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What to do if water leaks, air conditioning does not work or other domestic problems in an apartment in Thailand

Among the everyday problems that you may encounter in Thailand most often happen: water leaks, the air conditioner does not work well, the lighting lamps do not work, and so on.

The cause of the problem may be inside your apartment (a leaking sink) or outside your apartment (water leaking into your room or bathroom from neighbors).

The status of your apartment may also be different:

  1. You are the owner of a new apartment under warranty
  2. You are the owner, but the warranty has expired
  3. You are a tenant

Consider several typical situations and the procedure for each of them.

New apartments under warranty

New condominium units may be subject to free warranty repairs (for example, the first year after purchase). If this is your case, then contact the Juristic Person / Management Company of your condominium – repairs in your apartment should be done free of charge.

The cause of the problem is in the neighbors

For example, water may seep into your apartment or bathroom from above.

In this case, you can seek assistance from your upstairs neighbor either directly or through the Juristic Person / Management Company. The most important thing is not to spoil relations with a neighbor, since I know a case when, due to spoiled relations, a neighbor from above did not let repairmen into his apartment for a long time, from which water leaked into the lower apartment.

Also, I myself was the neighbor from whose apartment water flowed into the lower apartment. The downstairs neighbor came to me and complained that the water from my bathroom was leaking into his bathroom on the ceiling. It was the first days of renting an apartment and I called the agency. They sent a technician to seal the seams. A few days later, the downstairs neighbor again complained of a leak. I called the agency again, and they again sent a technician who finally fixed the problem. They didn't take payment from me.

Need repairs in a rented apartment in Thailand

If you are a tenant, especially for a long term, then the problems identified in the first weeks or months are quite often and willingly eliminated by the landlord at his own expense. In my case, in different apartments, the landlord, represented by the agency or the owner of the apartment, eliminated free of charge:

  • burnt out light bulb on the balcony
  • water leaking from my bathroom onto the neighbor's ceiling below
  • leaky air conditioner, because of which it was necessary to change the flooded electrical panel

Toward the end of the rental period, the landlord is reluctant to fix the faults at his own expense. For example, in my case, the air conditioner that leaked in the middle of the lease for the second time was repaired in half with the landlord (the owner of the apartment paid for the cleaning of the air conditioner, as well as the purchase of a device that helped pump water from the air conditioner, and they took money from me for work – 400 baht).

And then I had to repair the faucet that leaked towards the end of the rental year in the same apartment at my own expense. Which, actually, is fair – it was my wife and I who used this tap for almost a year several times a day.

Who should clean the air conditioner

The air conditioner needs to be cleaned, once a year or more often as it gets dirty.

A dirty air conditioner can cool the air worse and consume more electricity.

If you agree on cleaning the air conditioner before moving into the apartment, that is, before or during the conclusion of the lease agreement, then most likely the owner of the apartment will make a concession to you and clean the air conditioner at his own expense.

If you found out about the need to clean the air conditioner a few months later or towards the end of the rental period, then the owner of the apartment can help you and find specialists to clean the air conditioner, but you will most likely have to pay for their work yourself.

So, where to go if there is a malfunction in the apartment

You can always try to contact the landlord or the agency through which you rent the apartment. If you apply in the first days or the first month from the moment you move in, then minor repairs will almost certainly be done at their expense. Although it all depends on the severity of the problem.

Even if the owner of the apartment or the agency does not want to fix the problem at their own expense, they can help find a specialist who will do the necessary work. But you will have to pay for his work yourself.

Turn to a technician from a condominium or hire from outside?

If you agree to pay for the work of a technician, then you can contact the Juristic Person / Management Company. In any condominium there are full-time technical specialists who understand the specifics of this condominium well.

Usually, the cost of the work of full-time condominium technicians is quite affordable. Usually, the work of a technician from a condominium needs to be paid not after the completion of the work, but when the water bill arrives – additional condo services, for example, repairs in your apartment, can also be entered there.

If you can find a technician from outside, for example, on the recommendation of your friends, then you can arrange repairs with him without contacting the Juristic Person / Management Company.

Troubleshoot yourself?

Changing a light bulb or clearing a clog is usually something you can do yourself. You can learn how to do simple home repairs on YouTube.

And you can buy tools and spare parts in the following stores:

  • Big C – the main areas in this store are groceries, but there are also many shelves with the most popular items that you may need for repairs: light bulbs, plumbing.
  • HomePro – the largest hardware stores, here you will find absolutely everything you might need for repairs. The goods are quite high quality, but the prices are also high.
  • MR.DIY is a new chain of repair and household goods stores. By the way, DIY stands for do-it-yourself. Here you will find the most common tools needed for repairs and spare parts. The store tries to offer the lowest prices, so evaluate the quality of the goods yourself before buying.


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