House rental(not apartment)

ii have been told as a foreigner renting house from individual owner requiring them to register as a business like an Airbnb with fire suppressing protocols. Thus some owner would opt out from renting to foreigner. Would having a TRC or PRC solve the problem and how where i can obtain such documents ? - @brianAFSER73

A question to you, if I may. Who told you this, or where had you read it? You stated in a previous post, "Making sure the landlord knows how to register his property as an Airbnb or rental property with local authorities so they don’t come messing with you." (Link to post from last year). That thread, in its entirety, is worth the read.

I've rented only houses in the 9 years I've been here, and have never heard of this requirement. The property owner/property management/landlord is required to register the foreign occupant/renter with the police (select #3, Declare temporary residence for foreigners), but this has always been the case. They must create an account, and declare the foreigner renting at the address. There is no, to the best of my knowledge, any requirement to register as an AirB&B.

Take a moment and read this thread from 2 months ago...

Long term rentals and the law for foreigners

Again, we'd very much appreciate your telling us who told you this, or where had you read it? If true, further investigation would be warranted.

@brianAFSER73

Hello, in fact the landlord must lawfully register its business in the local Committee prior offering a house or apartment for rent, no matter if to citizens or expats.  That is not mandatory if hosting visitors for free.

You must know that local citizens must also register their temporary residence through the landlord when they plan to stay longer than 30 days (3 days in case of foreigners) in any circumstance payed or not.

Hence you should find another house, because that rule is well known, but they want to do everything informally.

Regarding to have or not TRC within this topic is not relevant, being legally in Vietnam is enough

@brianAFSER73 Hello, in fact the landlord must lawfully register its business in the local Committee prior offering a house or apartment for rent, no matter if to citizens or expats. That is not mandatory if hosting visitors for free.

Are you sure about registering as a "business"? I know they must open an account with the immigration department (see link in post #2) if/when they host a foreigner and must register the foreigner as staying there. I believe this is true even if the foreigner is staying there rent-free. I stayed at GF's brother's house up in Phu Long for only 1 night, and was asked to go register at the local police station there. I was told by the police that any foreigner staying overnight must be registered, even as a guest.

You must know that local citizens must also register their temporary residence through the landlord when they plan to stay longer than 30 days (3 days in case of foreigners) in any circumstance payed or not. Hence you should find another house, because that rule is well known, but they want to do everything informally.Regarding to have or not TRC within this topic is not relevant, being legally in Vietnam is enough - @ajairon

Agreed, but unless changed I was told that foreigners must be registered, even if staying only for a single night. Three nights sounds much more reasonable.

I'm thinking that landlords wanting to avoid registering a foreigner as renting from them might be due to tax implications. That, and not wanting to attract the attention (scrutiny?) of local officials.

As to brianAFSER73's comment regarding "fire suppressing protocols", that would very much surprise me if applicable to single family dwellings being rented. None of the homes I rented had any sort of fire safety systems. No smoke alarms until I installed them, no fire extinguisher until I bought them, not even a garden hose long enough to reach around the house.

In each of the homes the landlord registered my GF and I as renters there. My landlord in Thai Nguyen, where I spent 2.5 years, was/is a policeman.

In brief, yes, the landlord must follow all legal requirements to rent out a house OR CONDO or APARTMENT or HOSTEL to foreigners.

There has been a big recent crackdown here in Đà Nẵng causing a lot of immediate evictions AND business closures.

Two examples come to mind:

A Vietnamese woman rented a local apartment and then had her American boyfriend move in with her, with the landlord's permission.

The landlord attempted to register the foreigner but ended up returning from the police and evicting him.

She told the Vietnamese tenant that the police told her that the property wasn't legally qualified for renting to foreigners.

Apparently the upgrades necessary (business registration, physical improvements, etc) were too expensive for the landlord's budget.

The other example involved a young Vietnamese man opening a hostel near the beach in the Sơn Trà, Đà Nẵng ward, near the beach.

The place immediately became very popular and fully booked most nights.

Then, without warning, the landlord closed the hostel, evicting everyone staying there.

He also put the blame on the police for enforcing business ordinances regarding renting to foreigners.

It's worth noting that these are reportedly not new regulations; just requirements that haven't been strictly enforced, since most landlords have been willing to slip police coffee money at the time of registering the foreigner or renewing the registration.

But with the most recent crackdowns here in Đà Nẵng--especially in the tourist neighborhoods--there doesn't seem to be any room for local police to overlook the situation, no matter how much coffee money is offered.

I personally live far away from the tourist areas here (in Thanh Khê ward) and I'm not sure if my landlord has properly upgraded and registered our house as approved for rental to foreigners.

But when the recent reorganizing of provinces was recently completed, I was told that my police registration would only be good for 6 months, even though my TRC expires in September, 2028.

We pleaded with the local police officer and "convinced" him to extend the police registration for me to one year.

I'm saying, I think this policy is being more strictly enforced in Expat areas and (perhaps) mostly in places where the foreigner isn't cohabitating with a Vietnamese citizen, regardless of the examples I previously gave.

ii have been told as a foreigner renting house from individual owner requiring them to register as a business like an Airbnb with fire suppressing protocols. Thus some owner would opt out from renting to foreigner. Would having a TRC or PRC solve the problem and how where i can obtain such documents ? - @brianAFSER73

Your status (tourist Visa or 5-year VEC or business visa or TRC) has absolutely nothing to do with the problem.

It's a requirement that the landlord has to fulfill before the property can legally be offered to you for rental

@Aidan in HCMC

Hello Aidan and everybody. The trick is "if a contract exists, a business it is". Police will know if someone is collecting money without tax declarations. What I know there is not any special registration to differentiate a rental house to locals or foreigners, it's just a rental house.

In case of accommodation for free the owner can go to the local Police in the Popular Comittee and register the foreigner as a guest. What I am not sure about is what was the permit on my wife who is not the owner of the family house, but she does my registration with our marriage certificate at the Police every time we go to her hometown... Maybe because the family book?

Now regarding the short-term of 3 days I mentioned in my previous collab, Aidan makes me to double check for any new changes, and yes this year there are more strictly procedures and now we must be registered within the 24 hours no matter how short or long is the accommodation.... Woooowww

The trick is "if a contract exists, a business it is".

More of your absolutely uniformed drivel. You don't know what you're talking about.

What I know there is not any special registration to differentiate a rental house to locals or foreigners, it's just a rental house.

I guess I can't call you a liar since you are obviously totally ignorant of the law and DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT.

...yes this year there are more strictly procedures and now we must be registered within the 24 hours no matter how short or long is the accommodation.... - @ajairon

That has ALWAYS been the law. Just not always enforced.

@OceanBeach92107

OK expert, please your illumination where is it written that a rental house approved to serve local residents requires a second special permission in order to rent to foreigners? Thanks in advance.

Despite your answer, it does not really matter,since it's practically impossible the landlord will change its mind and start following even the most basic regulations when they had not done so before to avoid taxes