Move-In Day in a Thai Rental: What to Check, What to Photograph and How to Write the Condition Report

When you collect the keys to a new rental in Thailand, it is tempting to carry your boxes straight in. Give the empty room some time first: check it point by point, photograph and film it, and get a condition report signed by you and the landlord. On move-out day that record shows which marks were already there, which makes the conversation about your deposit much easier. This guide covers the Thai rules behind it, a room-by-room checklist, how to take photos that work as evidence, and a sample message for your landlord.

Why move-in day matters for your deposit

Section 561 of the Thai Civil and Commercial Code: if no written description of the condition of the rented property has been made and signed by both parties, the tenant is presumed to have received it in good repair and must return it in that condition when the lease ends, unless the tenant can prove it was out of repair at the time of delivery.

In plain words: without a condition report, a crack, a stain or a broken fitting that was already there may be counted as damage from your stay, and it is up to you to prove otherwise.

• Section 562: the tenant is liable for loss or damage caused by their own fault, by people living with them or by a sub-tenant, but not for loss or damage that comes from proper use. A day-one record separates old marks from new ones.
• Section 546: the landlord must hand over the property in good repair, so you can ask for repairs from day one.
• The 2025 lease rules (the Contract Committee notification on residential building leasing as a contract-controlled business, B.E. 2568, enforced by the Office of the Consumer Protection Board, OCPB, and in force since 04/09/2025) cover landlords who rent out 3 or more homes, but not dormitories under Thailand's Dormitory Act or hotels. They require a condition report signed by both sides to be attached to the lease as part of it, and photos may be included. The lease itself must be written in clear Thai.

A condo owner letting a single unit is outside the 2025 rules, but Section 561 is part of the general lease law and does not depend on how many rooms the landlord has, so a condition report helps in every kind of rental. Not sure which case you are in? Ask the landlord, or call the OCPB hotline 1166.

The record matters again at the end. Under the 2025 rules the deposit must be returned immediately when the lease ends; if the landlord inspects the room first, within 7 days when there is no damage, or within 14 days after deducting only the repair cost of damage you are liable for.

Before you collect the keys

• Go in daylight and ask the landlord or building manager to walk through the room with you.
• Ask whether they have a condition report form. If it is only in Thai, ask someone you trust to translate it before you sign, or add your own notes in English and have both of you sign those too.
• Bring a charged phone with free storage, a phone charger to test the sockets, a torch for under the sink and inside cupboards, a pen and your copy of the lease.
• Keep the listing open and check that what it promised, such as air conditioning, a fridge, a water heater, a bed and a wardrobe, is there and works.
• Inspect before you move anything in. An empty room is easier to check, and the photos show every wall and the whole floor.
• Foreign tenants: under the Immigration Act, the house master, owner or possessor of a dwelling who takes in a foreigner must notify Immigration within 24 hours of the foreigner moving in (form TM30); for apartments and rental houses, the owner or operator files it. Expect to hand over your passport details on move-in day. Our TM30 guide for tenants explains what to give and which receipt to keep.

Room-by-room checklist

Walk the room in one loop from the door, so nothing is skipped. Each time you find a fault, write it down and photograph it on the spot.

Door, keys and windows

• The door closes properly, the lock and latch work, and there are no signs of forcing.
• Count the keys, key cards and remotes you receive and test each one, including any mailbox key or parking card.
• Windows and balcony doors open, close and lock; no cracked glass or torn insect screens.
• Curtains or blinds are complete, untorn and on their rails.

Walls, ceiling and floor

• Holes, cracks, peeling paint, stains and tape marks on the walls.
• Water stains or mould on the ceiling, in corners and behind furniture, which can be signs of a leak.
• Scratches, cracked tiles or swollen wooden flooring.

Electrics, air conditioning and appliances

• Switch every light on and off, and test each socket with your phone charger.
• Run the air conditioner for a while: cold air, no dripping, no unusual noise, a working remote.
• Try the water heater, fridge, TV, microwave or washing machine if they come with the room.
• Ask where the room's breaker box is.

Bathroom and water

• Run every tap, hot and cold; check the pressure and that nothing drips once it is closed.
• Flush the toilet a few times: it should stop filling by itself and not leak around the base.
• Let water run into each drain (basin, shower area and kitchen sink): it should drain quickly, without smells coming back up.
• Look under the basin for leaks or water marks, and check the tile grout for mould.

Furniture and items provided

• List every item with the number of pieces: bed, mattress, wardrobe, desk, chairs.
• Open every drawer and cupboard door; check hinges, handles and surfaces.
• Check both sides of the mattress for stains or tears.

Electricity and water meters

• Photograph the room's electricity and water meters so that the numbers, and which room each meter belongs to, can be read.
• Write the readings into the condition report. If the building bills water and electricity by meter, your first bill starts from these numbers.

Photos and video that work as evidence

1. Start with the room number on the door or the sign outside, so everyone knows which room the set belongs to.
2. Wide shots first, then close-ups. From the corners, photograph the room one side at a time, then every fault up close with a pen or a card next to it to show the size.
3. Film one slow walk-through, saying the room number and what you see. Film the air conditioner running, a tap running and the toilet flushing, to show whether they work.
4. Send the files to the landlord the same day through the chat app or e-mail you already use with them. The messages carry the date and time, which shows you reported everything on day one.
5. Keep the originals: no cropping or filters, a second backup, and keep them until your deposit is back, even if you have left Thailand by then.

On move-out day, take the same shots again, so old and new marks can be compared at a glance.

The condition report, signed by both sides

It does not need to be long, but someone who has never seen the room should be able to picture it. These headings work:

If the landlord cannot join the inspection or has not signed yet, send the list with all the photos as a message that day and ask them to confirm they received it. At least you will have proof that you reported everything on day one. If your landlord is covered by the 2025 rules, ask for the signed report to be attached to your lease.

Hypothetical example: a message to your landlord on move-in day

Hello, this is room 305. I moved in today and am sending you the photos and video of the room's condition so we both have a record. I found 3 existing faults: 1) two drill holes in the wall next to the bathroom door (photo 7); 2) the basin tap drips after it is closed (video 2); 3) a tear at the bottom corner of the curtain (photo 12). The electricity and water meter readings are in photos 1 and 2. I received 2 key cards and 1 room key. Could you please confirm you received this message, and let me know when a technician can check the tap? Thank you.

Anything broken on day one should be reported the same way as any later repair: by message, with photos. See who fixes what in a Thai rental, and how to report it.

This article is a plain-language summary; for your own case, the law, the notification and your lease are what count. The notification and the sample standard contract (in Thai) are on the OCPB website.

Use your RentKrub listing as a checklist

Listing pages on RentKrub have an "Amenities" section split into "In the room", with items such as air conditioning, a water heater and a refrigerator, and "Building & common areas"; faded items are not available. The "Costs" section shows the deposit, the advance payment, water and electricity. Take a screenshot of the listing when you decide to rent, then use it on move-in day to check that everything listed is there and works, and that the costs match what you agreed.

• Rental deposits in Thailand: how much, how fast it comes back, what can be deducted
• Rooms near BTS, MRT and ARL stations
• Rooms near universities and schools
• Map search: drop a pin at your office or campus and pick a radius of 1–5 km