Offerings when taking over a rental, starting to let and moving out: what to agree with the landlord

The content of offerings is folk custom and belief, and differs by region, family and religion. Sources at the end of the article · Updated 23 October 2026.

Both tenants and landlords may want to hold a small rite at the start or end of a lease. This article gathers common habits, the points to agree in writing and fire-safety notes for burning incense in an apartment.

1. Tenants: offerings when taking over the home

According to an article on Thu Vien Nha Dat (1 July 2025), whether a house or an apartment, many people still perform a housewarming (nhập trạch) offering as a cultural and spiritual rite, not a legal obligation. The article also stresses that the rite is more useful for a home that has been lived in before or left empty for a long time.

For a rental, an article on Muaban.net (30 June 2022) says a simple housewarming rite can be held to ask permission of the spirits and the Land Spirit; for a cramped boarding room or shared living, a separate altar is not necessary. A rite for a rental usually includes:

• Fresh flowers, fruit (a five-fruit tray), water, salt and rice — the Thu Vien Nha Dat article lists these offerings, and each household can simplify;
• Burning incense or not, depending on the family and the building's house rules;
• Choosing a date and hour by calendar or the owner's age — see choosing a date to move into a new home.

Some folk taboos often mentioned: do not move in before holding the rite, avoid quarrels on the day of the rite, do not bring an old broom across. These are customs, and you can adjust them to your circumstances.

2. Should you set up an altar in a rental?

A rental is not yours, so:

1. Ask the landlord first: does the home already have a Land Spirit altar? If it does, the Muaban.net article advises not setting up another.
2. Choose a place that does not damage property: shelves and hanging stands should be fixed without drilling, or placed on an existing shelf.
3. Avoid placing it under an upstairs bathroom, under a staircase or under a beam by belief; in practice, put it in an airy place away from the gas stove and curtains.
4. For ancestors: if the family has a large altar, many keep it at the family home in the countryside and keep only a simple one in the rental.

For layout details, see the altar in an apartment.

3. Burning incense and votive paper in an apartment: do not forget fire safety

• An article on Cafeland (21 May 2025), citing Decree 106/2025/ND-CP on administrative penalties for fire-prevention violations (effective 1 July 2025), says burning votive paper or using fire contrary to the rules in an apartment building may be fined; an individual using a fire source in a no-fire place is fined 20–25 million VND, and if it causes a fire short of criminal liability the fine doubles, up to 50 million VND. You should read the decree's verbatim text or ask the building management for a firm basis. This article does not mention burning incense specifically.
• Many buildings' management set up a shared votive-paper burning area on the ground floor or in the back yard.
• VnExpress (an old article, 2010) recorded that in practice people still burn incense and votive paper in apartments, and that ash from votive paper and incense dropped into the rubbish chute is a fire risk.

Recommendation: use electric incense and electric candles, or burn only a little incense in an airy place and put it out when you go out; do not leave incense near curtains or paper; do not drop ash that has not cooled into the rubbish; ask about the building's house rules and smoke detectors.

4. Landlords: what to do when you start letting?

Many landlords hold a small rite, or clean and burn incense for the ancestors, before handing over the rental, as a way of "opening up" with peace of mind. In practice more important are:

• Handover with minutes: the state of the home, the furniture, electricity and water readings.
• State in the contract: whether an altar may be set up, incense burned, votive paper burned, items hung on the wall; the building's rules on burning votive paper; who is responsible if a fire starts.
• Give honest information about the home to avoid disputes (see checking an apartment lease).

5. When moving out

Some families have a custom of making an offering to thank the Land Spirit, cleaning and burning incense in thanks before leaving. The practical parts to do at the same time:

• Take down the altar, restore the original condition, patch any drill holes if agreed;
• Settle the electricity and water readings, the deposit and the handover minutes;
• Do not leave offerings, ash or incense in the home.

Sample agreement (suggested content)

Item	Suggested wording in the contract
Altar	May / may not be set up; position; how it is fixed
Burning incense	Allowed / electric incense only; times
Burning votive paper	Only at the building's designated area
Damage from offerings, fire	Which party is responsible
On returning the home	Take down, restore the condition

Note: Worship customs deserve respect and may differ between families. This article is for reference only; check your lease and the building's house rules before holding a rite.

• Thu Vien Nha Dat — Chuyển vào nhà chung cư có cần cúng không?, 1 July 2025.
• Muaban.net — Cách thờ cúng ở phòng trọ, ở trọ có nên thờ cúng không?, 30 June 2022.
• Cafeland — Từ 01/7/2025, đốt vàng mã không đúng nơi quy định tại nhà chung cư sẽ bị phạt nặng (Decree 106/2025/ND-CP), 21 May 2025.
• VnExpress — Dân vô ý có thể đốt cả chung cư (an old article, 2010; the practice of burning incense and votive paper in apartments and the fire risk from the rubbish chute).