Tenancy condition records in Thailand
The records a rental landlord should keep, from move-in day to handback.
Even a single rental home generates papers and figures worth keeping: the contract, the condition record, the invoices, and the deposit account. Thailand's consumer-protection board (OCPB) received 1,655 residential-rental complaints between 2025 and May 2026, mostly about disputed deposits and utility charges. Records are what turn those arguments into short conversations. This guide lists what to keep, from move-in day to renewal.
The contract and core documents
Start with the signed lease and copies of the tenant's ID and contact details. Write the deposit and the advance rent into the contract explicitly. A lease longer than three years must be in writing and registered at the Land Office; without registration it can be enforced for three years only. The one-year lease is a market convention, not a legal minimum.
Condition records and photos
On move-in day, photograph every room and note the existing state of walls, floors, furniture and appliances, then complete an inventory the tenant signs so both sides hold the same list. At move-out, compare the home against the same photos and notes. Any deduction then points at evidence, and the conversation ends quickly.
Invoices and money records
Issue a rent invoice or receipt every month, and keep the utility slips together with the meter readings you took. Note from the start whether electricity and water follow the state rate or the landlord's rate; a landlord under the controlled-contract rules may not charge above the state agency's rate. Transparent money records are what tenants weigh when they decide to renew.
Renewals and handback
Review the rent and terms before the contract expires, not after. At move-out, inspect the home with the tenant using the move-in record as the baseline. For a landlord under the controlled-contract rules, an undamaged unit means the deposit is returned within 7 days; with damage deductions, within 14 days, and only the actual damage may be deducted — ordinary wear is not deductible. Outside that scope, write the deposit-return timeline into the contract.
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