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Housing and condos

Renters lose deposits over tiny scratches with no proof of the room's starting state

No builders or owners yet

Bangkok residents October 16, 2026 at 11:06 PM

A Bangkok tenant says a landlord went from asking 25,000 to almost 40,000 baht of a 48,000 baht deposit, charging for light bulbs, a sofa mark and a window scratch (15,000 baht plus 2,000 for a lock). A foreign renter moved to a worse unit says the owner is delaying the deposit. A Pantip dorm tenant who finished the contract was told no deposit back plus extra utility and cleaning fees.

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5 ways to tackle it

  • Camera and vision

    Scratch Dots: numbered stickers you put next to every existing mark, then photograph

    At move-in, the tenant sticks numbered dots next to each scratch, stain and chip, and photographs the room. Claude vision reads the dot numbers and builds a dated list: 'dot 4, window scratch, 3 cm'. At move-out, each dot is the proof the landlord cannot argue with.

    Build with Printed numbered stickers, Claude vision, Next.js, PDF report with photos

  • AI agent

    Deduction Auditor: matches each charge to evidence and checks the price

    The tenant uploads the landlord's list of deductions and the move-in record. The agent checks each line, such as a light bulb or a sofa mark, against the evidence and a market price range, and flags 'bulb charged 500, usual 60'. It writes a reply in Thai and English listing what to dispute.

    Build with Claude, Home Pro and Lazada price lookup, PDF report, Next.js

  • Voice and phone

    Landlord Dojo: practice the deposit talk against a stubborn AI landlord on the phone

    The tenant calls a number and an AI plays a landlord who says 'you broke the window, 15,000 baht, no discussion'. The tenant practices citing dated photos and a fair price, and gets scored after the call with the sentences that worked. A foreign renter walks into the real talk having rehearsed it.

    Build with Twilio Voice, Whisper, Claude, Thai and English TTS

  • Data and maps

    Fix Price Card: what a light bulb, a lock and a sofa clean should cost, printed

    The tenant picks the items the landlord is charging for and gets a one-page card with the usual Bangkok price for each, taken from public store and service prices. It also sums what the deductions should be at fair prices. The tenant hands the card over and the 15,000 baht window scratch has to be justified.

    Build with Scraped Home Pro, Lazada and service-site prices, Claude, PDF generator

  • Automation and APIs

    Paper Handover Form: a one-page checklist both sides sign, then scanned

    A printed A4 form lists every item in the room with tick boxes: good, worn, damaged. Both sides sign on paper, and the tenant photographs it. Claude reads the ticks and handwritten notes into a dated digital record, so the paper stays but the proof is searchable.

    Build with Claude vision, PDF form generator, Google Drive, Next.js

What people reported

  • 48,000 baht deposit; owner claims close to 40,000 for bulbs, sofa mark, window scratch

    reddit.com

  • Foreign tenant says owner refuses or delays returning the deposit

    reddit.com

  • Dorm tenant finishing the lease told no deposit back plus water, electricity, cleaning and trash fees

    pantip.com

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