Police visiting your apartment

    Since I moved to my present HCM apartment a year ago, the police knocked on the door of my apartment twice. They asked to see passport but also searched a little bit through my possessions. This annoyed me, because I've had other apartments in VN and this never happened before.
It might be because the apartment I'm renting is in a Social Housing development. It's supposed to be for low income people but it's very nice and many people here have expensive cars. I'm renting the apartment from its owner. There are a few other foreigners living here.

But now I'm moving and I don't want this to happen again. Has this happened to anyone else here? Is it less likely to happen if one rents a house instead of an apartment?
   

    -@ChoculaD

Though not a common occurrence, it's also not unheard of. I've had a couple of PMs from members who've had police visits.

Police will levy a fine (or squeeze coffee money?) against landlords/B&B/home-stay/hotel operators who fail to register their foreign guest. However, in a case where you yourself had invited a guest to stay there with you, without that guest being registered by your landlord, then that certainly would result in your being implicated (and quite possibly impacted both financially and visa-wise). The police snooping around were probably looking for indications of there being more occupants than had been registered to stay there.

With regard to whether you are likely to have this happen when renting a house, in my seven years here I have always rented a full house and have never had a visit from the authorities. Not that it couldn't happen, and not that the police do not have the right, it just hasn't happened. Mind you, it could be that as a foreigner renting a full home that everyone around you will be intimately aware of your business and the local authorities will be well aware of your comings and goings

If everything regarding your stay here is on the up-and-up then you've nothing to fret about, though it is understandably stressful.

I'm renting a house for about 2 years now.

Last year I once had the local authorities visiting.

They told me they're inspecting all foreigners to have proper visas and registration.

I was a bit suspicious about the timing, like 9pm or something.

But they were quite polite and friendly.

Checked my documents and left, never heard a thing since.

Hasn't happened to me but has happened to others I know. Im almost never home so its possible they do come by and Im just not here. My landlord told me the cops came by and she gave them like 500k to go away but I dont know if it was because of us or if its something else about the business. She acted like it was no big deal.

@ChoculaD

Someone probably made a complaint about the foreigner living there.

@ChoculaD it is just because you are a foreigner and maybe your landlord has not registered you with the police (that is mandatory). They also check the DoLISA records and visit you also at your office to check if you are registered in the address you supposed to live.  That happened to me, because I was only registered in my wife's hometown, but not in the city where I'm working and living.

Policemen also use to visit foreigners in the wedding, to check if they have the marriage certificate.

In my nearly 16 years living here I will give you my experience & going back to the early days to now.

When I first came here I lived in Trang Bang Tay Ninh. At that time I was working a 28/28 rota in Singapore & Thailand. Every time I came back for my 28 days leave I had to go down register at the local police office & see the top cop for the area, drink some beer with him, pay 5usd & gift some lottery tickets. That continued for about 2 years until I became a well known face in the community & was told not to bother after that.

Now after sharing "all my yesterdays stories" more recent experience.

My GF Ms My religiously logs me in on the immigration phone App every time I get a new visa. About a month back (think I posted this already) she could not get it to load my new details so she went to the local police office & came back saying that they wanted me to present myself personally at the office & bring my Passport which we did. Handed over the Passport & after everyone in the office looking at my Passport photo & looking at me eventually they accepted that it was me on the Passport, scanned it & then uninstalled the app on her phone & uploaded the app with new details & everyone was happy. I must say that it was all done in a very friendly & helpful manor & no coffee money was requested or given.

    In my nearly 16 years living here I will give you my experience & going back to the early days to now.
When I first came here I lived in Trang Bang Tay Ninh. At that time I was working a 28/28 rota in Singapore & Thailand. Every time I came back for my 28 days leave I had to go down register at the local police office & see the top cop for the area, drink some beer with him, pay 5usd & gift some lottery tickets. That continued for about 2 years until I became a well known face in the community & was told not to bother after that.
Now after sharing "all my yesterdays stories" more recent experience.
My GF Ms My religiously logs me in on the immigration phone App every time I get a new visa. About a month back (think I posted this already) she could not get it to load my new details so she went to the local police office & came back saying that they wanted me to present myself personally at the office & bring my Passport which we did. Handed over the Passport & after everyone in the office looking at my Passport photo & looking at me eventually they accepted that it was me on the Passport, scanned it & then uninstalled the app on her phone & uploaded the app with new details & everyone was happy. I must say that it was all done in a very friendly & helpful manor & no coffee money was requested or given.

Yes, very professional here too. Actually was helpful in getting my TRC, They are just people like al of us.

mAC
   

    -@goodolboy