Signed a rental contract today.
While I sat in her private English tutoring office, the my landlady wrote on lined paper with a blue pen:
The rent of 6000 baht is due by the first of the month.
The renter will not cut down trees or plants without the landlady's permission and the renter will water all plants at least every second day
The house will be cleaned at least once a week [we'd discussed this—either 250B for a pro job or it's on my shoulders; I'll take option A, thanks]
Turn off the water pump when you leave
“Anything else?”
How do I pay electricity and rubbish bills?
The renter will pay 250 baht to the town and not more than usually 40 baht for water and electricity of 300 baht [“as my mother uses it”]
What is the mailing address?
[mailing address—am happy to provide upon request from known, if not necessarily reputable, persons]
Deposit of 6000 baht received, 21 July 2010
And we signed. I have the sheet of paper.
“What you can do for me is list the things you want me to leave.” Right now, her mother lives in the house, and she equipped the place to accommodate the remarkably aged woman: downstairs, there's what I'd call a dining room where she has a bed, a TV, a small cabinet of clothes and medicines, a stocked-up bathroom with a hot shower, and the pantry/kitchen area inside, the hot cooking area outside. There's a new water filter, so the tap is drinkable, a propane/butane stove next to a standard microwave on a large double-basin stainless sink outside, a refrigerator next to a counter and ventilated cupboards and a double-basin stainless sink across from a folding kitchen table in the pantry/patio, a better-working double-basin stainless sink on the patio across from the cooking area and next to a half bath (enclosed), a small washing machine, two ceiling mounted rotating fans, a TV, and an overstuffed (by Thai standards) chair. Upstairs, there are two empty bedrooms with one full bath (hot shower), and the master bedroom with a queen, balcony, private bath, and armoire half the size of my college dorm room.
She wanted to know what I would need—sheets? Towels? Dishes? Cooking utensils? A writing desk?
Hot damn and lucky me.
Instead, I listed what I came with—clothing, a few books, my tuba, a pair of chopsticks and a spoon—and what household goods I've bought: a water boiler, a mug, and a towel.
“Now, they won't be new, and might not be up to the standards you...”
“If you are providing them, I am grateful regardless of the state. Truly grateful. And I also understand the risk of leaving anything in a renter's hands and completely respect if you would rather not leave, say, a bed, any kitchen appliances, or any linens whatsoever.”
“Now, if you decide to get cable television, I will not provide that but you can ask me and I will set it up. Same thing with the internet. The cable would be about 600 B and the internet might run up to a throusand, so maybe you want to use the free connection on the school.”
We signed and she told me that the first month would be August but her mother would be out and the place would be cleaned up by this weekend.
Easy as that.
Waiting for the hitch....
And deffily, deffily looking forward to getting a bug net out on the balcony for sunset over the mountains.
No comments:
Post a Comment