Short answer
A dorm or apartment management system keeps the monthly cycle in one place: room status, tenant contracts, water and electricity readings, invoices, payments, repair requests and the deposit refund at move-out. One building with standard rent usually fits off-the-shelf software. Several buildings, a mix of rooms and commercial space, or your own accounting and LINE setup usually justify a custom system. Either way, in Thailand it has to bill utilities and deposits under the Contract Committee's 2025 announcement on residential rental, which covers landlords with three or more units.
What does a dorm management system do?
Rental work runs in a monthly loop: read meters, bill, collect, repeat. A good system closes that loop without keying the same number twice.
- Room map and status across every building
- Tenant register and contracts, including deposit and advance rent
- Meter readings per room, with a photo of the meter
- Automatic invoices and receipts, and a clear list of who has not paid
- Repair requests, move-out inspection and deposit refund
Which Thai rental rules must the system follow?
The Contract Committee announcement on residential rental as a controlled-contract business, B.E. 2568 (2025), was published on 6 June 2025 and took effect 90 days later. It applies to landlords renting three or more units, including rentals made online, but not to dormitories under the Dormitory Act or to hotels. This guide is not legal advice.
| Topic | The rule | What the system does |
|---|---|---|
| Deposit and advance rent | For leases up to 3 years, together no more than 3 months' rent | Warns when a contract exceeds the cap |
| Water and electricity | No more than the utility charges the landlord; the method is stated in the contract | Bills from meter units by the contract method |
| Invoices | Sent at least 3 days before the due date | Schedules invoices and keeps the meter photos |
| Deposit refund | 7 days with no damage, 14 days after deductions | Counts the deadline and reminds staff |
Off-the-shelf or custom?
Off-the-shelf software starts fast and suits standard rent collection. Build your own when you run several buildings, mix rooms with commercial space, or want billing and payments inside your own LINE Official Account. If you build with us, our engineers work with AI assistants and own every line of the result, on a fixed price tied to agreed deliverables, and you own the source code.
Before choosing a dorm management system
- Can it bill utilities by the method written in your contract?
- Does it keep meter and move-in photos as evidence?
- Does it track the 7-day and 14-day deposit refund deadlines?
- Can you export all your data if you ever switch?
Frequently asked questions
How much can a Thai landlord charge per unit of electricity?
The 2025 announcement sets no fixed figure. A landlord with three or more units may not charge more than the electricity authority charges them, and the contract must state the calculation method. Dormitories under the Dormitory Act are outside this announcement. Ask a lawyer or the Office of the Consumer Protection Board about your own case.
Can one system run both apartments and commercial space?
The core is the same, but commercial leases often add turnover rent, stepped increases over several years and different tax treatment. Off-the-shelf dorm software rarely covers that, so a mixed project is usually a case for a custom system.