Questions to ask the landlord and building management before signing a lease

Legal basis: Law on Residence No. 68/2020/QH14 (effective 01/07/2021) · Decree 282/2025/NĐ-CP (effective 15/12/2025) · Circular 60/2025/TT-BCT on implementing electricity retail prices (effective 02/12/2025) · Updated 20/10/2026.

The seven groups of questions below help you know in advance the total you will pay each month and what you will have to handle yourself after moving in. Ask the landlord about money matters, and ask building management directly about building rules, since the two may give different answers. Important answers should be written into the contract.

This article does not repeat the clauses on the deposit, term and termination of the lease. Those are covered in checking an apartment lease before paying a deposit.

1. Management fee: who pays, on which area

• Does the rent include the management fee? If not, how much per m² per month, and is it based on the net (carpet) area or the gross area?
• Is the fee paid to the landlord or straight to building management, and how often?
• Does the unit have unpaid fees? Ask building management, as old arrears can lead to access cards and parking cards being blocked.

The management fee range in HCMC and how to estimate the total cost are covered in the cost of renting an apartment in central HCMC.

2. Electricity and water: by the bill or at a price set by the landlord

Circular 60/2025/TT-BCT sets specific rules for selling household electricity to tenants:

Case	How electricity is charged
Renting for 12 months or more, temporary residence registered	The landlord or the tenant's representative may sign an electricity supply contract directly with the supplier
The landlord declares the full number of occupants	Every 4 people count as 1 quota: 1 person = ¼, 2 people = ½, 3 people = ¾ of a quota
Renting for under 12 months, landlord has not declared the full number of occupants	All consumption is charged at the tier 2 price (2,050 VND/kWh, excluding VAT)
You do not sign an electricity supply contract	The landlord may charge no more than the amount on the supplier's monthly bill

Questions to ask: whose name the electricity meter is in, whether the landlord has declared the number of occupants to the supplier, and to see the last 2–3 months' bills. For water, ask whether it is charged by the unit's own meter or split per person, and whether temporary residence registration is needed to get the household quota rate.

3. Parking and resident cards

• Monthly parking fees for motorbikes and cars; whether the building still has car spaces, and whether there is a waiting list.
• The maximum number of vehicles and access cards each unit may register, and the fee for extra cards.
• Moving hours, and whether a lift deposit is required when moving in.

4. Pets

Whether dogs or cats are allowed depends on each building's house rules and the landlord's consent. Ask building management: whether the building allows pets, and whether registration, a deposit or restricted areas apply. If the landlord agrees, write it into the contract, with conditions on cleanliness and compensation for damage, if any.

5. Repairs: who handles them, how quickly

Ask in advance for the list of equipment included (air conditioners, water heater, fridge, washing machine, cooker) and who bears the cost when something breaks. Two more questions that are easy to forget: through which channel you report a fault and how soon someone comes to fix it; and which side pays for regular air-conditioner cleaning. How the law divides responsibility for repairs is covered in checking a lease.

6. The landlord's papers

Ask to see the pink book, or the sale and purchase contract with the developer together with the handover record, and the ID card of the person named on it. If the person signing with you is not the owner, they must have a power of attorney stating clearly that they may let the unit and receive payment. If the unit is mortgaged to a bank, ask whether the bank has agreed to it being let.

7. Temporary residence declaration

If you stay for 30 days or more away from your place of permanent residence, you must register temporary residence. The file includes a residence information change form, the lease and the landlord's confirmation. It can be submitted online via VNeID or the National Public Service Portal; if submitted online, the landlord needs a level-2 electronic identification account to confirm on the app.

Failing to register temporary residence as required can lead to a warning or a fine of 500,000–1,000,000 VND (Article 10, Decree 282/2025/NĐ-CP). So ask in advance: is the landlord ready to confirm via VNeID, or will building management do it instead?

To compare the total cost of renting with instalments if you buy in 1–3 years, use the home-buying cash flow calculator. Apartments for rent through HPR: /thue/.

This article is for reference only and does not replace legal or financial advice for your specific case.

1. Ask the landlord: does the rent include the management fee; how much is the fee per m² per month, and on which area?
2. Ask building management: does the unit have unpaid management or parking fees?
3. Ask the landlord: whose name is the electricity meter in, and have the occupants been declared to the supplier? Ask to see the last 2–3 months' electricity and water bills.
4. Ask the landlord: is water charged by the unit's own meter or split per person?
5. Ask building management: motorbike and car parking fees; are car spaces still available; how many access cards per unit?
6. Ask building management: what are the moving hours, and is a lift deposit required when moving in?
7. Ask both: does the building allow dogs or cats, does the landlord agree, and on what conditions?
8. Ask the landlord: which equipment is included, who repairs it when it breaks, where to report faults, and how soon someone comes?
9. Ask the landlord: to see the pink book or sale and purchase contract, ID card and power of attorney (if someone else is letting the unit); is the unit mortgaged?
10. Ask the landlord: will they confirm your temporary residence registration via VNeID?
11. Write the answers on money and responsibilities into the contract before transferring the deposit.

Sources in Vietnamese; titles kept in the original, with a short English translation in brackets.

• LuatVietnam — Cách tính tiền điện sinh hoạt của người thuê nhà từ 02/12/2025 thế nào? (How tenants' household electricity is charged from 2 December 2025 — Circular 60/2025/TT-BCT), accessed 20 October 2026.
• Vietnam Lawyers Journal — Hướng dẫn thủ tục đăng ký tạm trú trên ứng dụng VNeID (How to register temporary residence on the VNeID app), 11 December 2025.
• Ha Tinh Provincial Portal — Đăng ký tạm trú online qua VNeID theo quy định mới (Registering temporary residence online via VNeID under the new rules — Decision 1523/QĐ-BCA-C06 dated 26 March 2026), 4 May 2026.
• Bao Lao Cai — Mức phạt mới nhất liên quan đến đăng ký cư trú (Latest fines on residence registration — Article 10, Decree 282/2025/NĐ-CP), 7 October 2026.
• VnExpress — Chó dữ ở chung cư (Aggressive dogs in apartment buildings), 22 March 2025.