Thursday, March 6, 2014

Overnight Guests?


Jason Maskell
So I've been told be my landlord last night that guests in my apartment after midnight are considered residents and must be registered with the police. Thus, no guests after midnight.

True/False? Any insights?
Like · · 4 hours ago
  • 2 people like this.
  • Peter Cornish never had a problem with this but if your the sort of person who says ooh look the police are outside i better open the door and give them some money, i can see it might be a concern
    3 hours ago · Like
  • Angela P Pham Dear Walter, you share the house with locals and under name of locals too. Your home-mate will know how to deal with police. Less party and noisy.
    3 hours ago · Like
  • Walter Hanagriff III Peter, nobody thinks that way, but if they ask, its hard to turn them down. And I am told that you dont have to open the door for police, but sounds like inviting even more hadache.
    3 hours ago · Like · 1
  • Walter Hanagriff III oh, i see. hmm, thats a good idea. Well, maybe an option for another time. Nobody told me about this idea before when I was looking for a place. Thanks Angela P Pham
    3 hours ago · Like · 1
  • Peter Cornish as i say Walter, never had a problem with it. i dont open my door to anyone in this country unless im expecting them
    3 hours ago · Like
  • Walter Hanagriff III Peter, its good to know that this is possible to do with the police in vietnam. It was just your idea that we offer to give them money that was insulting. You cant expect a foreigner to know that they can turn away police. We cant do it back in our own country and dont know the rules here. I am learning more about them every week
    3 hours ago · Like
  • Peter Cornish i understand Walter, we all go through the learning process here. one of the things i have learned is not to worry about things - as foreigners we can get away with huge amounts living here and if we do find ourselves in trouble it's normally pretty simple to solve
    2 hours ago · Like · 2
  • Lars Iver Because of theives...yeah right, its about not being able to mind your own business. Since i myself just moved, and ive came up with a 3rd option - get a Dominos Pizza uniform and a pizza-box, then you make the person wait abit down the street, you run up, get the uniform, go down, dress the person in the Domino's suit - and bam - you are only ordering a pizza !
    2 hours ago · Like · 2
  • Troy Sincock Is it really that hard to go down to your local police station and tell them that you have guests staying with you? I have had police come to my place once in the nearly one year I have been living here. They asked for my passport and registration book, I gave them both and they asked to come inside. I let them in, they looked around, filled in their book and left. No problems.
    2 hours ago · Unlike · 1
  • Linh Hong Phan If someone shows up unannounced at the house anytime without the landlord I just do not let them in. I don't refuse to let them in but as the house is a rental they simply have to wait until the Landlord comes. If they are there for some sort of inspection I always make sure that the Landlord and the Local Neighborhood Representative is also present. The local ward cops didn't like staying outside the gate for an hour but hey I didn't make up the rules. I just apply them.
    2 hours ago · Unlike · 4
  • Lars Iver Troy Sincock yeah, well the problem is when you dont know the name yet at 9 PM, if you go down to the police station at 3.30 am after a night at Apo where you found the love of your life, police will be sleeping.
    2 hours ago · Like · 1
  • Angela P Pham Walter and Peter, you need to know, police here is worrying any troubles of foreigners too much. Because it's the law and political in Vietnam priority for foreigners so much especially European, American, Australia. Just without drugs and fighting. That's fine. Don't worry!
    2 hours ago · Like
  • Walter Hanagriff III Troy Sincock, there are other issues besides bringing home a sweet girl lol, I am a couchsurfer and sometimes people get in late at the airport or by bus. Now I cant host travelers. Then I think there is a limit how many people you can register with the place so if I do this and have 3 groups in a week, its a huge hassle if its even possible to keep registering and unregistering people like that. I do have a local friend who I can only meet after 9 pm because of her work, family, etc... and I can register her, but we are only friends. If I have a gf, i am told there is a limit how many peple I can register for the room. Its really a mess for some of us. It took me looking at 7 places to find one that says everythings ok
    2 hours ago · Like
  • Peter Cornish im not quite sure what you're saying Angela but it sounds very helpful. thank you so much
    2 hours ago · Edited · Like · 1
  • Troy Sincock Well imo the couch surfers need to understand the laws are different here compared to most other countries and they need to go to the local police to register with them if they intend to stay in someone's place here. Or wait for the knock on the door and pay the "lunch" money lol
    2 hours ago · Like
  • Walter Hanagriff III We all know its different. The point is that its bad laws. Your also not listening, we cant just go to the police and register, its not that simple at all. When you can read what we are saying, get back to us. Plus yes, you can pay money. Not really a solution as it defeats part of the point considering how much they ask.
    2 hours ago · Like
  • Angela P Pham Peter : I knew it very well cause I have lots of friends work in police station, and they often complain about what the headache they are facing in their work too. If they see you strict, they will be serious!
    2 hours ago · Like
  • Lars Iver Angela P Pham and they told you its because of burglers and fighting and drugs ? and not about being nosy about who sleeps with whom ? i would like to know whats the difference is before 9 PM and after 9 PM - criminals only go out at night or ?
    2 hours ago · Edited · Like
  • Angela P Pham Ha ha ha.... Seriously not at all! Because of the robbers always looking for foreigner things!
    2 hours ago · Like
  • Lars Iver But they can look before 9 PM too ?
    2 hours ago · Like
  • Angela P Pham No, the police in case is different. But you can stop them with some reasons too.
    2 hours ago · Like
  • Troy Sincock I got what you are saying Walter Hanagriff III. Whether it is a bad law or not, the fact is we live here and should live by the laws that govern us. If your guests are coming in on a late flight then they should check into a cheap hotel and then come to your house the next day imo. If you pick up at a club and take them back to your place then you can run that risk
    2 hours ago · Like · 1
  • GiáoViên NguyênHiểu I use to live at the Alder Housing Apartments which was like this in Portland, Oregon USA. They required that you registered over-night guests. I lived there for 2 years until 2010. Alder had cheaper apartment studio rooms especially for recovering addicts, drunks, widows, those with lower incomes, with little to no work, and those trying to get off the streets. I was living there since I was not the richest kid then. I was born in the USA in 1985 and have been in Vietnam since 2012.

    At Alder, it is an issue of security. I understand the reasoning behind the rules. Many people would say things like, "But they are treating us like children" which I understand. Part of the reason for the rules was that some of those people may have had mental problems or other like problems. Sometimes, certain rules are necessary.

    Walter Hanagriff III, and to others, I want to ask about the Solar New Year celebrations and other parties.

    If we party over midnight, do we have to register when we are not actually sleeping over when we are not actually sleeping period?

    The over midnight rule does not really make sense because we can sleep at any time and I do not see much of a difference between going to your house at 2 PM and 2 AM.
    2 hours ago · Edited · Like
  • Walter Hanagriff III GiáoViên NguyênHiểu, if you stay until 11 pm, maybe 12, there will be no issue. At worst, you can leave when the police comes. No worries. But after midnight there can be issues. Best to discuss with the landlord of that place if you expect such a thing. I agree with you either way, but sadly the government likes to have an iron grip on things here, for morality or for easier way to get money by making lots of rules so that people will pay to get past them.
    2 hours ago · Unlike · 1
  • Alison MacKinnon It may be a polite way to ask you to refrain from bringing girls home?
    about an hour ago · Like
  • Daniel Jason "because of the thieves" argument is a joke. While we avoid thieves going to our apartments, a thief just literally knock on our doors and ask you some cash upfront.
    about an hour ago · Like · 2
  • Walter Hanagriff III Alison MacKinnon, its not polite. Its literally the law. But I hear the law is about morality, or might be tied to this, the law is about stopping prostitution. But of course it does nothing to stop that. But its all about control either way.
    about an hour ago · Edited · Unlike · 2
  • Thomas Howard True, just have them register!
    about an hour ago · Like
  • Walter Hanagriff III Thomas Howard, since you didnt read the thread, I will ask you to read. We cant just register. Its not that simple. We are just discussing the limitations of this law.
    about an hour ago · Like
  • Jonathan Barlow I just completed a cycle trip through the delta and stayed at local homes when no hotel was available. I only had to register in Đất Mũi and Phú Quốc. The reason given that it's considered a border town and rules are more strict... whatever that means. It was comical in Phu quoc.. took the passport to the government official around 8 pm, and he was already drunk. He said he had to keep it with him overnight, which made absolutely no sense to me. I said why don't you just take a picture or record my information? But there was no reasoning with him. In the morning I retrieved my passport and was heading out of town when the police chased after me because guess what... they needed to record the information from my passport.

    I also had to register when I stayed with a friend in Dalat for several weeks.

    I've stayed in other homes in hcmc and various provinces around the south in the past 2 years and didn't register. Just those 3 places so far.
    about an hour ago · Unlike · 5
  • Walter Hanagriff III Yes, from my own experiences its very random and heavily dependent on the policemen that run that area. If I stay with a family I let them worry about what I should do and I just ask apartments about this ahead of time. Its all you can do once you know.
    about an hour ago · Like
  • Thomas Howard Walter I dont have to read the thread to respond to the original post. In the OP's situation it is as simple as registering. Hopefully they have a security guard for the building to do it for them. If not, then there's no one around to enforce the rule
    about an hour ago · Like
  • Thomas Howard GiáoViên NguyênHiểu it seems to work that way in my building!
    about an hour ago · Like
  • Walter Hanagriff III But your post is only half correct. Its always best to read some posts before commenting so you know whats going on and dont repeat 10 times.
    In the OPs, we dont know if he can register because its trouble if you bring somebody over after 9 pm. You cant just register. But yes, if security guard, you can maybe pay him off at least.
    about an hour ago · Like
  • Walter Hanagriff III By the way, in all places I checked, they had security guard. It doesnt matter. Thats why you read comments, because only anecdotal evidence isnt enough. As we said, its very different from place to place, so only can go by some general rules for how to deal with the law.
    about an hour ago · Like
  • GiáoViên NguyênHiểu Tom, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't..... many times, people do not register at all...... police often show up after the neighbors complain to the police.... so it partly depends on your neighbors
    about an hour ago · Like
  • Walter Hanagriff III I even heard sometimes landlords dont register you so they dont have to pay but if you dont know about this, you wont know to ask about it. So for anybody who doesnt know, make sure your registered at your own place lol
    about an hour ago · Like · 1
  • GiáoViên NguyênHiểu why did you write LOL?
    about an hour ago · Like
  • Walter Hanagriff III GiaoVien GiáoViên NguyênHiểu Are you talking about me? If you rent an apartment it costs money for the landlord to register you with the police I am told. So they might save money by not registering you. I am sure its uncommon but some expats were talking about it in a thread about obtaining a police record.
    about an hour ago · Like
  • David Udinkan Can someone provide a link to the full text of the law? English or Vietnamese is fine.
    about an hour ago · Like
  • Jeremy Miller "Everybody must be registered at night, now exceptions. Even hotels register guests with police"

    I was told by hotel staff that they just needed my guest's info just in case the police came and checked while she was there.
    about an hour ago · Like
  • GiáoViên NguyênHiểu Walter Hanagriff III, why did you write the simple letters of "LOL"?
    about an hour ago · Like
  • Vic Waller So does this registering guest apply to people who come to visit us for a week? Or just bringing people to your house after certain time..?
    about an hour ago · Like
  • Jeremy Miller If they spend even one night I believe Vic...
    about an hour ago · Like
  • Vic Waller cool bananas, thx
    about an hour ago · Like
  • Jeremy Miller "The next option is to find an apartment that has connecions with the police...Some cheap places will let you have guests but you have to hunt like mad or ask here for somebody that has such a place in your budget."

    I've lived in 2 places in HCMC not counting hotels (had no problem with the gf spending the night at one of the only 2 hotels I've stayed at - didn't try at the other) and in neither case would anybody know or care if I had a guest at any hours of the day or night. Guess I was just lucky...
    about an hour ago · Like
  • Robert Bicknell Its the law. If someone stays in your house overnight, they have to be registered with the local police. YES, it's bizarre to Westerners but that's they way it is. If your landlady is cool with it, no problem. Otherwise, you're looking for a headache you don't need.
    55 minutes ago · Edited · Unlike · 1
  • Jeremy Miller Yes I do understand and agree that it is the law. But I wasn't aware of it at the time or was only vaguely aware of having heard something...and nether the gf nor landlord(s) seemed concerned so I wasn't either...

    Now that I think about it I know lots of situations where friends partied at the Skygarden apts until late at night so I don't think anybody is minding the store there either...but now that some are reporting a plethora of snoopy neighbors/landlords I'll be very sure to inquire about that before renting my next place to be on the safe side...
    49 minutes ago · Like
  • Jeremy Miller Just out of curiosity...how common is the late night knock? Could some of you report your experiences/estimations? In 9 months I never got one...would have freaked me out a bit if I had tbh...
    48 minutes ago · Like
  • Vic Waller I live in an apartment block in phu my hung.. I have never seen cops near here.. I guess its just one of those things, may never happen but just incase, do the right thing
    27 minutes ago · Like · 1
  • Angela P Pham Normally in Phu My Hung, foreigners aren't not disturb by police anyway
    26 minutes ago · Like · 1
  • Steve Poole I understand the chances of security, crime and prostitution happening are higher at night but quite frankly, I think this is such an antiquated rule especially given the freedom of the surrounding Asian countries. Sadly that is the way it is though...
    22 minutes ago · Like
  • Simone Josefine Dønvang Sure , My vietnamese family does the same eveytime i visit ...but i think it's within 3 days
    19 minutes ago · Like
  • GiáoViên NguyênHiểu I stayed at Kathy Thao Duong house unregistered with the police from the morning of Thursday, 2013-02-21 until the morning of Monday 2013-04-08. I was a guest and I did not pay any money. As far as I know, the police never came to that apartment in District 8 of Saigon, Vietnam. I was born in the USA in 1985 and have been in Vietnam since 2012. Kathy is a Vietnamese woman that stole my bike.
    a few seconds ago · Like
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