Hello,
I am newly arrived in Vietnam and I have just signed a lease for an apartment in Phu My Hung. People tell me I'm a bit of a worry-wart, and they say in Vietnam you don't need to worry, things can always be worked out, albeit sometimes expensively. I still worry.
After signing and handing over the deposit, I asked about registering with the police, the landlord said he didn't want to do that. If he did that, I would need to pay more money (invoice fees, or something).
From what I understand, these are the facts
(registration)
1. Anyone staying at a property must be registered with the local police (Cong An?)
2. This is the landlord's responsibility
3. If the police check, it is the landlord that is fined
(tax/invoice fees)
4. The tax/invoice fees are 10%
5. The landlord is legally allowed to retrieve these fees from the tenants
(temporary residence card)
6. I will need to modify my temporary residence card to change to my new address
Please correct any of the above if I'm wrong.
I haven't seen my temporary residence card yet (still in progress), so I don't know if it was initially registered to my employer's address or my address. Do I need to change my address when I move in? My employer says don't worry, but if it has the wrong address, will it be a problem in future?
My biggest issue is this: If I am not registered with the Cong An, and I change the address on my temporary residence card (arranged by my employer), will there be a problem?
To make things more complicated, the landlord has gone to the US since I signed the lease. I am not due to move in for another week. Can I register with the Cong An myself, without the landlord?
Does anyone have any recommendations?
thanks,
Marcus