Recovering deposit

Take pictures of any damage and the condition of the apartment when you move in. It will help when you go to get your deposit back.

Ok, will do so!
Thanks for your quick reply!!

All the deposits in our last 3 apartments were returned to us in full and at the time of  the last electric meter reading, meaning the minute we officially moved out.  That's the way it was written in the contract: deposit is refunded when tenants terminate the lease.  Not one hour after, but right then and there.

I handed over the key when they handed over my money in cash.  Then we said goodbye, and left.

Thanks a lot!
I’m reviewing the contract so as to mention this (instead of their « one week after the termination of the contract... »!!)Let’s see if it will be accepted. Failing to, will do otherwise in an other apartment.

"One week after the termination of the contract" is absolutely not acceptable.  They wouldn't allow you to pay the deposit one week after you move in, would they?  Same difference.

Receiving the deposit back immediately is not just my experience, but others as well.  My nephew and his wife have owned a building in Vung Tau for 4 years now, and every time a tenant moved out, they refunded the deposit on the same day.

Sure!
That’s what I specified first when I read the contract. They told first that the owner was ok for an immediate refund but since it is not written, it doesn’t exist 😃
Let’s see tomorrow how they will modify their contract...
Thanks for your advice!

Update: I managed to give no deposit
Moving in planned tomorrow!

Thanks all!!

No deposit! Cool.  How did you do that?

Haha I explained the owner that my main concern was the deposit and that I needed one day more to make my mind up.
He replied « ok no deposit » and I managed to modify the Contract with the departure notice and so on

Such a natural skill in bargaining you possess !  I hereby pronounce you an honorary Vietnamese, for you know the game as well as any native born.

Owwww thankssss 🤣 🙏

Nathalie - Can you please recommend the best places or methods you used in your housing search? Since company touting is not allowed on the site, you might have to PM with the info. Thank you.

with my experience you cannot get back deposite.

If you have a contract and done no damage you can get the deposit back. Best take pictures of any damage when you move in, this will save you a lot of hassle. VN landlords dont like to spend money, so be careful

We moved out of the last apartment in Saigon 5 days before the end of the contract.  We forfeited the rent for the last 5 days, of course, but here is what happened to the rest of the money:

As we had to leave at 5:30 AM for our move to Vung Tau and the staff didn't start the day until 9 AM, the landlord agreed to read the electricity meter at 5 PM the day before.  We paid the bill, she handed over our full one-month deposit.  Officially, we ended our contract at that moment but we didn't move out physically.  We stayed the rest of the evening and slept that night in the apartment, using electricity without charge.  In the early morning, I dropped the keys on the front desk before we left, and that's the true end of our stay.