Terrible rental experience in Yangon

Just want to let everyone know there are plenty of rental properties available in the market, no need to rush, you will not want to have same experience like we had.

Location: ***
Owner of this apartment: ****

Nightmare begin  Sign the contract
On the date we sign the temporary lease contract, this landlord has occupied me for 4 hours and non-stop shout to my agent and tried to make me pay more than what we agreed.
Unreasonable behavior include
-    order my agent to get out from the apartment
-    humiliated my agent until she cry
-    throw the phone to my agents face
The drama has stop after I said Im not going to rent this place and prepare to leave.

I was so naïve and I thought we are a good people, if we dont make any trouble and the landlord doesnt live with us, everything would be fine even this landlord is behaving a little bit manic and crazy.

Between the date we signed the temporary contract and the date we sign the official contract, the landlord has withdrawn what he agreed to offer at the beginning, including internet installation and TV subscription. Then we agreed to pay for it.

2nd phase of nightmare  condition of this apartment
The Landlord has agreed handover the clean apartment to us before we move in. When I move in, the kitchen cabinet and under the sofa is full of dead cockroach, cockroach shit and cockroach eggs; the closet is full of spiders and spider nets; a lot of unknown insect around the pipes, the balcony are full of ants.  I got a lot of bite in first 2 weeks, I need to do the full cleaning work by myself until I hire maid to help me.

After we move in, we found a lot of hidden problem in this unit
-    one of the air-cond is not working properly and have leaking problem;
-    the hot water machine is not working;
-    the shower head is broken,
-    the balcony door lock is broken,
-    the mattress is falling apart,
-    the toilet fan doesnt connect to anywhere and it just decoration and the motor sound doesnt mean anything
-    the walls are full of mold because of poor quality of outside building wall (see attached)
-    have Centipede come out from the pipe hole in shower area, need to be very careful when taking shower
-    there are insect problem in this unit - cockroach, spider and ants

3rd phase of nightmare  health hassle
I was sick almost every couple month while I live in this apartment, I guess my coughing and sneezing are caused by the mold, I have to got out the apartment for 1 month and I came back after I feel better, then I got sick again after 3 weeks, I never been sick like this in the past.  So I actually live in this apartment for 6 months because I was stay somewhere else for 6 months during my rental period.  The landlord has cover this problem very well with new painting, he has promised to re-paint it after raining season but he didnt do it.

4th phase of nightmare  breaking contract and harassment
Our contract has included one parking space, this landlord rent out the parking space that we paid to 3rd party without consent us.  We disagree with his arrangement and he has harassed us by calling us non-stop in mid of the night (see attached) and send people over to destroy the kitchen cabinet (see attached).

5th phase of nightmare  hangover the apartment
I was so naïve again and I thought just take my deposit back after inspection, hang over the keys and all the paid utility bills and return the clean apartment to this landlord, this shouldn't take more than 1 hour.

However, on the date of hangover, the landlord brought 9 people into the apartment and accused me as follows
1.    I need to pay for the hot water machine (never mention in anytime in the past)
2.    I need to pay for what they damage in kitchen (the harassment they did for parking space)
3.    I need to pay for some items he claims are missing in the apartment that is not in inventory list and I never see it from the first day I live in this apartment.

I refused to accept his unreasonable accusation. Then, he and his brother start yelling at me with all kind of dirty words they can think of, including
-    Chinese big
-    Mother fucker
-    Son of bitch etc
Also, kept point me with their middle figure.

I told the landlord if he keep yell to people like this and he will get heart attack or stroke, then he start dance in living room and said I like it, I like it.  YES, IT DOESNT MAKE ANY SENSE ABOUT HIS BEHAVIOR BUT IT DID HAPPEN.

I made very clear statement  I still paying the rent on the date of handover, I will not give him back anything if I dont get my deposit back and he needs to leave the apartment with his people. Then, the landlord jump on the dining table and seat on the dining table and said this is his apartment and he will not go anywhere.  He will wait until 12am mid-night and kick me out.

I got so scared and I start to call for help, including police, lawyer, and embassy. 

At the end, Robin from Pronto help me to settle the deal with this landlord over the phone and I got some of my deposit back.

I have to acknowledge that Robin is a really good and professional realtor, even thought I didnt rent this apartment through him and he still willing to help me as a friend.  I dont understand what he talk to my agent and this landlord (they were speak in Burmese) but I believed he is really good mediator because he help me got some deposit back which this landlord didnt plan to give me anything.  This landlord even said thank you to Robin over the phone at the end.

So if you are looking for place to stay, you should get contact with Robin from Pronto - [link moderated].

This whole rental experience taught me a lesson.  In Yangon, if you have any trouble, you will be in your own, there are no police, no lawyer, no embassy could give you immediate help.

I wish good luck for next victim in this unit or whoever live in this landlords properties.