Long-term rentals in Vietnam 2026: the expat guide

Vietnam has around 90,000 active Airbnb listings, but once you move to direct rental through Facebook or Chợ Tốt, you save a third to a half. According to Numbeo, rent in Vietnam is roughly 73% lower than in the United States (September 2026). For a nomad on a Western income, that is the whole appeal.

All prices are current as of July 2026. Rate used: 1 USD ≈ 26,000 VND.

What you can rent in Vietnam

Studios and apartments (căn hộ)

The most popular format for singles and couples. Furnished flats are the norm: air conditioning, a fridge, a washing machine, Wi-Fi and a basic kitchen are almost always included.

Condominiums (chung cư)

A condominium is an apartment in a modern complex with facilities: pool, gym, 24/7 security and parking. The management company charges a monthly service fee; see the utilities table below for typical amounts.

Big complex chains: Vinhomes (nationwide, premium), Mường Thanh (Nha Trang, mass market), Gold Coast (Nha Trang, sea views), Sun Group (Da Nang). Condos work well for foreigners: secure, convenient, and often with an English-speaking reception.

Houses and villas (nhà / biệt thự)

A beachfront villa with a pool in Da Nang can be rented from $1,000/month — cheaper than a one-bedroom in most Western capitals.

Guesthouses and bungalows

Guesthouses (nhà nghỉ) are rooms in private houses or mini-hotels. Short-term: 200,000–500,000 VND/night (~$8–20). Long-term: 3–5 million VND/month (~$120–200). Common on Phu Quoc and in Mui Ne.

Bungalows are standalone cabins at beach resorts — from basic (fan, cold water) to luxe (air conditioning, terrace). On a 6-month lease the price drops to 4–5 million VND/month (~$160–200).

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Map & how much rent costs, city by city

A one-bedroom near the beach runs about $300–500/month in Da Nang or Nha Trang, rising to $600–1,200 in central Ho Chi Minh City. Below are the real bands city by city. All prices are per month; rate: 1 USD ≈ 26,000 VND (July 2026). Whichever city you choose, budget for the sea-view premium: it roughly doubles the studio price everywhere on the coast.

District names below are the ones the rental market still uses. Vietnam abolished the district level on 1 July 2025, so a lease or residence registration now gives the ward (phường) or commune and the city, with no quận. More in our guide to the 2025 administrative reform.

Seven cities, coloured by price tier. Green is cheap: in Da Lat or Mui Ne a studio costs what a single room goes for in Saigon. Blue is the coastal middle ground, amber is Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, where the district decides the rent. Tap a pin for the range by property type.

• Da Lat (Đà Lạt): Studio from ~$160/month — Room with a local family from ~$60 — Mountain town — no air conditioning needed
• Mui Ne / Phan Thiet (Phan Thiết / Mũi Né): Budget guesthouse from ~$80/month — House near the beach ~$400–800 — Season swings the prices sharply
• Phu Quoc (Phú Quốc): Budget room ~$200–240/month — Studio or bungalow ~$240–320 — 20–40% higher in the November–March season
• Nha Trang (Nha Trang): Studio in the centre ~$220–320/month — 1-bedroom ~$320–480 — One of the largest expat scenes in the country
• Da Nang (Đà Nẵng): Studio ~$240–400/month — 1-bedroom ~$450–600 — The nomad favourite; prices rise 5–8% a year
• Hanoi (Hà Nội): Tây Hồ: 1-BR ~$500–1,000/month — Long Biên: 1-BR ~$350–550 — Tây Hồ is the main expat district
• Ho Chi Minh City (TP. Hồ Chí Minh): District 1: 1-BR ~$700–1,200/month — Gò Vấp and Bình Tân: 1-BR ~$250–400 — The priciest city — the district decides everything

Nha Trang — beach city with a big expat scene

Nha Trang has one of the country's largest foreign communities, a long beach and solid infrastructure. English-speaking agents are easy to find, and the coastline is lined with rental towers. For the city guide, see Nha Trang overview, and for a deep dive on renting there specifically, renting in Nha Trang.

Popular districts: the centre (near Nha Trang Beach), Vĩnh Nguyên (cheaper), and An Viên (near Vinpearl).

Phu Quoc — an island with a season

On Phu Quoc prices swing with the season: 20–40% higher in the high season (November–March). On a 6-month lease you get a 15–25% discount.

Da Nang — the nomad favourite

Modern development, clean beaches and a coworking-friendly vibe make Da Nang the top pick for digital nomads. Prices rise 5–8% a year, and beachfront up to 10–15%. City guide: Da Nang overview; districts and paperwork: renting in Da Nang.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) — the priciest

Vietnam's largest city, where prices swing hard by district. District 2 (Thảo Điền) is the main expat area: leafy, full of cafés and coworking spaces. City guide: Ho Chi Minh City overview.

Hanoi — the capital

Tây Hồ (West Lake) is the main expat district in Hanoi.

Da Lat and Mui Ne — the budget picks

Da Lat is a mountain town with a cool climate. You won't need air conditioning; in winter you might want a heater. A studio starts at ~$160/month, a room with a local family from ~$60.

Mui Ne / Phan Thiet is a laid-back beach town. A budget guesthouse starts at ~$80/month; a house closer to the beach is ~$400–800/month. Season swings the prices sharply.

Where to look: 6 channels

1. Airbnb — the safe start

Around 90,000 active listings across Vietnam. Book for 28+ days and you get a 30–50% discount. It is ideal for your first month, before you know the city.

Downsides: 50–100% more expensive than direct rental, plus a 14–20% service fee. Ho Chi Minh City banned short-term rentals (under 30 days) in residential apartment blocks in 2025, then reopened them from April 2026 under tighter licensing rules — hosts now need to register as accommodation providers, so listings there are thinner than they used to be.

2. Booking.com — for short stays

Use the "Apartments" filter to find places with a kitchen. Free cancellation is handy, but prices run high (+60–120% over market) and there are few monthly options.

3. Vietnamese platforms

Batdongsan and Chợ Tốt hold the biggest inventories, but you'll need Google Translate and some caution: up to half the listings can be stale or fake.

4. Facebook groups — the real listings hub

Facebook is the main platform for finding a place. Both owners and agents post there.

5. Reddit and expat forums

For crowd-sourced, English-language intel before you commit:

• r/VietNam and r/digitalnomad — housing threads, honest neighbourhood takes
• Expat.com Vietnam forum — rental questions answered by long-term residents
• Facebook expat groups (see above) — still the fastest for live listings
• Nomad List — cost-of-living data and a Da Nang / HCMC nomad community

6. Local agents (môi giới) and direct rental

Agents: the fee is usually paid by the owner, not the tenant. If the tenant pays, it's a one-off $30–50 (Nha Trang). Find one through Facebook or by asking at any café.

Direct rental: the cheapest route. Walk the neighbourhoods and look for Cho thuê phòng (room for rent) or Cho thuê căn hộ (apartment for rent) signs. The catch is the language barrier.

Channels compared — the summary table

Photos on Vietnamese platforms are often years old. Ask for a fresh video or a video call before you travel to view — it saves you time and frustration.

The optimal strategy by timeline

First 1–4 weeks: book through Airbnb or Booking. Explore 3–5 neighbourhoods. Don't sign a long-term lease remotely — photos often don't match reality.

From month 2: switch to direct rental via Facebook or Chợ Tốt. Savings of a third to a half of the Airbnb price. You can bring in an agent for $30–50.

Long-term (6+ months): a lease direct with the owner, notarised if you both want it. Maximum savings, a fixed price, and room to haggle 15–30%. Thinking of buying instead? First read what a foreigner can actually buy in Vietnam.

How to rent: the step-by-step process

Lease and deposit

Minimum term is 3 months (the standard). At 6 or 12 months the price drops.

Deposit (đặt cọc): 1–2 months' rent (standard), sometimes 3. It's returned within 15 days of the lease ending. Deductions apply for damage, unpaid bills or early termination. The currency is VND only.

A bilingual lease — Vietnamese plus English — is the safer choice. The law does not require a residential lease to be notarised (Article 164 of Housing Law 27/2023/QH15), but the parties can do it if they want.

Documents for renting

What you need:

• A valid passport
• Your visa or e-visa (a copy)
• A work permit, if you have one

What to check on the landlord:

• National ID card (CCCD)
• The "pink book" (sổ hồng) — the title certificate. The address and name must match
• A power of attorney — if the person renting it out isn't the owner

Payment and utilities

Payment methods: cash (VND), transfer via a Vietnamese bank, mobile apps (Vietcombank, Techcombank), international transfers (Wise, Remitly). All payments are in VND only. Always get a receipt (biên nhận) for every cash payment.

Utility costs (a 45–80 sq m apartment)

The legal side for foreigners

Your right to rent

Foreigners can rent housing with a valid passport and a legal visa. Renting a place does not, by itself, grant you a visa — that's a separate process.

Temporary residence registration (tạm trú)

This is required by law. The landlord files the declaration through the national portal or with the local police station (công an phường).

• Deadline: 12 hours after check-in, 24 hours in remote and mountain areas (Article 33 of Law 47/2014 as amended by Law 23/2023)
• Responsibility: filing is the landlord's job; yours is to hand over your passport
• Fine for non-compliance: since 15 December 2025, under Decree 282/2025, the landlord pays 3,000,000–5,000,000 VND (~$115–190) for 1–3 undeclared foreigners, up to 15,000,000–20,000,000 VND for more. The foreigner pays 3,000,000–5,000,000 VND only for failing to present a passport for registration
• How: online via the Bộ Công An portal, or in person

Remind your landlord to register you — many "forget." An unfiled declaration is the landlord's offence, but clean tạm trú records matter if you later apply for a longer visa or a TRC. How filing works and who gets fined for what: temporary residence registration explained.

Visas and the long stay

To rent long-term you need a visa that lets you stay long enough. Here is how the common options stack up for renting. For the full breakdown by passport, e-visa steps and residence cards, see our Vietnam visa guide and the wider relocation guide.

Check the current e-visa rules and eligible nationalities on the official portal, evisa.gov.vn, before you plan a long stay.

Taxes

Tax on rental income is the landlord's obligation. In practice many build it into the price. As a foreign tenant you have no rental tax obligations.

In a serviced apartment, ask to see the giấy phép kinh doanh lưu trú (accommodation business licence).

10 mistakes foreigners make when renting

1. Not checking the owner's documents. Always ask for the pink book (sổ hồng / sổ đỏ). Scammers rent out other people's apartments with forged papers.
2. Paying without a receipt. Any cash payment — only with a receipt (biên nhận) or a bank transfer.
3. Not documenting the flat's condition at move-in. Dated photos and video are your defence against deposit deductions. Shoot everything: scratches, stains, the state of the appliances.
4. Agreeing to verbal deals. Every term goes into a written lease. "We'll sort it out later" is a path to losing money.
5. Not haggling. The first price always carries a 15–30% markup. Bargaining is expected. The exception is big management companies with fixed pricing.
6. Overpaying for electricity. The EVN state tariff is tiered and depends on usage. If they're asking a flat 4,000–5,000 VND/kWh, check it against the EVN bill.
7. Renting remotely, sight unseen. The photos on the listing may not match reality.
8. Not registering with the police. Filing is the landlord's duty, but you can be fined if you don't hand over your passport for it.
9. Fixating on one neighbourhood. View at least 3–5 places in different areas.
10. Not clarifying what's included. Internet, water, cleaning, parking, gas — may or may not be in the price.

Checklist before you sign

• Check the pink book (sổ hồng) — the address and owner's name match
• The landlord's ID (CCCD) matches the sổ hồng
• View the flat in person: plumbing, air conditioning, hot water, Wi-Fi, locks
• Test water pressure and the electricity supply
• Confirm the electricity and water tariffs and what's included in the rent
• Request a bilingual lease (Vietnamese + English)
• Record the meter readings at move-in
• Take photos and video of every room, noting any damage
• List the furniture and appliances in the lease
• Clarify early-termination terms and how the deposit is returned
• Make sure the landlord will handle your registration (tạm trú)
• Get a receipt (biên nhận) for every payment
• Ask for old utility bills to check the real running costs

FAQ