99% of Condos in Bangkok have a Management team that work in the Juristic Office whom are there to take care primarily of the building and it’s inhabitants, be they condo owner occupiers or just tenants living on short to long term rentals in Bangkok. However unfortunately given the nature of the position they occupy, Juristic Managers and their staff have plenty of opportunity to abuse their power.

Before I go on, I want to make it clear that although we are a Bangkok Property Agency, and yes the power abuse exerted by Bangkok Condo Juristic Managers is detrimental to our business a lot of the time, I am not writing this as a worker for a Bangkok Real Estate Agency, but more as a landlord of a few Bangkok condos. As a landlord I am acutely aware of how the actions of such people forms an unwelcome blockage in the Bangkok Real Estate Market and reduces the chances of landlords renting or selling properties and potential clients finding condos to rent or condos to buy.

So what are the duties of a Bangkok Condo Juristic Officer or Manager?

Juristic Managers and the staff that work with them are employed to run the Bangkok condominium buildings they are stationed at, but what do these duties entail?

1. Taking care of the physical maintenance of the building
2. Helping residents of the building, where they are renting condos or own the condos they live in
3. Organizing any extra utilities or services required by the residents, such as UBC TV installation or Internet Installation
4. To organize the repair of any communal or structural features that require extra work, such a swimming pool tiles, or light fittings in the corridor

So how to they get paid?

Well every Bangkok condominium building that employs Juristic Management teams also imposes fees upon the owners and renters in the condominium building. These fees are imposed in two ways:

1. Condominium Sinking Fund – this is paid for upon the transaction of the condo unit from the developer to the first owner. Fees for this fund vary, but in the current Bangkok condominium market they are often between THB 500- 600/ sqm that is contained the Bangkok condominium unit the landlord has purchased. This fee is often a one-off payment and unless there is some large condominium structural work that is needed in the future, they are never asked for again.
2. Condominium communal Fees – these are different. They are cheaper, but are not only constantly imposed, they can and often do increase over time as maintenance fees increase and damages need to be repaired. Current Bangkok condominium communal fees imposed in the Bangkok Property Market are on average THB 35 – 50/ sqm/ month.

So these Bangkok Property fees are there to pay for not only damage and wear and tear of the Bangkok condos, but also the pay for the Juristic Managers and their team to perform their duties.

So how do they abuse their juristic powers?

Unfortunately given the level of closeness that Bangkok condo Juristic Managers have with the buildings they work in, they can develop a knowledge of the units within the Bangkok condominium building and know exactly when which unit is for sale or for rent or is already occupied.

So how can they use this knowledge to abuse their power?

Landlords and condo owners inform Juristic managers of the current status of their units, in good faith. For example a landlord has a unit available for rent he will inform the Juristic Manager and pass him/ her some contact details such as a telephone number. They do this in good faith that the Bangkok condo Juristic Management team will pass this on to potential clients and Bangkok Property Agents so that they can rent out their condo.

Unfortunately many times Juristic Managers then use this knowledge to their own advantage and do not pass the information to Bangkok real estate agents unless they are given a commission in a possible deal. However this just places a blockage in the system as Bangkok property agents then just show their clients alternative condo units, and so the condominium unit remains empty when it could be occupied and a tenant happy, the property agent happy and the landlord happy.

Of course the landlord is never informed of the loss of this possible client so none the wiser goes on happily paying his/her Bangkok condominium communal fees and does not realize they are partly paying for someone who is indeed hindering their progress of their real estate investment in yielding better results.

So what can be done?

Well you could end up reporting rogue Bangkok condo Juristic Managers to their superiors or the police, and this would be no bad thing for both you and the other residents of the building, as well as the larger Bangkok property market as a whole. However we are of course not expecting you to do this.

An easier and more palatable solution is to make sure that you inform as many Bangkok property agents as possible of the status of your property, and make sure your property is properly exposed to the Bangkok Real Estate market as a whole. This way you will give your self more chance of achieving the objectives and get the returns on investment you want.

Finally do not rely on sole agents as well, as this only makes you vulnerable to losing out due to poor working practices. Let as many Bangkok Real Estate Agencies know the details so that you may get the best possible collective exposure and service from the Bangkok Real Estate Market.