NovTenant screening in Cambodia
Screening is the last stage at which the owner still controls the situation. Once the contract is signed and the keys handed over, leverage is limited: a one- or two-month deposit rarely covers serious damage or several months of non-payment, and a dispute costs time and money. Half an hour of checking before move-in is cheaper than six months of solving the problem afterwards.
Set the same decision criteria before applications arrive
Define criteria connected to lease performance before collecting files: verified identity, capacity to meet rent and related costs, move-in date, occupants, intended use and willingness to follow the lease and building rules. State the acceptable evidence and decision owner for each criterion.
Equivalent facts should be assessed consistently. Nationality, language, family circumstances or the absence of one familiar document should not become an automatic risk marker unless connected to a lawful requirement of the identified tenancy. RICS recommends consistent and reasonable procedures and human professional judgement, particularly where automated screening is used.
Which documents to request
We have not confirmed a single legally mandated list in this review — what follows is established market practice rather than a rule. Any owner is entitled to ask for these, and a refusal to show them is itself informative.
Give every document request a defined purpose
Before disclosure, tell the applicant what is collected, why, who will see it, permitted recipients, retention and how to correct or remove unnecessary data. Collect the minimum: identity review does not always require sending a full passport copy to every participant, and income review does not require an applicant's complete bank history.
Cambodia's Ministry of Post and Telecommunications described the comprehensive personal-data law as a draft in July 2025. This research did not find an official source confirming enactment by 22 July 2026. That does not remove other confidentiality obligations: use a written notice, consent where required, purpose limitation, protected storage and Cambodian legal review.
Verify identity without uncontrolled document copying
Match the person to a current original document in person or through an agreed process with a local representative. Check the name, photograph, date of birth, number and expiry; retain nationality only where it is genuinely needed for the lease, foreigner registration or building rules.
The verification log can record the date, reviewer, document type and result. Keep a full copy only for a clear purpose and limited access, mask unused fields in working files and do not circulate it through general chat groups. A second forwarded passport image is not a second independent check.
Assess payment capacity through several acceptable forms of evidence
This research did not verify a Cambodia-wide rent-to-income ratio or universal tenant credit score. Compare rent, service charge, utilities and contract currency with recurring funds, employment or contract duration, savings and known commitments.
Allow alternatives such as an employer letter, limited statement, client contract, business evidence, scholarship, pension, paying company or written guarantor. Verify an employer or payment source through an independently located contact and with the applicant's knowledge. No employment contract does not mean no capacity to pay, while one large account screenshot does not show durable cash flow.
Make a previous-landlord reference verifiable and factual
Obtain the applicant's permission to make contact and establish that the referee actually managed the stated property or represented its owner. Ask limited factual questions: tenancy dates, rent and payment timing, notice, exit condition, deposit return and any documented dispute.
Do not request health, family, belief or other information unrelated to the tenancy. No previous landlord is not an automatic failure: an applicant may be renting for the first time, have lived with family or occupied employer housing. Define an acceptable alternative reference in advance.
A corporate tenant, payer and occupant are different parties
Where a company signs, check its legal name, address and status through the Ministry of Commerce register and verify the signatory's authority. Identify separately the occupants, notice contact, bank payer and party responsible for the deposit, damage, early departure and obligations after an employee leaves.
Registration proves that the company exists, not that it can pay or that a parent company guarantees the lease. A guarantee or undertaking from another entity needs its own executed document, amount, duration and trigger for a landlord claim.
| Document | What it shows | What to look at |
|---|---|---|
| Passport | Identity and nationality | Check against the original, not a photo that was sent to you |
| Visa or stay permit | Legality and duration of stay | An expiry earlier than the lease term is worth discussing upfront |
| Proof of employment or income | Where the payments will come from | Employer name, position, contract term |
| Previous landlord's contact | An actual history rather than a self-description | Call: did they pay on time, how did they leave, in what condition |
| List of occupants | How many people will actually live there | A mismatch with the contract is a common source of disputes with building management |
Warning signs
None of these on its own means you are dealing with a problem tenant. But two or three together are reason enough not to rush.
- Refuses to show documents, or shows only photographs on a phone.
- Insists on paying cash far in advance and asks not to sign a contract.
- Pushes on timing: "I decide today, otherwise I take another place."
- Is evasive about exactly who will be living in the apartment.
- Plans to sublet the apartment or part of it without having discussed it with you.
- Will not provide a previous landlord's contact despite having rented before.
The deposit, and why it does not solve the problem
In the Phnom Penh market a deposit of one to two months' rent is typically discussed. That is practice rather than a statutory amount, and it is agreed in the contract.
The limitation matters: a deposit is sized for wear and tear and minor damage. It does not cover replacing appliances, serious damage to the finish, or several months of non-payment. Owners who rely on the deposit instead of screening tend to learn this in practice. A deposit is not insurance; it is a security that encourages good behaviour.
Set out separately in the contract what may be withheld from the deposit and by when it is returned. The wording is broken down in the lease agreement checklist.
If you are not in Cambodia
A remote owner needs someone on the ground, and that role is best defined before a candidate appears. A video call lets you meet the tenant and ask questions, but it does not verify that documents are genuine and does not replace checking them against the originals.
The minimum somebody has to do physically: run the viewing, check the passport and visa against the originals, sign the contract, and produce a handover record with photographs of the apartment's condition. Who does this — you, an authorised representative, an agent or a management company — should be recorded in writing, along with who decides which tenant is accepted.
Assign responsibility for FPCS and building registration
For a foreign occupant, record before key release who submits the required information through the Foreigners Present in Cambodia System, who deals with building management and what confirmation stays in the tenancy file. The official General Department of Immigration system is used to record information about foreigners staying in Cambodia.
Confirm the exact data, timing and responsible party for the identified building with its management and the relevant immigration office. FPCS is a post-selection and move-in compliance task, not a reliability score. Nationality should not replace review of payment capacity, intended use and compliance with the lease.
How management through a company works, and what it is actually obliged to do, is set out in the management agreement checklist.
What to record before handing over the keys
- A signed contract with the term, rent, deposit and the procedure for returning it.
- A handover record with an inventory of furniture and appliances.
- Photographs of the condition of every room, the plumbing and the appliances on the move-in date.
- Water and electricity meter readings.
- Copies of the tenant's documents and the list of actual occupants.
- Emergency contacts — for the tenant and for the building's management.
Close the application with a written decision and retention date
The decision record should show the criteria, evidence, discrepancies, follow-up and outcome: approved, conditionally approved, pending or declined. Give the applicant a route to correct an error in the name, income evidence, reference or automated report before finalisation.
A score or traffic light should not decide the tenancy by itself: RICS highlights opacity, contextual error and possible bias in automated screening. After the decision, retain only records needed for the lease, registration, reporting or a legal claim; set a deletion period for an unsuccessful application and record destruction or anonymisation.
Letting for the first time? We can tell you what to request from a candidate and what to record before move-in, so that disputes are settled by documents rather than by correspondence.
Contact usor on TelegramFrequently asked questions
Which documents may I ask a tenant for?
Common practice is a passport copy, a valid visa or stay permit, proof of employment or income, and a contact for the previous landlord. We have not confirmed a single legally mandated list in this review: this is market practice rather than a rule.
What deposit is customary?
In the Phnom Penh market a deposit of one to two months' rent is typically discussed. That is practice, not a statutory amount. What matters more is that a deposit of this size rarely covers serious damage or prolonged non-payment, so it does not replace screening.
What if I am not in Cambodia?
You need someone on the ground to run the viewing, check documents against the originals and sign the handover record. A video call helps you meet the candidate but does not verify that documents are genuine. Put the roles and responsibilities in writing before move-in.
Sources
Practice with landlords in Phnom Penh · NovAsia corpus on rental and management · checked July 2026. A mandatory list of tenant-screening documents and a statutory deposit amount are not confirmed in this review — market practice is described instead. This content is for general information only and is not legal advice; check the terms of a specific contract with a lawyer.