Bangkok condo investors, must budget and calculate in advance the ownership expenses and maintenance costs of properties to be able to asses the potential Rental Yield.

The “Net Rental Yield” is an important factor if you are looking to hold the property long-term (between 3-5 years). Ideally, as a rental condo investor you want to maximise your Net Rental Yield and after time enjoy a windfall from capital appreciation when you sell the property.

This is an overview of the expenses when owning a condo in Bangkok.

The expenses depend greatly on the condo’s specifications and its location. Below is a list of cost considerations. Please note that this article is not about providing details of pre-transfer expenses, furnishing cost, renovation costs and sales taxes. If you would like more information about pre-transfer expenses and sales taxes please visit the following sources.

• Taxes on Buying and Selling Condominiums in Thailand
• First Time Buyer Guide: Bangkok Off-Plan Condos

To makes things easier to understand, this we are grouping the main ownership expenses into 3 categories 

• Marketing and Real Estate Agency Expenses
• Condo and Building Maintenance Expenses
• Legal, Tax and Compliance Expenses

Here are the expenses details for each category

1. Marketing and Advertising expenses

Rental Agency commission

When looking to rent a property, you will most likely engage the services of a property agency. There is an established rental standard in Bangkok when it comes to rental agency commission:

1 Year Lease= 1 Month Rent
2 Years Lease= 1.5 Months’ Rent

The rental commission includes lease drafting, check-in and eventual check-out of the tenant. Marketing material preparation and advertising such as taking photos, online marketing and print ads, are included in the rental commission. The fees do not include tenancy management and maintenance of the property during the term of the rental contract.

Property management

Property and tenancy management services are services that overseas based landlords should consider to have for any resolve property issues.

Property management companies can handle all aspects of the tenant requirements, including rent collection and maintenance of the property. This is a difficult expense to estimate as there is no standard fee structure, with different Bangkok rental management companies charging different fees.

A general rule of thumb, is to budget for approximately 1-month of rent for a 1-year management contract. This can be much cheaper (Or more expensive), depending on the management company. Our suggestion is to shop around and get quotations from various condo management service providers.

2. Condo and Building maintenance expenses

Common Areas and Management Fees (CAM Fees)

This is a fee for the maintenance of common areas  such as condo facilities, lobby, garden areas, pool and gyms, as well as building management services that include Juristic Office, 24-hour security and building handymen.

It is issued by the condo’s management office on an annual basis or biannual basis. This is a mandatory expense and late payment of this fee can result in surcharges. Failing to pay the CAM Fees, gives the Condo Juristic Office the authority to hinder or even stop the sale of a condo.

Condo interior and content insurance

Building Insurance for major issues that affect the building’s safety and structure such as fires, floods, structural issues, are usually included in the annual CAM Fees. However, some landlords may choose to also purchase Condo Interior and Content Insurance in case of internal damages on appliances and fixtures caused by the occupant. The purchase of such insurance is generally not common or mandatory in Bangkok.

Cleaning and Air Con maintenance

It is standard for a rental condo and the air con units to be cleaned before a renter moves-in. This is just routine maintenance work and costs the following:

• Cleaning (1-Bedroom)- 500- 750 THB
• Air Con Inspection & Cleaning (Per/Unit)- 500-750 THB*

*Maintenance fees for internal air con systems might vary. Air Cons usually need to be cleaned 2-4 times a year.

Utility fees

Whilst the condo is vacant, the landlord is liable for the payment of water and electricity. A vacant unit usually has insignificant utility expenses (Around  THB 100 on a monthly basis).

3. Legal, Tax and compliance expenses

Income Tax on rental income

Income derived from the rental of an investment property is subject to income tax. It is best to visit the Thai Revenue Department’s website for more info.

Land and building tax

The New Land and Building Tax is a tax that also affects owners of residential property. The tax is mostly aimed at multi-site commercial landlords and large property companies. At the moment, retail investors with only 1-2 rental investments are liable to pay only a negligible amount of tax.

This is an overview of all the expenses and costs associated with owning a condo in Bangkok. By having these expenses in mind when hunting for investment opportunities, investors will be able to maximize their rental yield and long-term returns.

If you are looking to invest in Bangkok or alternatively if you are already an existing landlord, feel free to contact Fresh Property. We are an established real estate agency offering consultancy, sales, rental and property management services.