on a permitted ground, unless the parties agree otherwise. That is not a general right to leave any fixed-term lease on 30 days' notice without consequences. Deliver notice in the way the contract specifies and keep proof that it was received.
The landlord's wish to sell the home also needs careful handling. Under Article 173, a tenant generally may continue to the end of the term after ownership changes, unless the parties agreed otherwise.
At move-out, arrange a joint inspection, photograph the condition, settle meter readings and outstanding bills, return keys against acknowledgment and ask for a written deposit calculation. If money is withheld, request an itemized explanation and evidence, respond in writing and seek appropriate professional or civil dispute help if necessary. Suspected fraud raises a different question from an ordinary disagreement about repairs or a refund.
These signs call for questions and verification. They are not proof of misconduct by themselves.
A good rental agreement does not need to predict every problem. It should give both sides a fair way to handle the common ones. If you cannot verify a landlord's authority, interpret a lease clause or resolve a deposit disagreement, contact Easytiger to find a suitable legal, translation or property professional in Vietnam.
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