Pricing an apartment for rent: how to compare similar units

Tenants always open several listings before going to a viewing. A unit priced above the market without a clear reason gets fewer enquiries. A unit priced too low costs you part of your income for the whole term of the lease. The surest approach is to compare with the units most like yours, then add or subtract for the differences.

1. Choosing comparable units: the more alike, the better

In order of priority:

1. Same project, same tower. Same amenities, management fee, resident rules and the same pool of tenants.
2. Same number of bedrooms, little difference in area. Tenants filter by bedrooms first, area second. A 2-bedroom unit should not be compared with a 1-bedroom + 1, even if the areas are similar.
3. Same level of furnishing. Unfurnished, basic furnishing (kitchen, curtains, air conditioning) and fully furnished (move-in ready) are three different price levels.
4. Recent timing. Transactions in the last 3–6 months. Prices from a year ago may already be different.

When a project has few units for rent, widen the search to projects in the same area, segment and building age. More adjustment is then needed.

Note: serviced apartments are a different segment (with housekeeping, reception and many costs included). Avison Young's Q2/2026 report puts Grade A serviced apartment rents in Ho Chi Minh City at about 40 USD/m²/month and Grade B at about 22 USD/m²/month. Do not use these levels as a benchmark for an ordinary apartment the owner rents out themselves.

2. Adjusting for differences

Compare your unit with each comparable unit and note which factors are better and which are worse:

Factor	Your unit is better	Your unit is worse
Floor	High floor, airy, quiet → add	Low floor by the road or a noisy pool → subtract
Orientation	Cool, little afternoon sun → add	Harsh afternoon sun, high air-conditioning bills → subtract
View	River, park, open internal area → add	Facing another tower, blocked → subtract
Furnishing	Complete, new, matching → add	Unfurnished or old items to replace → subtract
Condition	Freshly painted, appliances working well → add	Damp, peeling, broken appliances → subtract or repair first
Terms	Car parking space, pets allowed → add	High deposit, long payment cycle, many restrictions → subtract

Do not stack every plus point into the highest possible price. Tenants pay within the general price range for units of the same type; the plus points help your unit get chosen first within that range.

3. Price references: distinguish asking prices from agreed prices

• Rental listings currently on offer on classified sites: easy to see, but they show what owners hope to get. Listings that stay up for a long time usually carry prices nobody has accepted. Note the posting date and check whether the listing is still up or has been removed.
• The building management board and residents: they know which units have just been let, and sometimes the agreed price. This is usually the source closest to actual prices.
• Market reports (CBRE, Savills, JLL, batdongsan.com.vn…): show the general trend but cannot replace a unit-by-unit comparison. For example, batdongsan.com.vn data shows Ho Chi Minh City apartment rents rising about 11.5% in Q3/2025 while sale prices rose 33%; rental yields for Ho Chi Minh City apartments fell from 3.1% (Q1/2025) to 2.2% (Q3/2025). In other words, rents do not follow purchase prices: do not set the rent from what you paid for the unit.

4. What owners should account for before settling on a price

The rent in the lease is not your real income. Before comparing price options, deduct:

Item	How to account for it
Vacant months	Time to find a tenant, gaps between leases, repairs. Each vacant month is a full month's rent lost.
Management fee	Usually paid by the tenant; if you pay it (for an all-inclusive rent), deduct it from your income.
Repairs and maintenance	Air conditioning, water heater, kitchen appliances, repainting between tenants.
Rental service fee	If you consign through a broker — the fee set out in the service contract.
Rental tax	Based on revenue and the current thresholds; see the article on the owner's paperwork and tax obligations when renting out, or ask the tax authority / an accountant.

A slightly lower rent that lets the unit a month sooner can bring a higher income for the year. Try entering the options in the rental income calculator to compare them.

5. Setting the asking rent and revising it after 2–4 weeks

• Set the asking rent in the upper half of the comparable units' price range, leaving a small margin for negotiation. State clearly whether the rent includes the management fee, the number of months' deposit and the payment cycle.
• Track interest over the first 2–4 weeks: the number of enquiries, viewing appointments and viewers who make an offer.
• Read the signals: many enquiries but few viewings → the photos or price are off; many viewings but no deal → the price or terms (deposit, furnishing) are still high compared with competing units; almost no enquiries → the asking rent is above the market.
• Make one clear adjustment rather than many small cuts. You can adjust the terms (add furniture, a flexible payment cycle) instead of lowering the price.

How long it takes to find a tenant depends on the season, the supply in the same project and the unit's condition; no one can commit to it in advance. When you consign for rent through HPR, a specialist surveys the unit, compares similar units and reports tenant feedback so you can decide on the price. Service details: Rental consignment · HPR property consignment service.

This article is for reference only and does not replace legal or financial advice for each specific case.

1. Record the unit's details: project, tower, floor, orientation, view, area, number of bedrooms, level of furnishing, condition.
2. Find 3–5 comparable units in the same project, with the same number of bedrooms and level of furnishing, within the last 3–6 months; note whether each is an asking or an agreed price.
3. Ask the management board / residents about recently let units to learn the agreed prices.
4. Adjust for differences in floor, orientation, view, furnishing and condition → arrive at a reasonable price range.
5. Calculate net income allowing for vacant months, the management fee (if you pay it), repairs, service fees and tax — using the rental income calculator.
6. Set the asking rent, track it for 2–4 weeks, then adjust the price or terms based on actual enquiries and viewings.

Sources in Vietnamese; titles kept in the original, with a short English translation in brackets.

• Phụ Nữ Online (tuoitre.vn) — Tỉ suất lợi nhuận cho thuê căn hộ TPHCM xuống thấp kỷ lục, dưới cả lãi suất gửi tiết kiệm (Ho Chi Minh City apartment rental yields hit a record low, below savings rates), 25 November 2025 (batdongsan.com.vn data, Q1–Q3/2025).
• Doanh Nhân – Báo Pháp luật Việt Nam — Thị trường căn hộ dịch vụ TP.HCM giữ nhịp ổn định, nguồn cung hạng sang chờ bứt phá từ năm 2028 (Ho Chi Minh City serviced apartment market holds steady, luxury supply expected to grow from 2028), 14 July 2026 (Avison Young Q2/2026 report).