Renting a long-stay apartment in Vietnam

Most sources are expat guides and law-firm blogs, and they disagree in places. We did not read the housing law itself. This is not legal advice: for a big or long lease, ask a Vietnamese lawyer to read the contract.

• How much. One to two months of rent is the usual deposit in guides. Some landlords ask for three, and it is negotiable ^1,2.
• No cap that we could find. One guide says there is no legal limit on the deposit, so the amount is whatever you agree ¹. Check before you go.
• When you get it back. Guides give different answers: within 15 days of the lease ending, within 7 to 14 banking days after you move out and sign the handover, or "within a reasonable period" ^1,2,3. Write the number of days into the contract.
• What can be taken off. Damage beyond normal wear and unpaid bills. A guide says a landlord cannot keep a deposit for damage that was already there or for routine upkeep ². Take dated photos and video on the day you move in, and list every mark in the handover note.
• Paying. Get a receipt that names the amount and what it is for. Keep proof of every transfer.

• Put it in writing. One guide says a lease over six months must be written to be enforced, and that a shorter one may be oral. A written contract is always the safer choice ².
• Two languages. A guide says contracts for foreign tenants are produced in Vietnamese and a foreign language, and that the Vietnamese text is the binding one in a dispute ^1,2. Have the English read by someone you trust, and check the two match.
• Notary. One guide says a residential lease does not have to be notarised, though you can choose to do it ¹. Check before you go.
• What it should name. The parties, the flat, the rent and the day it is due, the deposit and when it is returned, the start and end dates, who pays for repairs and for utilities, and how either side ends it ².
• Utilities. We found no rule on how electricity and water are priced for tenants. Ask who pays, at what rate and how it is read, before you sign.
• Subletting. A guide says subletting is illegal without the owner's written consent ³.

• Notice. Notice is set by the contract and is typically 30 to 60 days ².
• Your deposit is at risk. A guide says the deposit can be kept if a tenant ends the lease without a legal reason or the owner's agreement ³. It cites Article 328 of the Civil Code 2015, which we did not read.
• When you can leave without loss. The same guide lists a landlord who fails to fix major defects after written notice, or who raises the rent mid-lease without written agreement ³.
• A clause helps. If you may have to leave, for work, a visa that is not renewed or a medical reason, ask for a clause that returns the deposit. It is not automatic, so it has to be in the contract ³. Landlords often want a minimum stay ³.
• Handing over to someone else. With the landlord's written consent, a replacement tenant can take over. A guide says a small admin fee may apply ³.

Every foreigner who stays in Vietnam has to be declared to the local police, even on a short visit ^4,5.

• Who files. Not you. The person who runs the place files: a hotel does it at check-in, and for a rented flat it is the owner, the landlord or the property manager ^4,5. A company can file for its staff.
• When. Within 12 hours of your arrival in most areas, and within 24 hours in remote areas. Some older pages say 24 hours, so the shorter time is the safer thing to expect ^4,5.
• How. On a paper form at the local police office, or online where the system allows it. Your landlord needs your passport and visa details. You file again if you move, or if your passport details change ⁴.
• Fines fall on the host. A hosting person who does not declare faces a fine, reported at 3 to 5 million dong for 1 to 3 foreigners under Decree 282/2025/ND-CP, higher for more ⁴. Check before you go: guides date the decree and the deadline differently.
• Why you care. A guide says that if the landlord does not register you, it can cause trouble with your visa ². Ask on the day you sign: "Will you register my stay with the police, and can I have a copy?" Keep it.
• If you change flats, the new host files for you.

1. Check what your passport needs and how long you can stay. A lease longer than your visa is a risk.
2. Ask for the deposit amount, the return time and the notice period in writing.
3. Photograph the flat on the day you move in, with the date visible.
4. Ask how the landlord registers your stay, and when.
5. Check the building rules, quiet hours and what internet is included.

All pages were read or seen in search on Oct 20, 2026. They are expat guides and law-firm blogs, not the legal texts.

1. Search summaries of Expat Focus guides on Vietnam lease agreements and finding property to rent (deposit size, return time, languages, notary): expatfocus.com
2. VnRentHome, "Vietnam real estate law for foreign renters 2026: your rights as a tenant", May 15, 2026: vnrenthome.com
3. Lease in Vietnam, "How to break your lease early in Vietnam: 2026 guide": leaseinvietnam.com
4. Apolat Legal, "Declaration of temporary residence for foreigners entering and residing in Vietnam" (who files, deadlines, fines under Decree 282/2025/ND-CP; updated May 28, 2026): apolatlegal.com
5. Search summaries of Vietcetera, Zora and other 2025 and 2026 guides on temporary residence registration (landlord files; 12 or 24 hours): vietcetera.com