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Rental nightmares in Vietnam

Hello everyone,

Finding a place to live in Vietnam can be exciting, but it doesn’t always go as planned. From misleading listings and apartments that look nothing like the photos to strange landlords, hidden rules, unexpected roommates, or issues that only become apparent after moving in, expats can end up with some unforgettable stories.
If you have ever had a rental experience in Vietnam that went wrong, or simply a story you’ll never forget, we would love to hear about it:

Have you ever arrived at a rental that was completely different from the listing?

What is the strangest or most surprising thing you have discovered in a rental property?

Have you ever had to leave a place because it felt unsafe or unlivable?

Did you deal with pests, noisy neighbors, strange building rules, or difficult landlords?

What warning signs should newcomers watch out for before renting in Vietnam?

What advice would you give other expats to avoid rental disasters?

Share your insights to help fellow expats and soon-to-be expats.

Thanks,

Cheryl
Expat.com Team
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I have personally been very lucky to have great landlords all throughout my time in Vietnam. I am also much easier going than most and it takes a lot to piss me off. If you are going to live in Vietnam you just have to accept the late night karaoke, construction and bugs and such.


That being said my only real bad experience here in Vietnam was when my wife and I was apartment hunting and one of the "agents" asked my wife to meet somewhere and then go see the apartment. We didnt think much of it because the lady said it was an apartment in a small alley and hard to find. Then she said to bring the deposit in cash which seemed odd but still not enough of a red flag yet. The agent said she would pick my wife up on her bike but my wife responded that we could just follow her on our bike since she was bringing her husband. The "agent" immediately got angry and yelling that she cant bring me. This was just a really weird reaction and how can I agree to an apartment I have never seen. When my wife said I need to be there to agree to the apartment some man in the background we had no idea was there just started yelling more and cursing us out basically saying F your husband and F you for wasting my time and I curse your family etc... This was such an odd and sketchy reaction we really didn't know how to react so just hung up. We realized that this wasn't about an apartment but most likely it was a way for thieves to lure my wife in and steal the cash (most likely). The account they used was closed and/or they blocked us. Moral of the story, always be careful.

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