Renting an apartment or house in Cambodia

In Phnom Penh, a plain one-bedroom flat in a Khmer-style building outside the centre runs US$200-350 a month. A serviced apartment with a pool, gym and weekly cleaning in BKK1, Toul Kork or Chroy Changvar is US$450-800, and a three-bedroom family apartment or townhouse US$900-1,800. Furnished is the default; unfurnished is rarer and only slightly cheaper.

Siem Reap sits roughly 30-40% below the capital for the same standard, with two-bedroom houses widely available at US$300-500 and simple studios from US$150. Battambang, Kampot and Kep are cheaper again but with far thinner supply, so the good listings move by word of mouth rather than online.

Short-term monthly rates on serviced apartments carry a 20-40% premium over a twelve-month lease. If you are staying a year, commit to a year — the discount is the largest single saving available to a tenant here.

The standard lease is twelve months with one or two months' deposit and the first month paid up front. Rent is quoted and usually paid in US dollars, in cash or by local bank transfer. Contracts are typically short, bilingual and light on tenant protection, so what is written down matters.

Negotiating 5-10% off an advertised price is normal, and more if you pay several months in advance or take a longer term. Landlords will often throw in free parking, a repaint or an extra air conditioner rather than cut the headline rent — ask for those explicitly.

Get in writing who pays for repairs, the exact utility rates, the notice period, and the conditions for returning the deposit. Photograph the whole unit including existing damage on the day you move in. Deposit disputes are the most common tenant complaint in Cambodia and photographs settle most of them.

Electricity is the biggest variable and is where landlord markups appear. The state rate is charged per kilowatt-hour, but some landlords bill a fixed higher rate per unit. Ask to see the meter and the rate before signing: a modest flat with occasional air conditioning runs US$30-60 a month, and a family house running AC most of the day US$100-200.

Water is usually US$5-15 a month and often bundled into serviced rent, along with rubbish collection and building security. Fibre internet at 50-200 Mbps is US$15-30 a month and is sometimes included in serviced buildings.

Add parking if you have a car, and factor in that many older buildings have no lift. A US$300 flat with a punitive electricity rate can end up costing more than a US$400 serviced unit with utilities capped.

Listings appear on local property portals, Facebook groups and agency websites, but the best-value units in both Phnom Penh and Siem Reap are still found by walking a neighbourhood you like and calling the numbers on the gates. Agents are generally paid by the landlord, so their service costs a tenant nothing — but they also have no incentive to talk you out of a bad unit.

Inspect at the time of day you will actually be home. Check water pressure, whether hot water works, mobile signal inside the unit, noise from nearby construction or karaoke bars, and whether the road floods in the rainy season — a genuine issue in parts of Phnom Penh and Siem Reap between June and October.

Confirm the person signing is the owner or holds written authority, and that the building has no ongoing ownership dispute. For longer stays, registering the lease gives you far more standing than a private agreement if things go wrong.