Hi Folks
I'm planning to visit Siem Reap / Angkor Wat etc but now thinking, hey, maybe I'll rent an apartment for six months...
I'm Australian. Can i do that?
Guy Lane

Yes.
Renting an apartment is easy, you can move in same day if you want to. Some landlords might want to see you have a visa so you'll need to get that sorted, other threads on here about that.

I'm pretty sure rules are different for Australians, if they can rent at all.

I'd be sure to check with the local bar owners, all of them, before making any rash decisions.

Go for a month, then decide. You might want to try Phnom Penh too before making any decision for a 6 month period.

You must put down one month's rent as a security deposit. If they ask for more, such as 2 or 3 months, decline and move on. If you leave before the end of the contract you will lose that deposit, even if the property is a complete nightmare, is uninhabitable or surrounded by bars blaring out music until 1am. That's your choice to leave - your problem. So do your due diligence before signing.

If you leave at the end of the contract, try to use the deposit as the last month's rent - by agreement. If they don't agree, you are on notice that getting the deposit returned is going to be fun and games. The concept of 'refund' is anathema to Khmers.

Find out if you will have your own electric meter and will pay the power company directly. This is preferable. Many landlords charge a lot more than the KWh rates on the bill, and profit from that. In Phnom Penh the rate is about 720 per kWh (about USD 0.18) Landlords routinely charge 0.25 to 0.30 per kWh. This can get expensive if you like your Air conditioning.

Other than those potential hiccups, renting here is easy and the people are generally very nice. If you are polite and respectful to them, you pay in full and on time, and don't cause chaos they will be your new best friends.

Good luck.

VitaSapien wrote: ↑Fri Dec 29, 2023 10:20 pm Hi Folks
I'm planning to visit Siem Reap / Angkor Wat etc but now thinking, hey, maybe I'll rent an apartment for six months...
I'm Australian. Can i do that?
Guy Lane

Yes, not a bother, very much a renters market there

ExPenhMan wrote: ↑Sun Dec 31, 2023 10:39 am ^^^ Doc67 nails it all. I would add, try to pass by the place, if you can get the address before signing a contract, in late evening. Listen for loud music, raucous bars, crowing roosters and barking dogs. Having stayed in Siem Reap on numerous occasions, the place can be noisy, i.e., especially anywhere near Pub Street. << Stay far FAR away.

You should consider a service apartment because, just renting a flat or apartment you will need to buy a lot of articles that will stays behind when you leave. in Cambodia a plain apartment will be like a shell modestly furnished.

Personally I would recommend serviced apt or hotel. You can find good deals for month stay in most of them. Then you can explore different areas and see what you like best, and it’s about the same cost as having your own room assuming you not planning to rent $150/m flat.
I roamed in hotels for 2.5 months before moving to my own apt.