# Renting in Phuket: Lease, Deposit and Utilities Page URL: https://adadai.com/en/realty/lease-contract A long-term lease in Phuket usually means a deposit plus the first month paid upfront, with electricity billed by the meter on top of the rent. The deposit comes back at check-out minus real damage, so the flat's condition should be photographed on the day you move in. If you are staying less than a month, none of this applies: nightly platforms run on different rules. ## Key facts - deposit + 1 month — the usual upfront payment - by the meter — how electricity is almost always billed - 32% — of condo listings include internet - bilingual — the usual form of a lease contract ## How does a long lease differ from a holiday booking? In almost every way that matters for money. The rate falls as the term grows: a one-year contract is nearly always noticeably cheaper per month than a monthly one, and a monthly one is several times cheaper than paying by the night. Nightly prices are built for tourists in high season. The bill looks different too. A holiday booking is all-in. A lease is rent plus whatever gets metered, and electricity is the big one, especially with air conditioning running day and night. Season plays in as well. From November to April owners earn more from short stays and sign long leases reluctantly, so if you want a winter lease, settle it early. We are a guide, not an agency: we do not list or show homes. If you want options that fit your term and budget, our housing partner in Phuket answers in the chat, and the button is just below. | Item | Condos | Pool villas | | --- | --- | --- | | Internet included (ticked in listing) | 32% | 62% | | Washing machine | 46% | 68% | | Parking | 16% | 70% | | Pool service mentioned | — | 23% | *Shares of listings where the owner ticked the item: 419 condo listings opened in full, 346 long-term pool villa listings. A missing tick does not always mean a missing item, but a tick is a reason to ask.* ## What pushes the monthly bill up? The meter, first. Owners charge either the state rate or their own tariff, and the gap shows up every month. A bedroom air conditioner running at night is the main cost in a flat; in a villa, add the pool pump, which runs daily. Then everything that may or may not be included. Water is a small sum but a separate line; ask who reads that meter. Internet is included in about a third of condo listings, otherwise the contract is in your name. Condo buildings charge a common fee for lifts, cleaning, pool and security. On long leases the owner usually pays it, but not always, so ask before you sign. Cleaning is not part of an ordinary flat at all; it comes with serviced apartments. Our own count shows how uneven 'included' is. Internet was ticked in 32% of the 419 condo listings we opened and in 62% of 346 pool villa listings; a washing machine in 46% against 68%; parking in 16% against 70%. A missing tick is not proof, but it is a reason to ask. ### Who pays the agent? Usually the owner. Some agents try to charge both sides, though. Ask directly who pays the commission before the viewing, not after you have fallen for the flat. > **Watch out.** Ask for the electricity tariff and last months' bills before signing. A cheap-looking lease stops being cheap when the air conditioning runs around the clock at a marked-up rate. ## What must the contract say? The clauses where disputes actually start: early termination and its penalty, who repairs the air conditioner and appliances, whether pets are allowed, and what the rent covers. Contracts are usually bilingual. Read both versions, or at least understand the key points in each: term, payment, deposit, termination, repairs. Pets deserve their own line. Many condo buildings ban animals outright in the building rules, not only in the lease, so if you travel with one, filter for it from the start. Moving later costs more than searching longer. It also helps to know who is signing. Land in Thailand is not sold to foreigners, so a villa belongs to a Thai owner, a company, or stands on leased land with a registered lease of up to 30 years. Asking on what basis someone lets the house is normal, and a reasonable owner answers calmly. Under Thai rules the property owner notifies immigration when a foreigner moves in; the host does it, not you, but check they know, since you need it to extend a visa. - Term and price — for your exact dates, not the headline rate - Deposit — amount, what can be deducted, return deadline - Utilities — which meters, which tariff, who reads them - Repairs — who fixes the air conditioner and appliances, and how fast - Early exit — the notice and the penalty - Pets and guests — building rules first, then the owner ## Which two mistakes cost tenants the most? Not recording the flat's condition. At check-out the owner deducts for scratches and stains you did not make, and you have nothing to prove otherwise. Take photos and a video on move-in day, appliances and furniture included, and the meters too. Not asking the electricity tariff. Together with the meter reading, the price per unit is what turns a good lease into a bad one. Both mistakes are fixed at the door and almost impossible to fix at the end. ## Can you sign a lease without seeing the place? Technically, yes. It is a risk, though: photos do not carry noise, smell, the real view from the window or the drive to the places you need. The island is long, and 20 minutes on the map can become 60 at rush hour. The sensible order is to take somewhere for a couple of weeks, look at options in person and sign the long lease once you have seen them. At a viewing, switch on every air conditioner, run a speed test in the room where you will work, and check the water pressure and hot water on upper floors. ## Questions people ask ### How much deposit do landlords in Phuket ask for? Usually a deposit plus the first month's rent upfront, sometimes more on a one-year lease. It is returned at check-out minus real damage, so photograph everything when you move in. ### Is electricity included in the rent? Almost never on a long lease. It is billed by the meter, at the state rate or the owner's tariff, and air conditioning is the main cost. Water often comes on a separate meter too. ### Do tenants pay the agent's commission? Usually the owner pays. Some agents ask both sides, so ask who pays before the viewing to avoid a surprise at signing. ### How much cheaper is a long lease than nightly rent? Several times cheaper. Nightly rates are priced for tourists in high season, monthly rates are much lower, and a one-year lease gets the best rate of all. ### Do I need a contract in Thai? Contracts are usually bilingual, in Thai and English. Read both, or at least make sure the term, payment, deposit, termination and repair clauses match. ### What usually goes wrong at the end of a lease? Deposit disputes and unexpected electricity bills. Both are solved at the start: record the flat's condition on video and agree the tariff and what the rent includes in writing. ## Read next - [Condo and apartment rental in Phuket: prices by area](https://adadai.com/en/realty/apartment-rental) - [Villa rental in Phuket: monthly prices](https://adadai.com/en/realty/villa-rental) - [Where to rent in Phuket: areas compared](https://adadai.com/en/realty/where-to-rent) - [Chalong or Rawai for a long stay](https://adadai.com/en/living/chalong-or-rawai) - [Working in Phuket as a foreigner](https://adadai.com/en/living/working-in-phuket) - [Buying property in Phuket as a foreigner](https://adadai.com/en/realty/buying-property) - [Extending your stay and TM30](https://adadai.com/en/visa/extend-stay-tm30) --- Looking for a villa or condo in Phuket? Our housing partner on the island sends options for your area, dates and budget: https://t.me/PhuketDAexpert Written by the adadai.com editors. We are a guide, not an agency or a broker: we do not list properties or handle deals. Source: adadai.com, https://adadai.com/en/realty/lease-contract. The canonical version of this page is the HTML at this address.