Finding a rental house in Chiang Mai doesn't have to be difficult

For people that have lived in an area of Thailand for a long period of time the "local advice" on how to find a rental goes as follows.

1. Get a motorbike
2. find an area you like
3. Drive around looking for signs that say "house for rent" or condo, whatever.

this is what "for rent" looks like in Thai script by the way

Now that the shoe is on the other foot for me now (I have no idea which areas are good and which are bad because I have lived here for 10 days, there is no way that I could possibly know the answer to that question in a short amount of time and this suggestion is horrible, arrogant, misguided advice for people new to the area. I have to admit that even I doled out this information in the past and won't do it again.

The reason for this is quite simple: "what do you think your time is worth?" I recall one day when a friend's dad was visiting and looking for a place to rent and he drove all over creation looking for houses for rent and he didn't speak or read Thai. He came back with a bunch of phone numbers for my buddy's Thai wife to call on his behalf. He had returned with a bunch of numbers for moving companies, pet groomers, places that sold vacuum cleaners, and a couple of numbers that were actually for rental houses. I'm just trying to say that it isn't as east as the 1, 2, 3 above.

source

What we should be telling these hapless souls that arrive in a new area is what is probably extremely obvious and likely what we would use in the west - an agency.

After going all over the place I was armed with a bunch of phone numbers only to discover that most of the places were either partially furnished (which means they have whatever junk the last tenant left behind) or unfurnished. Many of the places were completely unwilling to allow animals. Others were already rented to someone else but the sign hadn't been taken down yet. I was able to obtain this information because I can speak Thai. I can't imagine how difficult this would be for someone who doesn't.

this was advertised as being "furnished"

There is this rumor out there that the agents tack on a large commission and increase your monthly rent. That seemed like something that could happen so I tried something. I pretended to be taking pictures of a house that I looked at a few days ago when i ware really taking a picture of the "for rent" sign as well as the phone number on it. I was told by the agent that the house was 15,000 Baht a month. I later called up the home owner and asked them how much it was per month.... Guess what it was? It was 15,000B.

I had not given the owners my phone number nor did I let anyone know that I can speak / read Thai (this is my secret weapon, a little devious, I know) so there is no way the person on the phone could possibly know it was me. The agent obviously makes money somehow, but it isn't by ripping me off.

My agent picked me up in her car, and had arranged for us to see 5 places today but she did the smart thing and talk to me about what i would be interested in rather than just taking me to everything right away. We only had to go to the 3rd place because at that point she knew exactly what I wanted and lo' and behold, i found a perfect house.

I don't know how she makes money and I wasn't going to ask because it is none of my business. There must be some sort of arrangement between agents and home-owners. I am extremely happy that I gave up on the local expat advice on the 3rd day.

Use an agent, save your sanity