Vietnam House Lease Agreement Template
Completed with inspection of title documents, a handover record with meter readings, the temporary-residence declaration duty for foreign tenants, and the notarisation and tax position — four things absent from the source and precisely where lease disputes concentrate.
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In .docx format, free and without sign-up. The Vietnamese version prevails within Vietnam; the Chinese and English versions are for comprehension.
Key compliance points
- The duty to declare a foreign tenant’s temporary residence falls on the landlord. A private dwelling counts as an “accommodation establishment” even if not operated as a business, and the declaration is due within 12 hours of arrival (24 hours in remote areas). The landlord cannot comply without the tenant’s documents, so the contract should make it a mutual duty.
- A residential lease need not be notarised. Sale, hire-purchase, gift, exchange, capital contribution and mortgage must be; absence of notarisation does not affect a lease’s validity.
- Tax for individual landlords changed materially in 2026 the annual revenue threshold rose from VND 100 million to VND 500 million; at or below it, both VAT and PIT are exempt, and the presumptive method was abolished in favour of self-declaration. Exemption is not exemption from filing.
- Inspect the landlord’s original title documents before signing ; for a sublease, also the owner’s written consent. A sub-lessor without authority, a mortgaged property and a property under attachment are the three most common failures.
Legal basis
| Instrument | Substance | Effective |
|---|---|---|
| Luật Nhà ở 27/2023/QH15 | A lease must be in writing, describing the housing and the attached residential land plot; notarisation is not required | — |
| Luật Nhập cảnh, xuất cảnh, quá cảnh, cư trú của người nước ngoài (2014, sửa đổi 2019) — Điều 32 | A private dwelling is an accommodation establishment; the landlord must declare within 12 hours (24 in remote areas) | — |
| Luật Thuế thu nhập cá nhân (sửa đổi) | Business households and individuals with annual revenue up to VND 500m are exempt from VAT and PIT; presumptive method abolished | 2026-01-01 |
| Bộ luật Dân sự 91/2015/QH13 | General provisions on the lease of property | — |
Establish these before use
- 1Inspect the lessor’s original title documents (and the owner’s written consent for a sublease)
- 2Sign the handover record jointly and record the utility meter readings
- 3Where the tenant or a co-occupant is a foreign national, confirm both parties understand the declaration duty and its deadline
- 4State a single, explicit permitted use (it determines whether the address can be registered for a company, and how utilities are priced)
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Disclaimer
This document is general reference material and does not constitute legal advice. Rules vary with sector, locality and the specific arrangement; have a Vietnamese-qualified lawyer or tax practitioner review your circumstances before relying on it. Vietnamese law changed frequently across 2025–2026 — confirm the position remains current before use.