How to move and become an English Teacher in Vietnam, the 2025 Ultimate Guide, Chapter 7

THREATENING LANDLORDS

During one stay in Vietnam, I found myself in one of the most surreal rental situations I’d ever experienced.

Despite always being honest and consistently paying my rent on time, the weeks leading up to my check-out turned unexpectedly turbulent.

After proposing a simple, transparent housing check-out plan (which had normally always been working in my last 20 travelling / expat years earlier) — with every remaining cost fully covered by my deposit — the landlord irrationally reacted in the opposite way: sternly rejecting the idea, demanding extra pre-payments, and even contacting my employer behind my back to put unfair pressure on me (which my school politely and professionally ignored).

For about two weeks the situation escalated: daily threats of “police intervention,” “cancellation of residency,” “apartment forcibly and immediately taken back”, and warnings that electricity and water would be cut. At one point the water was indeed briefly disconnected — a very mafia-style scare tactic — but building security restored it immediately once they understood what was happening. Things finally calmed down once I paid the only legitimate outstanding bill (November electricity) and confirmed I would move out only three days earlier than planned (and actually exactly when my lease contract would expire). My deposit comfortably covered all remaining rent and utilities until my departure.

In fact, the 12 M VND deposit prepaid everything:

• 65 days of management fees (around 480 K VND/month)

• 96 days of water (very inexpensive in Vietnam)

• 42 days of electricity (around 500–600 K/month for one person)

• 42 days of rent (6.5 M/month)

After those hectic two weeks, I ultimately checked out in the most controlled and peaceful manner imaginable — no frantic calculations at the door, no last-minute quarrels, no uncertain refunds to chase from abroad. Just a clean, organised, stress-free departure. Since my work schedule ended barely a day before my visa expired, forcing a quick trip to Cambodia, I had zero time or patience for complications. I only had to wrap up my final class and make it to the border within 24 hours.

WHAT LANDLORDS CANNOT DO

• Entering your apartment without permission (illegal trespass)

• Removing your belongings (theft or property interference)

• Changing locks

• Threatening deportation

• Harassing at unreasonable hours

• Threatening your lease has automatically terminated because of a late rent payment

WHAT DEPOSIT CAN DO

• Deposits in Vietnam usually cover all final rent + utilities

• Deposits are not meant to be withheld for arbitrary reasons

• Landlords cannot demand “additional prepayments” unless contractually defined

WHAT A TENANT SHOULD DO IN THE FINAL WEEKS

• Screenshot meter readings

• Record every conversation

• Inform building security of any intimidation

• Keep a digital copy of the contract easily accessible

• Inform a friend/colleague as a witness of events

WHAT CONSULATES / EMBASSIES CAN DO 

• confirm your identity if requested

• provide emergency assistance

• document your complaint if harassment involves threats

• help you avoid misunderstandings with local authorities

WHAT IF SOMEONE ENTERS YOUR APARTMENT OR BEHAVES ILLEGALLY

• Stay calm
• Record everything
• Go to the ward police station OR
• Contact the police on 113 (free call or SMS)

WHAT IF POLICE ENTERS YOUR APARTMENT OR BEHAVES ILLEGALLY

In the extremely unlikely case that police forcibly enter without a court order, you can immediately report the incident to the Ward or District People’s Committee (UBND), which supervises local police conduct

HOW TO USE WHATSAPP / ZALO STRATEGICALLY

Since most Vietnamese landlords use Zalo:

• Zalo chat logs are accepted as valid evidence by courts

• Written records protect tenants

• Never rely on phone calls

KEY POINTS

Here’s what I learned — and what I want other travelers to remember:

• Landlords can threaten many things, but the law protects tenants far more than you think.

• Some landlords threaten “canceling your visa” or “reporting you to immigration.” Rest assured that immigration only intervenes in criminal or severe legal cases, not civil disagreements.

• Only a court can legally evict you: in reality, your deposit usually covers one to two months of rent and utilities. Even if a landlord wants to escalate, they normally wait until at least three months of unpaid rent have accumulated before filing any legal claim — simply because anything earlier is considered too weak and too costly to pursue.

  And even once a claim is filed, the legal process is long. Under the Vietnamese Civil Procedure Code (2015), the court’s preparation for trial phase alone takes up to 4 months, extendable to 6 months for more complex disputes. Only after this period can the court issue a first-instance judgment. In practice, even when everything runs smoothly, reaching a verdict typically requires at least another 2 months.

  Therefore, from the moment a dispute begins, a legal eviction in Vietnam usually takes 6–8 months minimum — far beyond the time your deposit, notice period, or lease end date would have already passed.

  Even if a landlord goes as far as filing a court case, the process remains slow and predictable. Before any hearing, the court will issue formal summons weeks in advance, giving you plenty of notice. During this entire period, you can still legally leave the country, continue your work, and withdraw or transfer your funds from your bank account without restriction. An ongoing civil case does not block your travel, your visa status, or your access to your own money — it simply continues in the background while you go on with your life.

  The only thing that could restrict travel is a criminal case or a travel ban ordered by a judge, which does not apply in rent disputes. Money can only be frozen after a final verdict has been issued — typically 6–8 months later — and only if you are found liable and you are still in Vietnam for enforcement. For someone who is checking out and leaving the country soon, this scenario is exceptionally unlikely.

• Police rarely intervene in minor civil disputes, regardless of what a landlord may claim. At most, they might attempt basic mediation or invite both parties to the station for clarification (not binding). Police can realistically force entry only for emergency or criminal cases. In the rare event police summons you (not binding) and you want to clarify for peace, bring your contract, stay calm, ask for translation if needed, and keep everything in writing.

• You are not obliged to open your door to anyone, including police, without a valid court order. In most cases you can simply decline or ignore requests that are not legally binding. Civil disputes—such as landlord–tenant issues—require proper legal procedures, and police rarely intervene without a warrant or clear legal basis. Since a full court process can cost 20–50 million VND in upfront fees and legal expenses, landlords seldom pursue litigation for small or uncertain claims, especially when tenants are about to leave the country.

• Cutting utilities, forcing entry, or intimidation of any kind is illegal and can be reported as harassment or even criminal conduct.

• Building management or even agents often sides with calm, reasonable tenants.

• Stay calm, keep everything in writing, document everything — and don’t let anyone panic you into paying what you don’t owe.

• Try to gently help your landlord understand that further escalation won’t benefit anyone — it only consumes time, energy, and peace of mind on both sides. Offering small, symbolic concessions (e.g. pay one small bill or leave 3 days earlier) can sometimes help them feel acknowledged and reduce tension, making the situation easier to resolve for everyone.
• If your employer gets treacherously involved somehow, kindly explain them that it is just a simple, ordinary civil matter fully unrelated to work. The only real risky exception — regardless of whether the landlord is right or wrong — is that some employers may choose to act cautiously if the police issue any formal documents related to the dispute. In such cases, an employer might consider early termination simply to avoid administrative complications, even though the matter is entirely civil. Employers generally prefer non-involvement to avoid administrative work.
• Many expats / travelers fear landlords will report them to force an overstay fine, but landlords cannot influence visa expiration AND visa issues are a completely separate legal area

Vietnamese law (Penal Code 2015, amended) considers certain intimidation tactics illegal, such as:

• repeated threats
• showing up at your door
• cutting utilities

They can legally count as harassment. Do NOT overpay out of fear.

Foreigners are often targeted because they may appear unfamiliar with local laws or more prone to panic. Local Vietnamese, as well as seasoned travelers and expats, are generally much harder to intimidate — though landlords cannot immediately tell the difference.

Some landlords escalate out of fear that a tenant might leave without settling bills, or simply because they react impulsively or emotionally. It’s not always pure malice — sometimes it’s miscalculation, or an attempt to assert control and show authority.

FINAL CONSEQUENCES

1. POLICE INVOLVEMENT (Mediation, Clarification, Noise Complaints, Civil Disputes)

No consequences at all.
Police “involvement” in a civil dispute — meaning:

• they show up because the landlord called

• they invite you to the station to “clarify”

• they mediate a disagreement

• they ask both parties to calm down

…has zero impact on:

• future visas

• future entries into Vietnam

• future housing applications

• your “record” or “profile”

Vietnam does not have a system where civil disagreements create a permanent record for foreigners.

It is treated as a normal misunderstanding, nothing more.

2. IF POLICE ISSUES A SUMMON (Giấy mời)

A summon to clarify a civil matter is:

• not a criminal document

• not binding (you can reschedule)

• not reportable to immigration

It does not affect future entry to Vietnam. Employers sometimes worry, but legally it is nothing.

Your “name” is not flagged anywhere.

3. IF A COURT CASE IS OPENED (CIVIL CASE)

Even if a landlord files a lawsuit:

No consequence for:

• visas

• immigration

• future entries

• future leases

• police database

A civil case in Vietnam is between two private parties. The state does not punish or track you for that.

The court does not report you to Immigration unless it turns into a criminal case, which rental disputes never do.

You can leave Vietnam anytime during a civil case.

IF A CIVIL CASE ENDS WITH A VERDICT AGAINST YOU

Worst-case scenario:

• You lose the case

• You owe the landlord money (rent + bills + legal expenses sometimes)

Still no immigration consequences.

The Vietnamese system does not block entry or blacklist foreigners for owing money in a private civil dispute.

What actually happens:

• Enforcement officers will try to collect funds only if you are still in Vietnam

• If you already left, the case simply “remains unenforced”

• You can return later without issue

There is no automatic ban, no “visa refusal,” no “blacklisting,” and no international sharing of the ruling.

Vietnam does not track foreign civil debts across borders.

Travel is full of surprises, and occasionally that includes a difficult landlord. But with clarity, patience, experience and a good understanding of your rights, these situations usually resolve far more easily than the threats suggest.

Stay well-informed, stay calm, don’t escalate, and never allow intimidation to spoil your experience abroad.

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